Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
The main screen
The main goal of the first interactive game screen of a title should be to make it easy
to play. It is thus very important that the
PLAY
button is large and distinctive enough
for players to easily find it on the main screen.
The other options that should be available on the main screen may vary depending
on the characteristics of each specific game, although some are expected despite
the game genre, such as
OPTIONS
,
LEADERBOARDS
,
ACHIEVEMENTS
,
BUY
,
and
SUPPORT
.
The following image represents the main screen of Angry Birds, which is a perfect
example of a well-designed main screen. Notice, for example, that optional buttons
on the bottom part of the screen are displayed as symbols that make it clear what is
the purpose of each one of them. This is a smart way to reduce issues related with
translating your game text into different languages.
Test and iterate
Once the former steps are completed, start testing the game interface. Try every
option available to check that the game interface actually provides users with
everything they need to correctly play and enjoy your game.
Then ask other people to try it and get feedback from them. As you collect feedback,
list the most requested modifications, implement them, and repeat the cycle until you
are happy with the actual configuration you came up with for your game interface.
