60 seconds
to make them keep playing
7 UX decisions to turn a prototype into a clear, playable and memorable experience. Talk delivered in Spanish.
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At a jam, judges and players spend a few minutes per game. The first minute is almost the whole experience.
The team already knows the goal; a new player is still building it. Not every difficulty is design: challenges are designed, barriers are removed.
The 7 first-minute decisions
- 01Objective
What am I trying to do now?
Verb + object + why: “Pick up the crystal to open the door”.
- 02Controls
Which action can I start with?
Button + verb, next to the interaction, with the active device glyph.
- 03Feedback
What just happened?
State first, effects second. Effects sit on top of state, never instead of it.
- 04Visual hierarchy
What matters here?
The first action has priority. Shop, streak and map can wait.
- 05Learning
Which rule do I need right now?
One rule at a time, with a safe chance to practise it.
- 06Recovery
What happened and how do I retry?
“Missing a crystal. Pick it up at the pedestal.” instead of “Unavailable”.
- 07Accessibility
Can I perceive and operate the essentials?
Colour + shape + text. Test without audio, without colour and with every advertised device.
Take it to the jam
10-minute playtest
Open the build without explaining, watch, and log every hint you had to give. Every hint is a UX bug.
Observation ≠ hypothesis
Log facts (“pressed E three times”), not judgments. A change is a bet that needs another test.
Priorities when time is short
First what blocks play, then what creates doubt, and if there is time, polish you can verify.
Steal an Egg
Roblox → Fortnite/UEFN: gamepad navigation and a Slow Mode the game toggles for you.
This talk is part of Cali Game Jam, a charity game jam. If you can contribute, use the official link shared by the organisers.