GAME DESIGN
UX/UI DESIGN
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM
Role
Design Lead
UX Designer
Artist
Timeline
Jan - May 2023
Team
4 Designers
4 Programmers
Skills
UX Research
UX/UI Design
Game Design
Leadership
Overview
Across the span of a semester, I worked in a team of eight to self-design and program a top-down, rhythm-stealth game. As design lead, I was in charge of allocating work and maintaining the steady production of designs/art assets. I actively participated in the creation of content and UX/UI assets in the game as well.
GAME ENTRY AND FIRST TUTORIAL LEVEL
PUBLISHED ON STEAM
What is Groove that Goob?
The party-loving Globulons threw a rave so wild that it shattered their cherished Oracle Jukebox––the sole source of music in the Mixolydian Galaxy. To restore cosmic harmony, a lone Globulon named Goob emerges, setting its sights on abducting the Milky Way's source of sound.
To do this, Goob must sneak to the top of Astral Ace’s penthouse party in a towering spacescraper. In this top-down, rhythm-stealth game, players groove their way across vibrant dance floors, evade wild partygoers, and absorb dancers to inherit their unique rhythms.
Game Development
EARLY CONCEPT ART
Ideas and Gameplay
Groove that Goob is a top-down 2-D game that combines rhythm with strategy.
The initial game ideas were tested with players with a non-digital prototype and a turn based system was used to emulate staying on beat. The game then went through several rounds of play testing and iterations.
FINAL GAMEPLAY: TO PASS RED DANGER TILES MOVING FASTER, GOOB ABSORBS A FASTER DANCER TO COPY THEIR RHYTHM.
Design Concept
The game has a dramatic setting and takes place in the center of a busy city. There are three main design elements that were incorporated into the design of the game.
Progression in time in levels
Dramatic lighting
Retro party
Character Design
Goob has no gender-defining traits and isn’t designed to be anthropomorphic. We also had goals to create a simple, friendly character, which is loved by all. We ended up going with a pixel art style to reflect the design concept and colorful energy.
Character Animations
I experimented with pixel art animation and created animations for the cardinal directions in which Goob moves in. Also, I learned how to prepare sprite sheets and work directly with the developers.
UX/UI Design
Title/Home
Settings
Pause
Level
Tutorials
The game includes five tutorial levels that review and focus on individual mechanics in the game. In each tutorial level, there are cards with graphics that explain how to play and pass each level. Many follow Goob’s character or are placed next to a specific UI element it is explaining or referring to.
TUTORIAL CARDS DISPLAY CONTROLS AND THE FUNCTION OF THE BEAT INDICATOR.
TUTORIAL CARD EXPLAIN HOW TO RECOVER AFTER BEING CAUGHT.
Tutorial cards are designed to have simple animations that explain more complex mechanics without overwhelming the player with too many cards. The cards alternate in one place.
UI Elements
Marketing & Branding
Created a promotional banner and icon for the game design website which features all of the games for the GDIAC showcase.
Produced a large scale poster that draws people in and gives a glimpse into the setting and emotions of the game.
Designed the logo for the game and all materials.
Final Showcase and Reflection
Groove that Goob won the "Most Innovative" award at the Cornell GDIAC Game Design Showcase
Takeaways
Learned to work within a project team with short deadlines and high volume of work
Large teams require extra planning and it is best to constantly check in with individuals
Game design UX/UI overlaps heavily with game design and there are more factors to consider
