FAMILY GUY
JAM CITY
ANOTHER FREAKIN' MOBILE GAME
In Family Guy, Another Freakin Mobile Game; users are tasked with the daunting duty of mixing drinks for characters by matching components… and if you’re a Family Guy fan, you know that this is a thirsty bunch!
When Jam City initially engaged Sprung Studios, the team identified several UX and UI concerns following a detailed analysis and evaluation of the game. Elegant solutions were proposed and we systematically tackled each problem through the wireframes, prototypes and finally the UI Art.
WIREFRAMES
Our wireframes act as a visual outline of the entire UX menu system. They help to define structure and answer many questions about font size, legibility, consistent placement and the flow of information.
Moving from lo-fidelity, to mid-fidelity and lastly high-fidelity wireframes; thoughtful elements, ergonomic consideration, and intuitive design combined to create a User Experience that flowed smoothly. Frustration points were mitigated and ensured an elevated experience with a clear player journey.
PROTOTYPE
Not your average triple match game, Family Guy, Another Freakin Mobile Game, presented interesting challenges around educating the player on game mechanics, while maintaining the look, feel, and spirit of the game.
Our bespoke Interactive Prototyping framework brought clarity to the mechanics unique to the game, while also showcasing the exciting celebratory elements that keep the energy and engagement high.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHT
One area that we focused on, was educating the player. There wasn’t much done to teach the player how to do things, and why they’d want to. Help screens were generic and didn’t support the backstory, and although ‘Help’ buttons were present throughout the game – they weren’t very helpful!
The Sprung Team designed contextual help screens using scrolling cards. These provided the player with more ‘bitesized’ snippets of help that were tailored to each area. The card layout also offered more room to ‘set the scene’, while supporting the narrative. Finally, the team added small tooltips to certain elements, rewarding curious players with information if tapped. These thoughtful elements were threaded throughout the game, coming together to ensure the player learned how to play; ultimately not needing to rely on help or tips.
VISUAL STYLE
With a pre-existing Family Guy universe, the visual style needed to be consistent with the direction and brand. The Sprung Team addressed inconsistencies and ambiguity in visual language, while the vibrant colour palette and dynamic elements brought polish, and life to the game.
