Games I Contributed To: Focus on UI

Portable Ops

UI on the Battlefield

Role: UI / Maps / Programmer / Video

Action shooters are known for their high-speed gameplay, where split-second decisions are crucial amidst constant gunfire and objectives. However, amidst the chaos, players still require essential information to understand the world’s situation. While some details need to be readily accessible, others may not be constantly needed but remain vital for informed gameplay.

How do we achieve the goal of giving enough UI but not so much it becomes clutter to the player?

To find the answer, we started by asking the question:

What  UI is important to the player at a specific point in time?

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Super Slots 64 Casino

Speechless User Interface

Role: UI / UX / Gameplay / Art / Programming / Music and SFX

This game was initially designed to be free to play, with the aim of generating income through ad-based support. By incorporating advertisements, revenue could be generated as gameplay increased, directly correlating with ad views and the potential for click-traffic. To address the challenge of increasing gameplay time and retaining players who quit prematurely without engaging with ads, I sought to investigate the underlying causes.

How can I increase gameplay time?

To uncover potential solutions, I leveraged the game’s audience of several thousand players. Through user interaction experiments, facilitated by Google Analytics and anonymously submitted data surveys capturing players’ in-game actions and reactions, insights began to emerge.

In the end, the solution was found in broadening the range of gameplay experiences and implementing a redesigned user interface!

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Amaze Adventure

Where do we begin? A Dev. Postmortem

Role: UI / UX / Characters / Concepts / Layout / Programmer / SFX / Gameplay / Story

Our aim was to craft a game tailored to the enjoyment of children aged 10-12. Given our learning curve in this genre, we believed it would be a straightforward endeavor. However, we soon learned that even seemingly simple adventure games demand depth and meticulous planning. Multiple redesigns of the world and maps were necessary due to our initial lack of foresight.

Gradually, we adopted a more structured approach, incorporating additional documentation and brainstorming sessions to outline the remaining steps. Establishing a Trello board and Discord channel facilitated communication during our individual development dives, which often spanned 12-15 hours. Eventually, the pieces began to fall into place, culminating in the exhilarating experience of playing through the game in its entirety for the first time. While proud of our accomplishments, I’m eager to revisit both the project and the genre.

This serves as a brief post-mortem of Amaze Adventure.

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