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Usability Lessons from Mobile Board Game Conversions
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Transcript of Usability Lessons from Mobile Board Game Conversions
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Martin GriderOwner / Lead Developer Abstract Puzzle LLC
Usability Lessons From Mobile Board Game Conversions
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The best games stick with us.
…just like the best books or movies.
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The difference between movies and books and games is interactivity.
Usability is a way to think about the relative difficulty of interactivity.
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The best usability is not remembered.
Often, usability is asked to be: !
!
● transparent / intuitive / natural / learnable (easy to learn, recognize, perform)
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Of course some games do have
memorable usability.
(Dexterity games.)
The more you do something, the easier it should be to do. ~ Lund
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But why should you care?
Thinking about your digital game from the perspective of physical interactions has the potential to improve your
user experience.
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Of the “actions” performed in your game, which require physical interactions?
● In-game examples: ● rotate piece ● move piece left/right ● drop piece
● Meta-game examples ● start new game ● view leaderboard ● change difficulty/mode
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Shout out to Arnold Lund!● List of “expert” usability maxims from 1997 !
● Applicable to any sort of HCI (Human Computer Interaction) !
● Very nice list to start from
Don't overwhelm the user. ~ Lund
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On making things intentionally● Just like any other part of development, you can plan your Usability, or it will just be there without your planning.
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Usability lessons for the Game Screen:
!
Effectively communicating game information to your player.
The information for the decision needs to be there when the decision is needed. ~ Lund
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Highlight possible actions.● Before, show how to begin an action ●Mid-action, highlight action targets ● Show non-targets by disabling or hiding !
● Common techniques include: color borders, shadows, pulsing or animated buttons, “pointers” after inactivity
You should always know how to find out what to do next. ~ Lund
Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer, Playdek
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Clearly show whose turn it is.● In Carcassonne, the current player is shown in three places. !
●Common techniques: ● player color (possibly in a
game screen element) ● show the board from the
current player’s perspective
Color is information. ~ Lund Carcassonne, The Coding Monkeys
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Always animate AI turns.
The user should always know what is happening. ~ Lund
● No AI player animations, makes for an extremely jarring user experience. !● Extra context is also important in turn-based multiplayer, where the last action is not always easily remembered.
Ticket to Ride, Days of Wonder
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●Slide-out drawers ●Popovers or “modal” windows ●Double-tap for extra contextual information
!
●(Obviously you have to define “extra”.)
Eliminate unnecessary decisions, and illuminate the rest. ~ Lund
Hide “extra” information.
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Provide linear context.
Minimize the need for a mighty memory. ~ Lund
●Highlight the single last turn by a player.
!
●A game log or history.
Suburbia, Jeremiah Maher
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Usability lessons for the Game Screen:
!
UI - Tips for the player effectively communicating with the game.
Everything in its place, and a place for everything. ~ Lund
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Primary Input: Tap & Drag● Always show feedback. ●Drag or Tap to move? ● The answer is both. ● Show a highlighted
state for tap.
Every action should have a reaction. ~ Lund
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Secondary Touch Input●Teachable: ● Double-Tap ● Long-Press ● Swipe
!
●Do not use: ● Triple (or more) Tap ● Multi-finger drag/swipe
The user should control the system. The system shouldn’t control the user. ~ Lund
Lords of Waterdeep, Playdek
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Provide a confirmation step for complex actions.
Don’t let people accidentally shoot themselves. ~ Lund
●Make it clear when the turn will be passed to the next player. !
● If undo is possible…
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Allow the user to Undo
Everyone makes mistakes, so every mistake should be fixable. ~ Lund
● If an accidental action can be enough to lose a game, you’d better allow undo! !
● Auto-confirmation of actions is made worse with poor UI.
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Usability Lessons for the Multiplayer Lobby:
!
Dealing with conflicting goals — customization vs simplicity.
Keep it simple. ~ Lund
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Pick good defaults● Make sure “Start Game” is clearly identifiable. ● Provide contextual help.
Even experts are novices at some point. Provide help. ~ Lund
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It’s not a bad idea to use (or copy) an already existing UI.
● Familiar UI is good UI. !
● (Even if it’s not especially good UI.)
Things that look the same should act the same. ~ Lund
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Martin Grider Abstract Puzzle LLC [email protected] @livingtech
Summary: Think about Usability. Make better games.
References / notes: http://abstractpuzzle.com/gdc2014/