HOTD Game Design
Designing game UX through iteration, not intuition.
Designing game UX through iteration, not intuition.
Game UX · Interaction Design · User Research · 3-day sprint
Game UX · Interaction Design · User Research · 3-day sprint
A rapid exploration of character and weapon selection inspired by House of the Dragon. I designed the experience in three days, tested the first iteration with users, discovered that the navigation wasn't working, and redesigned the flow around what I learned.
A rapid exploration of character and weapon selection inspired by House of the Dragon. I designed the experience in three days, tested the first iteration with users, discovered that the navigation wasn't working, and redesigned the flow around what I learned.
It started with a Wednesday and a very
good episode.
It started with a Wednesday and a
very good episode.
I had just finished watching an episode of House of the Dragon and wanted to explore what
a game experience inspired by its world could feel like.
I had just finished watching an episode of House of the Dragon and wanted to explore what a game experience inspired by its world could feel like.
Rather than just designing screens, I wanted to see how quickly I could take the idea from concept to something people could actually interact with.
Rather than just designing screens, I wanted to see how quickly I could take the idea from concept to something people could actually interact with.
Background
Background
For this project, I focused on the character and weapon selection design experience. My design had two iterations - well, after the first look, I tested it out with some friends and realized that it really sucked, so I had to redesign the whole thing.
For this project, I focused on the character and weapon selection design experience. My design had two iterations - well, after the first look, I tested it out with some friends and realized that it really sucked, so I had to redesign the whole thing.
Initial Design
Initial Design
The first version looked better than it worked.
The first version looked better
than it worked.
My first iteration focused heavily on the visual direction, but when I put it in front of a few friends, something became obvious: they didn't know where to go next.
My first iteration focused heavily on the visual direction, but when I put it in front of a few friends, something became obvious: they didn't know where to go next.
No clear flow
No clear flow
Users couldn't tell what step came next.
Unfamiliar interaction
Unfamiliar interaction
The navigation didn't match patterns users already understood from games.
The navigation didn't match patterns users already understood
from games.
Visual hierarchy over usability
Visual hierarchy over usability
The interface communicated the world of the game better than it communicated how to play it.
Testing changed the direction.
Testing changed the direction.
I gave users a simple task: select a campaign and choose a character. The first version created hesitation and unnecessary exploration. Instead of polishing the existing design, I went back to the flow itself.
The problem wasn't the UI. The problem was the mental model.
The problem wasn't the UI. The problem was the mental model.
The problem wasn't the UI. The problem
was the mental model.
People only wanted to answer these questions:
People only wanted to answer these questions:
Where am I? → What am I choosing? → What's next? → When do I start?
Where am I? → What am I choosing? → What's next? → When do I start?
Making the game flow obvious before making it beautiful.
Making the game flow obvious before making it beautiful.
Making the game flow obvious before
making it beautiful.
01 - Choose your campaign
01 - Choose your campaign
I gave the player a clear starting point.
Select Companion & Weapon
Select Companion & Weapon
Start Game
Start Game
The redesign made the flow significantly
faster to complete.
The redesign made the flow significantly faster to complete.
When the same users repeated the campaign and character-selection tasks, completion time dropped significantly with the redesigned flow.
When the same users repeated the campaign and character-selection tasks, completion time dropped significantly with the redesigned flow.
01:42 → 00:38
63% faster task completion
The interface isn't the experience.
The interface isn't the experience.
This project reminded me that strong visual design can't compensate for an unclear mental model. The first version looked closer to what I imagined, but the second version worked better because it followed how users expected a game to work.
This project reminded me that strong visual design can't compensate for an unclear mental model. The first version looked closer to what I imagined, but the second version worked better because it followed how users expected a game to work.
It was also my first deep dive into game UX - and a useful reminder that the best way to find the weakness in a design is sometimes to simply put it in someone's hands.
It was also my first deep dive into game UX - and a useful reminder that the best way to find the weakness in a design is sometimes to simply put it in someone's hands.
More stuff…
More stuff…
Up next
Up next
dm.fun
Making crypto trading social without making it overwhelming.
Making crypto trading social without
making it overwhelming.
Matrica Labs
Matrica Labs
Product Designer
Web 3
Web 3
Trading
Trading
Social
Social
Crypto trading was already complex. dm.fun added social interaction, communities and real-time trading to the same experience. My challenge was making these systems feel like one coherent product rather than a collection of features.
Crypto trading was already complex. dm.fun added social interaction, communities and real-time trading to the same experience. My challenge was making these systems feel like one coherent product rather than a collection
of features.
You’ve seen the work. You’ve
met Batman. Now let’s build
something difficult.
birthrightntuk@gmail.com
You’ve seen the work. You’ve
met Batman. Now let’s build
something difficult.
birthrightntuk@gmail.com
You’ve seen the work. You’ve met Batman. Now let’s build something difficult.
birthrightntuk@gmail.com