Game And Level Ux

Game UX & Level Design UX

Game UX - The Complete Experience

The first category of game user experience we’ll cover is the game as a whole. This could be translated to: “If you gave this game a score from one to ten, what would it be?”

It’s the entire game experience summed up into one conclusion. It’s when players weigh the pros and cons of a game and decide which one outweighs the other.

System Integration

Combination of all systems and design features - oftentimes, design features can be created by different people or separate teams. So how do those systems work together as a whole? Do they complement each other, or do they work against each other?

Cooking Analogy

To cook a great meal, the ingredients you choose add up to a delicious dish. This is where you take a moment and step back and experience your game as a whole.

Players can notice when systems or experiences just don’t seem to work together. It’s up to the designers to use their own personal experience, include feedback from players, and make the right choice on what is working and what is flopping.

Game Feel Keywords

This is where some of those keywords come into play:

Game feel - that special something
Polished - refined interactions
Accuracy - precise responses
Immersion - drawing players in

Game Connectivity

We like to use the term “game connectivity”. Think about:

How the character moves around the world
The animations, sound effects, visual effects
How accurate do all these features feel?
Do they stop to look around the world?
Do they pause to look at the scenery?

Emotional Experience

Of major importance is to think about the emotions your players experience - those can range drastically based on the genre:

Horror Games

Are players nervous and cautious as they walk around? Are jump scares working as intended?

Action Combat

Do attacks have a strong feeling of impact?

Shooter Games

How accurate is each weapon?

Puzzle Games

Are your puzzles providing enough challenge? Are they too hard or too easy?

Cozy Games

Do they bring a sense of calm, peace and happiness?

Testing and Feedback

These are many of the questions to think about as you design your game. Always put the designs to the test:

Create something and give it to friends, family, QA testers, colleagues to get feedback
When possible, watch them play
Look at the reactions as they progress through and experience your game
For remote testing, request players to record their gameplay experience with a webcam
Some indie developers take their games to local meetups, town events, or even farmers markets to get people to test their game

Community Building

Utilizing open development can create a community around a game to find your audience and get feedback.

Level Design UX

Level design user experience is understanding how a player moves through the level. This relates back to lessons on lighting and game design to draw the player’s attention.

Breadcrumbs System

It can be extended further through breadcrumbs that draw your player to a point of interest. These can be:

Chests for rewards
Crafting resources for progression
Quests for objectives
Enemies for combat
Other objectives for variety

Let’s take a look at the player’s thought process as they travel through a level:

Clarity and Direction

Is it easy to understand where to go in the level?
Does the level itself have a clear path laid out that is obvious to the player?
Does the player rely heavily on user interface to guide them forward?

Movement and Momentum

Once they’ve understood their current path to follow:

How tedious is it to travel around the level?
Are there movement abilities such as sprinting, dashing, teleport charges that give you a good feeling of momentum?
Does traveling feel slow?
Is there any indication that you will unlock mounts or faster travel?

Productivity and Engagement

Does the player feel productive when exploring the world?
Are they running for long periods with nothing to do or accomplish?
Is there a sense of wonder?
Can the player see anything in the distance that looks interesting?

Level Variety

How does this level compare to other levels?
How is it different or unique?
Has it become too repetitive?

These are many of the questions to think about when testing user experience for level design.

Understanding both the macro experience (game as a whole) and the micro experience (individual level navigation) helps create games that feel cohesive and satisfying from moment to moment as well as across the entire play session.