Game Summary: Made-for-mobile, fantasy Action RPG.

​

User Story: Collect a band of mercenaries known as Veilrunners, sent on quests into magical Veils to search for treasure and slay powerful foes.

​

Product Challenge 1: Our studio’s first attempt at an ARPG, our biggest hurdle would be translating the flashy, complex combat of established franchises like Diablo, Lost Ark, and Monster Hunter into a truly made-for-mobile experience. Instead of referencing mobile ports of ARPGs I looked to made-for-mobile references like Clash Royale, Archero, and AFK Journey to see where the correct blend of complex strategy and simplified UX would land. Each iteration not only impacted the UI but the entire approach to our combat experience: unit AI, level layout, camera work, combat length, mob density, art style/fidelity. We eventually landed on a blend that gave the player just enough control to recognize the tactical depth and pace of the genre’s console/PC mainstays without overtaxing the player.

​

Product Challenge 2: Also our studio’s first attempt at developing on Unity, I needed to establish how designers would get work done in a foreign game engine, while keeping focus on product goals. I worked closely with Engineering leads to establish the toolset design would need to make the game’s core content including data spreadsheet import/export, combat level design, and tutorial/narrative tools; documenting and maintaining guides for designers and developers who would eventually roll onto the project.