Space Marshals 3
How can we improve player experience via design?
This is an in-class group project conducted within four weeks. My primary contributions include:
Redesigned three high-fi game interfaces
Conduct a heuristic evaluation on the game
Conduct three user testing sessions to validate insights and identify pain points.
Sector
Mobile Game
Design Tools
Figma, Photoshop
Timeline
November 2024
What’s Space Marshals 3?
Space Marshals 3 is a third-person, top-down shooter game that puts the player in the shoes of Burton, an officer from the Artemis crew, to continue his adventure in outer space following the team’s return from a long mission. The game was published by Pixelbite Games.
Players complete different missions throughout the game, such as catching a fugitive hiding in a factory full of enemies.
Problem
The game is built for mobile, which means it has limited space to convey essential info. My assumption was that a polished game interface could help improve users’ understanding of the core game loop.
A brief user research session revealed that the tutorials and UI fail to fully explain key concepts, like stealth, and a more structured approach could uncover further issues.
User Research
Three players were selected for the user testing sessions, each with varying levels of experience in mobile shooting games. Two out of the three participants were able to complete the play session, which involved going through the tutorial and finishing one mission. The third participant, however, only managed to complete less than half of the first mission due to spending too much time on the tutorial.
The main issues identified were:
Players’ hands blocked most of the screen due to the placement of the control buttons.
Players accidentally switched to stealth mode when it wasn’t intended.
Players had difficulty distinguishing between weapons when choosing a mission reward.
The game’s UI lacked clarity.
“I assumed you just have to kill everyone to win.
But I guess not?”
Major Issue 1: Current control positions block the screen
All participants were frustrated by their hands blocking the screen, mainly due to the virtual joystick's lack of a fixed position.
This also obscured weapon selection, preventing them from realizing they could switch weapons or use throwable items.
In the video, notice how the joystick on the left is going all over the place. That’s what happened to one of the participant.
Solution
Moved the weapon and throwable item panel to the center, allowing players to access them easily without blocking the screen.
Rearranged the weapon list by minimizing throwables and enlarging the guns.
I did not adjust the joystick because the game already has a setting on that.
Click here for the enlargeable version.
Major Issue 2: The switch to stealth mode is not intuitive.
All participants encountered issues when switching to stealth mode. The game uses tapping as a trigger, allowing players to tap anywhere on the screen to activate stealth.
However, there were insufficient visual cues to indicate when stealth mode had been activated, and the trigger was too easy to activate accidentally.
Solution
Added a button to allow players to activate stealth mode.
Added more prominent visual cues to indicate when in stealth mode.
Click here for the enlargeable version.
Major Issue 3: Weapon card failed to convey key info.
Players were able to identify the four basic traits of a gun—damage, range, noise, and ambush—but had difficulty understanding certain aspects of the weapon information.
Specifically, they were unclear about the meaning of the blocks next to the bullet icon and, for one, the terms “damang” and “ambush” were confusing within the context of the game. Additionally, none of the players could distinguish between the different special weapons.
Solution
Enlarged the weapon detail card, and added some explanations for special weapons, specifically what’s different about their bullets.
Added a legend pop up to explain what other characteristics of the weapon means.
Click here for the enlargeable version.
Major Issue 4: UI lacks clarity.
One player was unaware of the in-game map until the very end. Those who did use the map reported not understanding the meaning of the arrow, and were also unclear about the objectives.
Solution
Moved the objectives to the pause screen, since that’s a more common place for players to find clues of a game.
Added a legend for the map.
Click here for the enlargeable version.
Lessons Learned
What went well:
User testing went smoothly, and I felt confident asking questions and analyzing results since I knew the game well. I enjoyed conducting all three sessions individually and was satisfied with how my redesign ideas evolved through participant feedback.
What I learned:
I learned how to adapt to "failed" testing by focusing on the participant's struggles and gaining useful insights from their experience. Navigating unexpected situations during testing taught me the importance of flexibility and handling the "unhappy path."
Challenges and improvements:
The "failed" testing session was a significant challenge, and I realized I should have a backup plan for such situations. In the future, I could prepare more adaptable questions and be more proactive in guiding the interview to stay on track.
What I would change:
A longer project timeline would allow for more testing and iteration, which I find most valuable. If I were to redesign the course, I would shorten the group project and extend the individual one to maximize learning and iteration opportunities.
Other Projects Like This
Nook
An app that finds you the best place to work and the best people to work with.
Growth Redesign
Landing pages designed for an end-to-end subscriber experience to boost engagement and conversion.