Case Study: Castaways – Designing a Seamless Gameplay Experience

Project Overview
Castaways by Branch Technologies is an open-world multiplayer survival game that fosters exploration, collaboration, and creativity. As a Product Designer, I played a crucial role in outlining the Core Game Loop and designing key gameplay verticals, ensuring an intuitive and engaging user experience for players across different platforms.

Before my contributions, Castaways faced challenges in player retention and engagement due to fragmented UI/UX elements across core mechanics. My goal was to create a cohesive gameplay experience by improving navigation, accessibility, and interaction within the game’s primary systems.

Key Contributions & Design Strategy

Core Game Loop Definition

• Objective: Establish a structured and engaging gameplay cycle that keeps players invested.
• Action: Outlined the Core Game Loop, ensuring a seamless experience between survival mechanics, crafting, and social interactions.
• Impact: Increased player engagement and session duration through a well-balanced loop that enhances long-term playability.

Chat System & Social Interaction Design

• Objective: Improve in-game communication for a more immersive multiplayer experience.
• Action: Designed an intuitive Chat System that allows real-time player interaction with accessible UI components.
• Impact: Enhanced community engagement and teamwork through a more interactive social experience.

Island Browser for Exploration

• Objective: Make island discovery and navigation more accessible for players.
• Action: Created a user-friendly Island Browser, optimizing search, filtering, and navigation for seamless exploration.
• Impact: Increased exploration rate and player connectivity across different islands.

Crafting System & Challenges Progression

• Objective: Simplify the crafting process and create a rewarding progression system.
• Action: Designed an intuitive Crafting System with clear recipe visibility and item progression. Additionally, developed a Challenges Progression System to guide players through milestones and achievements.
• Impact: Encouraged long-term player retention and engagement through structured progression and clear reward systems.

Guided Selection Tags & Control Scheme Layout

• Objective: Improve usability by reducing friction in item selection and controls.
• Action: Designed Guided Selection Tags to enhance item discovery and optimized the Control Scheme Layout for smoother gameplay interactions.
• Impact: Reduced onboarding friction, improving the learning curve for new players.

Screen Optimization for Mobile Layout

• Objective: Ensure a seamless and responsive UI for mobile users.
• Action: Conducted screen optimization for mobile layouts, adjusting touch controls, UI scaling, and responsive elements.
• Impact: Improved gameplay experience and accessibility across different devices, expanding the game’s reach.

End Product & Measurable Outcomes

• Refined Core Game Loop: Improved player engagement through a structured survival and social gameplay experience.
• Enhanced Social & Exploration Mechanics: Designed an intuitive Chat System and Island Browser to foster community interaction.
• Streamlined Crafting & Progression: Increased retention by making crafting and challenges progression more accessible and rewarding.
• Optimized Mobile Experience: Ensured a smooth and engaging gameplay experience across multiple devices.

Conclusion

Through thoughtful UX design and gameplay system enhancements, I contributed to making Castaways a more engaging and accessible survival experience. By refining core mechanics and optimizing interaction flows, I helped enhance player retention, social engagement, and overall usability, ensuring a more immersive and rewarding adventure for players worldwide.

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