Identifying the Problem:

Our small team struggled to meet the growing demand for new content. Players completed our campaigns rapidly, leading to a content bottleneck and player churn. We needed to develop a solution that would alleviate this pressure and enhance player retention.

Leveraging User-Generated Content (UGC):

To tackle the content challenge, I analyzed successful UGC solutions and identified that many existing tools were too complex for our needs. We required a clean, intuitive builder that would empower players to create and share content effortlessly.

Organizing and Analyzing:

I used an Excel sheet to catalog game mechanics and uncover inconsistencies, which helped streamline the design process.

Key Insights

• UGC = Scalability: UGC removed the content creation burden from our small team. Successful companies like Airbnb, Uber, and social media platforms show that user contributions are key to scaling and adding value.

• Level Design Takes Skill: We recognized that designing high-quality levels wouldn’t be for everyone. We needed to guide users in building compelling levels that players would actually want to play.

• Puzzle Over Action: Testing revealed that players preferred thinking levels where the goal was to solve puzzles, rather than action levels requiring quick reflexes.

Defining the MVP:

We focused on essential features for our Minimum Viable Product (MVP): creating, sharing, and managing levels. I developed user flow diagrams and whiteboard sketches to visualize how these features would integrate seamlessly into the existing game.

Paper Prototyping

Our paper prototypes, originally for designing game mechanics, became a crucial tool for rapidly visualizing interactions for the level builder. The builder was intended to be an imaginative tool, where each item had customizable properties to help users achieve their building goals.

Native Interactions

To ensure familiarity, especially for our core iOS player base, I leveraged existing iOS interaction paradigms. I created a low-fidelity clickable prototype for user testing and iteration, prioritizing ease of use and comfort.

Usability Testing

Testing early and often was key. Throughout the project, I conducted usability tests to pinpoint issues with controls, interactions, and mechanics. I set clear objectives for users and observed without leading them, gathering insights that guided further refinements.

Providing an Overview

Inspired by Schneiderman’s visual information-seeking mantra, we aimed to reduce cognitive load by allowing players to see an overview of their levels at a glance. Unfortunately, we had to discard this concept due to the high computational cost.

Emergent Problems

• Scoping Down: We initially allowed players to “paint” their levels. Testing showed this led to overly complex designs, frustrating players. We simplified the interaction to drag-and-drop, guiding players to design with intention.

• Preventing Spam: To counter spammy, low-quality levels, we introduced a small in-game currency fee per level. This encouraged quality over quantity, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

• Increasing Quality: We used performance data—such as upvotes, tips, and skip rates—to assign quality and difficulty metrics to levels, ensuring that players encountered the best content more frequently.

Reducing Friction

We initially thought collecting builder items in-game would inspire more building. However, this added unnecessary friction. We decided to make building completely free, removing barriers and increasing content output.

User Surveys

Ongoing user feedback and testing were integral to refining the level builder. This iterative process not only helped us prioritize pain points but also revealed edge-case gameplay bugs, stress-testing our mechanics and items.

Feedback for Builders

To help players build better levels, we provided both qualitative and quantitative feedback. Builders could spectate players interacting with their levels, allowing them to spot unexpected outcomes and make necessary improvements. This feedback loop helped players ask themselves:

• Did players get stuck on this area of my level?

• Did players complete my level in an unexpected way?

• How can I improve this level?

Final Design