The joke goes something like this: if interaction designers had made Super Mario Brothers, the game would just have one large button labeled “Rescue Princess.” There is some truth to that. Interaction designers strive for products that let people get tasks done quickly and easily. Yet, the fun of gameplay is overcoming challenges and rules deliberately set to impede a player’s progress. So as interaction designers, how do we separate challenges that add to the gameplay from those points of frustration which detract? For game developers without access to interaction designers or researchers, the challenge can be even greater. When developing a new game, what general principles should be followed to make sure it remains safely on the fun side of frustrating? Jakob Nielsen gave us the ten canonized Usability Heuristics for web and system design; our humble goal is to do the same for computer games. This presentation will provide ten interface heuristics applicable to games as well a few useful “discount” evaluation techniques for when you don’t have the time, or the money, for a full lab study.

1. Are We Having Fun Yet?
Usability Heuristics for Games
#havingfunUI
Corey Chandler & John Mark Josling

2. Why is UI Important?

3. What do UI Designers Know
About Games?

4. Wait, Who Are You?
Corey Chandler
corey.chandler@coreychandler.net
John Mark Josling
jmjosling@gmail.com

5. Boundaries Between UI and
Game Design

6. Game vs. Interface Design
Game Design Interface Design
• "Game design is the process of
designing the content and rules
of a game.”
• "The goal of user interface
design is to make the user’s
interaction as simple and efficient
as possible, in terms of
accomplishing user goals...”
- Wikipedia
• Both seek to achieve a net positive user experience, and to avoid
unanticipated negative experiences.

7. Anticipated Negative Experiences
Both Game Design and Interface Design address
anticipated negative experiences.
Street Fighter IV Ebay Inc.

8. Unanticipated Negative Experiences
Both Game Design and Interface Design seek to
minimize unanticipated negative experiences.
Halo 3 Heatmap
SiteCatalyst

9. Ten Heuristics

10. Increase Interaction Speed Over Time
As users become more experienced with a game,
enable them to speed up their interactions.
Frequent tasks should be the most streamlined.

11. Bad Example:
Continuing a multi-player game
Borderlands

13. Good Example:
Frequent transactions are immediately available
Wells Fargo ATM
13

14. Good Example:
Pie menus are one design pattern that enables expertise
Dragon Age: Origins

15. Avoid Conceptually Conflicting Inputs
Challenge: # actions > # inputs
When assigning multiple actions to one input, try to
make them as conceptually consistent as possible
throughout the game.

16. Red Dead Redemption

17. Red Dead Redemption

18. Red Dead Redemption

20. Provide Immersive Cues
Users should be aware of their status and impact on
the world and when these change.
Mismatches & ambiguity make the connection
between player and virtual world weaker, less
immersive.

21. Bad Example:
How much health remains?
Street Fighter 2

22. Bad Example:
How much health remains?
Street Fighter 2

23. Good Example:
Directional awareness as an immersive cue
Gears of War 2

24. Distinguish Active from Inactive
Digital spaces and games piggy-back on
learned expectations.
Games need to either stay true these
expectations or provide cues to help players
learn new ones.

25. Bad Example:
In games, it can be hard to tell foreground from background
Fallout 3: New Vegas

26. Bad Example:
Make it clear what can be interacted with, and what is just decoration
Peggle

27. Good Example:
The web has developed new affordance cues
ebay.com

28. Good Example:
Games must rely on affordance cues
World of Warcraft

29. Good Example:
Games must rely on affordance cues
Everquest II

30. Exception:
Some games build this ambiguity into their puzzles
Monkey Island 2

31. Prevent Surprise Errors
Frustration comes from unintended
challenges, often during mundane tasks.
When the user does fail, make sure they
understand why.

32. Bad Example:
Suspected errors should be identified
World of Warcaft

33. Bad Example:
In this case, the error was not identified
No pants
World of Warcaft

34. Good Example:
Try to prevent non-recoverable errors
World of Warcaft

35. Good Example:
Allow players to undo previous errors
Dragon Age: Origins

36. Be Game State Aware
Look for ways of providing contextual help.
Some players prefer documentation over
exploration; provide for both.

37. Bad Example:
Printed manuals don’t reflect the player’s current situation
Civilization V

38. Good Example:
Look for ways of providing information as it is needed
Civilization IV

39. Good Example:
Context sensitive tool-tips can help expose richer detail when needed
Civilization V

40. Reading is Easier than
Remembering
Avoid excessive cognitive burden.
Keep information contextual.
Make objectives clear, memorable.

41. Bad Example:
Printed manuals are memorization exercises
Street Fighter 2

42. Bad Example:
Learning a new key or button mapping can take time
Minecraft

43. Good Example:
Look for ways to provide mnemonics
or clues as to current button mapping
The Legend Zelda: Wind Waker

44. Good Example:
Summaries can help remind players of objectives
Rift

45. Good Example:
Reminders of current goals or objectives can be as simple as color clues
Mirror's Edge

46. Remember Real Life
Provide quick-and-easy exits.
Consider the environment your game is played
in.

47. Good Example:
Remember the context in which a
player will be enjoying your game
Dungeon Raiders

48. Good Example:
Allow players to enter and exit the
game quickly

49. Good Example:
Consider unique player needs
Starcraft 2

50. Maintain Flow
Minimize context breaks, cognitive dissidence.

51. Bad Example:
Consider the impact of the entire player flow
• Find Screen Shots
Yola Inc.

52. Bad Example:
Consider the impact of the entire player flow
• Find Screen Shots
Yola Inc.

53. Bad Example:
Consider the impact of the entire player flow
• Find Screen Shots
Yola Inc.

54. Bad Example:
If your game encourages exploration, try to keep it seamless
Dragon Age: Origins

55. Bad Example:
Context beaks can be seen as punishment
Dragon Age: Origins

56. Good Example:
If you need loading screens, consider keeping the player
in context as much as possible
Fallout 3

57. Good Example:
When possible, avoid transitions between levels completely
Flow

58. Ask “What Could I Take Away?”
Interface elements should not contain information
which is irrelevant or rarely needed.
Beware of chrome creep.

59. Good Example:
Chrome ~30% screen
Diablo

60. Good Example:
Chrome ~25% screen
Diablo II

61. Good Example:
Chrome ~15% screen
Diablo III

62. Good Example:
Reducing chrome enables primary content to shine

63. Bad Example:
Non-essential controls cover important real estate
Starcraft 2

64. Bad Example:
Non-essential controls cover important real estate
Starcraft 2

65. Good Example:
Find ways to incorporate key information into the primary area
Dead Space

66. Discount Usability
Techniques

67. Thanks!
And special thanks to Marina Kobayashi for all her
help!

68. Questions & Discussion

69. (1) Increase Interaction Speed Over Time
(2) Avoid Conceptually Conflicting Inputs
(3) Provide Immersive Cues
(4) Distinguish Active from Inactive
(5) Prevent Surprise Errors
(6) Be Game State Aware
(7) Reading is Easier than Remembering
(8) Remember Real Life
(9) Maintain Flow
(10) Ask “What Could I Take Away?”