Kachinko is a Match-3 mobile game where you use quirky companion characters to beat levels. I am creating all of the UI/UX Design, Character Art, and animations.
This is a wireframe of the actual game play screen. The top phone is a display of the level screen with every asset labeled.
Below that, I have outlined the beginning of a level. I wanted all input to be at the bottom of the screen, so the player consistently knows where/what they can interact with. Before the level starts, players have the option to switch out their companions by tapping on them. This takes them to the roster screen. Once companions are selected, the players swipes to start the level.
I have also outlined what it looks like when three balls are matched, and more rare occurrences like six balls being matched, as well as win/lose screens.
Below is a wireframe of the Companion Roster and Info Pages. We needed a page where players can equip two Companions, and see potential evolved forms and stats. The challenge was to convey only necessary information to the player on the Companion Roster. That's why I created an Info Page players can access only if that want to, to see more detailed stats and options for customization for their Companions.
Below is a wireframe for 'Special Ball Matches' during game play. The objective was to create a sequence of 3 balls getting matched, filling up the Companion's Power Bar, and unleashing the Special Ball to hit the enemy.
The challenge was to create a way for the Special Balls to travel up and hit the enemies without obstructing game play and distracting the player. To solve this, I made the bumper into a power, to maximize space and give it a dual purpose. I then have the ball travel off screen, in order to not confuse the player as other balls continue to fall down.
This is a flow depicting the evolution of Companions. I wanted to create something snappy, readable, and clean.
User Research:
Here is an example of a survey I created after we made our first prototype. The goal was to take this to the Columbus Game Development Group and get members to play test the game. The purpose of this survey is to get a general vibe on how people who haven't made the game perceive it, if it's fun/intuitive, and pointing out any glaring errors with design. I have included a few questions about themselves to get a rough idea on how certain demographics interact with the game.
The problem that needed to be solved was how to casual players feel about the level progression? Was it too difficult? Was the difficultly curve to steep? Was the game intuitive?
Feel free to click through survey to see all the questions.
I used the results to notice that players were having a hard time understanding what special balls did, and that the difficulty curve was a bit too steep early on. It also brought to my attention that as a designer, I need to indicate a clearer way for players to interact with the companions and get to the roster page.