Games UX

👋 Hi there! Welcome to the latest edition of SUPERJUMP Weekly. This week, we're exploring user experience design and its relationship with video games. These stories are crafted by UX professionals; either folks who are working on UX design within the games industry or who are working in UX across other industries. You'll enjoy these stories if you're a game designer - as some in our community are - but you'll also find these insights fascinating if you're interested in UX design or game design in general. In this issue, we also showcase the works of Anselmo Jason and feature Phonopolis in our latest On the Radar update.

We hope you enjoy this issue. Please consider becoming a Backer if you would like to support our unique brand of independent games journalism. Thank you.

IN THIS ISSUE

✍️ Story Showcase: Games UX
⭐ Author Showcase: Anselmo Jason
📡 On the Radar: Phonopolis
📅 This Week on SJP
🏆 Backers

How UX Breaks the Fourth Wall to Make Better Video Games

Exploring the role of UX in video games

SUPERJUMPBramha

How Games Can Give Insights and Solutions to UX Problems

Anything you love can teach you lessons that apply to your work

SUPERJUMPMaria Meireles

Analysing the UX Design of Elden Ring

A deep, detailed look at the user experience of Elden Ring

SUPERJUMPNat Rowley

How Video Games Use Reduced Stimulation

Varying stimulation can dramatically alter game experiences

SUPERJUMPAbhishek Iyer

Games UX: All About Subtitles

Exploring subtitles in games, especially when applied to multiple screen sizes

SUPERJUMPChris Bam Harrison

Analysing the UX Design of the FIFA Mobile App

A constructively critical look at FIFA’s mobile version

SUPERJUMPMaria Meireles

Player Motivations and Video Games

How psychology can affect and influence game design

SUPERJUMPBramha

Flexibility and Efficiency Are Much More Than Controller Mapping

Diving into the sixth heuristic, flexibility and efficiency of use

SUPERJUMPMaria Meireles

Yakuza 0 Has Two Brilliant Fight Songs

Although reserved to side content, these fight songs give you more than just an adrenaline rush

SUPERJUMPAnselmo Jason

There’s a Good Reason Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Came Back From the Dead

Elements that make up the game transcend the memes that spawned from it

SUPERJUMPAnselmo Jason

PAXAUS 2022 - A Chat With the Founder of Pentanet About Cloud Gaming

Stephen Cornish shares his views on the growing gaming platform

SUPERJUMPAnselmo Jason

The Beauty in Max Payne 3’s Ugliness

There is much to like about Max’s harrowing journey in São Paulo

SUPERJUMPAnselmo Jason

Resident Evil’s Most Underused Main Character

Given his special traits, he deserves more than a single appearance

SUPERJUMPAnselmo Jason

Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a Great Series Entry Point

Meiji Restoration...Like a Dragon style

SUPERJUMPAnselmo Jason

Not long ago, we looked at a game called Barraka which aims for a distinctive visual style by using an actual physical medium - plasticine. Phonopolis is taking a similar approach to its own dystopian tale, this time using cardboard and paint for an avant-garde look.

The city of Phonopolis is ruled in a very literal way by sound. Loudspeakers throughout the city issue a constant stream of commands - commands which the citizens are powerless to resist. One day, an insignificant young man named Felix finds himself not only immune to the loudspeakers, but aware of their effects. Now a threat to the prevailing order, he must elude capture while seeking a way to end the tyranny of sound before the Leader's secret plan can go into effect.

The player's task is to manipulate objects in order to help Felix navigate Phonopolis and avoid the city guard. Many puzzle solutions will take advantage of the nature of the cardboard world. This may mean peeling a layer off of an object to reveal secrets underneath or moving chunks of the city around. The player can also gain control of the loudspeakers, using them to direct the actions of the citizens.

But once again, it is the visual aesthetic that is the central feature. In contrast to the dim and dismal style usually associated with dystopian fiction, Phonopolis is colorful and surreal. The game draws upon interwar and Soviet-era art styles for inspiration, particularly those associated with the Russian avant-garde. Combined with the use of stop motion, this gives Phonopolis a look that's caught between realistic and surrealistic.

Phonopolis is pending a release date.

💻 Created by Amanita Design
✍️ Andrew Johnston

The God Rolls For Every Weapon In Destiny 2’s Episode: Echoes

A comprehensive guide

SUPERJUMPJordan Garcia

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD: Shining a Dark Light on the Past

How does Luigi’s Mansion 2 fare after the HD treatment?

SUPERJUMPJoe Richards

Calm and Comfort: An Interview With Hawai’i Artist Brady Evans

Brady discusses his artistic process, inspirations, and working on art in games

SUPERJUMPRachel Alm

Night and Day: A Review of Frank and Drake

A gothic urban mystery that is quiet, haunting, and kind

SUPERJUMPRachel Alm

Hidden Gems of Game Design Volume 26

Featuring Desert Fox Games and LEGO Batman

SUPERJUMPJosh Bycer

The Omori Manga’s First Chapter Has Arrived

How will a new medium impact the experience?

SUPERJUMPPriya Sridhar

The Bounce: An Australian Rules Footy Game Retrospective

Everything you need to know about video footy history

SUPERJUMPGavin Annand

Thank you to Berke, Brandon, CT, Cathie, Claire, Geena, Lexi, Nick, Oren, Peter, Troy, Radha, and Wes for supporting independent, cynicism-free games publishing.

Comments

Sign in or become a SUPERJUMP member to join the conversation.