Map Labs is an ongoing anthology of Half-Life 2/Source Engine levels, all designed for the various Map Labs mapping challenges. Currently touting hundreds of maps across a multitude of competitions, we're just getting started.
- Every qualified entry sees a release through this page until the Steam version goes live. Once on Steam, all entries will receive an achievement for completion! This is retroactive, so maps before the Steam release will still have achievements.
- Enhanced engine base with numerous code fixes, constantly being built upon and improved.
- New enemies, such as the terrifying Lost Souls and Shadow Walkers - with more to come down the line.
- Additional weapons not available in stock Half-Life 2, such as the Stunstick, Flaregun, and S.L.A.M.
- Community-contributed enhanced content, from new music to improved assets.
- Additional tools for mappers, such as viewmodel overrides and increased projected texture limits.
Map Labs is a continuous and ever-growing series. Map Labs currently includes:
- Map Labs #1 - Halloween Horror with 7 entries
- Test Tube #1 - One Room with 14 entries
- Map Labs #2 - Episode One with 7 entries
- Test Tube #2 - Companion Piece with 7 entries
- Map Labs #3 - RunThinkShootLiveVille 2 with 14 entries
- Test Tube #3 - Abstraction with 15 entries
- Map Labs #4 - Think Tank with 11 entries
- Atom #1 - Blade with 14 entries
- Test Tube #4 - 1,000,000,000 Units with 13 entries
- Map Labs #5 - Half-Life: Abridged with 24 entries
- Atom #2 - ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ with 15 entries
- Test Tube #5 - Blockout with 16 entries
- Map Labs #6 - Halloween Horror II: The Darkness with 8 entries
- Test Tube #6 - Smoke on the Water with 6 entries
- Atom #3 - Gnome with 11 entries
- Map Labs #7 - The Grid with 16 entries
- Test Tube #7 - CromulentVille 2 with 16 entries
- Map Labs #8 - Companion Piece 2: Companion Harder with 12 entries
- Test Tube #8 - Eye Candy with 28 entries
- Map Labs #9 - Back on Track with 19 entries
- Test Tube #9 - Two Rooms with 26 entries
- Atom #4 - TUNE with 28 entries
- Workshop #1 - Half-Life: Alyx One Room with 16 entries (available on the Half-Life: Alyx Workshop!)
- Map Labs #10 - FusionVille 2 with 12 entries
New competitions are hosted regularly, with new opportunities to join in all the time! You can use the links below to follow us and join in future competitions:
Articles
The first competition of the year has concluded and released! Tune 3 is kicking off our year with another requested sequel about all things music.
Entrants were tasking with creating entries inspired by pieces of music they listen to. The entries themselves did not have to tie directly into chosen pieces of music, but rather just provide points of inspiration to create something interesting. Below are a list of each entrant in the competition:
Studebacher Hoch's Preflight Code - King Sans - EA (Bonus Entry)
A paranoid secret agent is given a coded message by his handler.
Jungle Run - ArctixSnowPup
Crashed in a swampy deathtrap, you must fight your way to a nearby radio in order to call in for your rescue.
Sundowning - RedZombie18 (Bonus Entry)
A short, non-gameplay entry about the struggles of deteriorating health.
Post Apocalyptic - RoachClassified (Bonus Entry)
Make your way through a silent, abandoned bunker guided only by the weak, flickering light of your handheld lamp.
SFishing - Hepl
Take a seat and relax in this fishing paradise while attempting to collect all sorts of sea critters.
Seven Hour Layover - 1UpD (Bonus Entry)
Caught in the middle of the Seven Hour War, you must fight your way through an overrun airport for the last chance to get out alive.
Stratification - IMUH (Bonus Entry)
Tired of all the disarray wrought in your clumped Highrise, you decide enough is enough and look for a way out of this mess.
If you'd like to check these entries out for yourself, head over to the download page!
Be sure to join our Discord server to keep up to date on all of our competitions.
RedZombie18
Map Labs Staff
Map Labs #20 - Halloween Horror 7: The Grid 2 Scores
News 4 commentsScores for our annual horror competition, the last of 2025!
Map Labs #20 - Halloween Horror 7: The Grid 2 out now
News 4 commentsHalloween Horror 7: The Grid 2 has released, bringing thirteen entries to explore.
Test Tube #5 - Blockout Results
News 1 commentScores are in for our final Season One competition, Blockout!
Map Lab #5 - Half-Life: Abridged Results
News 5 commentsThe scores are in for Half-Life: Abridged, our fifth mainline competition.
Files
Test Tube #21 - TUNE 3: Encore
Full Version 2 commentsCrank up the volume and vibe with this musically inspired competition.
Map Labs #20 - Halloween Horror 7: The Grid 2
Full Version 9 commentsOur annual Halloween competition returns with a long awaited sequel.
The Wrap-Up! Three
Full Version 15 commentsFor this competition, we asked entrants to finish old, unfinished entries or create new ones based on previous themes.
Halloween Horror VI: Freeze 2
Full Version 8 commentsFor this competition, we asked entrants to make us afraid of the cold.
Fractured Space
Full Version 6 commentsFor this competition, we asked entrants to alter the Half-Life timeline.
Three Rooms
Full Version 9 commentsFor this competition, we asked entrants to create an entry utilizing only three rooms.
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Is there any schedule for when these release?
Please upload the maplabs to the newly added Half Life 2 workshop with the 20th anniversary update!
or... The Steam Release... i believe... one day... it'll come out...
Will you upload your competitions to half-life 2 workshop, now that it's been added?
honey, maplabs released a new competition!!!!
I'm seriously confused, how do you even play map labs games if these files are all just separated? and where do you even put them?
Every release includes an installation guide! Put the mod folder and the mapbase folders into your Sourcemods folder in Steam - be sure to have the SDK Base 2013 installed and set to upcoming in the betas tab.
I can play that without installed Mapbase?
You can play the pre-Mapbase releases, but otherwise Map Labs requires the Mapbase files.
sooo.. eye candy 2 just will not launch, its in my steam library, but whenever i click play, it says laucnhing for a split second but cancels the launch after that, anyone know whats going on?
Be sure to install the Mapbase folders, as well! Additionally, install Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer, right click it and go to properties. In the betas tab, select "upcoming".
It's a lot of steps, but that's what Valve's left us with!