Design Elements

Design Elements

Today’s blog entry will focus on design elements of mobile games.  Aesthetics are very important for attracting users to your app; however it is not always the most important factor.  The user interface must be well designed to allow for easy navigation.  Ensure the game display matches up with screen sizes on all of the different devices the app is marketed for.   Please visit the following website for a list of well designed mobile apps.  

The following list defines key Design elements:

 Simplicity

 Make the game easy to understand.  Some game developers use children to test their games.  (Edis, 2011).  Simple games may attract a wider audience.

 Fun

 Ensure your games are fun to play.  Create your game so that it can hold someone’s interest for as long as possible.  The app markets are full of games, so you will need to be creative to ensure your game stands out.    Choose your play testers wisely and gather feedback.  (Edis, 2011).

Take your time

Test, test, and test your game content to ensure it does not contain crashes or bugs. A high quality game may  

help to make the difference if game players are using your game.  Quality content will typically matter more to most players than appearance.

Material   
                                                                                                                          
 Ensure your game is packed with plenty of well designed material.  The story and appearance must be excellent in order to attract player's attention.  Offer incentives for replay value such as the ability to unlock items once players meet certain requirements.  (Edis, 2011).

Reward Players That Invite Their Friends to Play

Use the mobile devices’s resources to your benefit.  Encourage players to get their friends involved, but do not punish if they don’t.   (Skipworth, 2012).  Some games allow for the ability of players to send virtual gifts to other players within the game.  In game rewards can be a way for the players to get ahead in a game; however, many games are  known for being annoying.

Break content into small units 

Many people use mobile games for brief distractions in their busy day.  Keep this in mind to allow users the ability for brief game play.  Breaking the content into smaller pieces will allow players to pick up the game where they last left off easier (Skipworth, 2012).

References:

Edis, S.  (2011, Feb, 7).  4 Golden Rules of iPhone Game Design
Retrieved from:  http://iphone.ezone.com/2011/02/4-golden-rules-of-iphone-game-design/

Edis, S.  (2011, Jan 17).  4 Tips to Get in the App Store Top 200
Retrieved from:  http://iphone.ezone.com/2011/01/cracking-the-app-store-top-200/

Skipworth, H.  (2012, Mar 20).  How to build a chart-topping app game
Retreived from:   http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/44968/how-to-build-succesful-app