WarBot:
Pivoting a Game Concept with User-Centered Research
An academic project that began as a complex robot-building game and transformed into a simple, luck-based card game through foundational research and iterative playtesting.
My Role
UX Researcher, Concept Artist, Animator
Team
Annmary Ibrahim, Phieford Nash
Timeline
3 months
Tools
Paper Prototype, Figma, Unity, Adobe After Effects
The Final Concept
The culmination of our research and design was this promotional trailer, which I animated and produced. It showcases the core gameplay loop, the art style, and the high-energy feel we aimed for based on our research.
The Challenge: Balancing Engagement and Convenience
Our initial goal was to design a compelling robot-building and combat game for mobile. The core question we had to answer was:
"How might we create an engaging game that respects players' limited time and avoids frustrating complexity?"
My Role & Contributions
Foundational Research
Conducted user interviews and synthesized findings via affinity mapping to identify key user pain points and desires.
Prototyping & Testing
Created paper prototypes and facilitated playtesting sessions, gathering critical feedback that led to our project's pivot.
Game Design
Co-developed the core "rock-paper-scissors" game mechanic (Force > Speed > Agility) during brainstorming sessions.
Asset Creation & Animation
Designed all "Force" type robots and pivoted to create the final animated concept trailer to showcase the game's vision.
The Process: A Journey to Simplicity
Our design process was driven by a constant feedback loop, which guided us to a stronger final concept.
1. Discovering User Needs
We interviewed gamers to understand their habits, motivations, and frustrations with mobile games. This revealed three crucial insights:
Dislike of Financial Barriers
A strong disdain for "pay-to-win" mechanics and gambling, viewing it as unfair to those who "grind to get better."
Time-Conscious Players
Users prefer "quick and fast-paced games" that fit into "short bursts" of 30-60 minutes.
Value of Simplicity
Complex controls are a major pain point on mobile, as phone screens are "not the best suited device for it."
2. Ideation & Early Testing
Initial Concepts:
Our initial concepts involved complex mechanics like modular building and a stamina point system. To test this, I created a low-fidelity paper prototype and we ran playtesting sessions. The feedback was immediate and decisive.
Paper Prototype Feedback:
The "stamina gamble" system was confusing to new players.
Core mechanics felt too involved for a casual mobile experience.
The game contradicted the desire for a quick, hop-in/hop-out session.
3. The Data-Driven Pivot
The feedback from our paper prototype was the turning point where our assumptions met reality.
It became undeniable that our initial, complex design was a major pain point that failed to align with our foundational research. We were building a game for ourselves, not for our users. This realization prompted the most critical decision of the project: to pivot entirely.
The Problematic Initial Concept
Complex stamina and point-based gambling mechanics.
Heavy focus on intricate robot customization.
Longer, more strategic gameplay sessions.
This directly contradicted our research findings that users wanted fast, simple, and fair mobile games.
The User-Validated Pivot
Stripped away all confusing mechanics based on direct user feedback.
Elevated the simple, fun "rock-paper-scissors" core mechanic.
Shifted focus from complex building to the joy of collecting cool robot designs.
This new direction was simpler, more engaging, and perfectly aligned with our target audience's needs for a quick, casual experience.
The Solution: A Fast-Paced Card Battler
The final concept, WarBot, is a competitive deck-building game for iOS & Android designed for casual gamers who want a quick, visually exciting experience. The culmination of our research and design was the promotional trailer, which I animated and produced. It showcases the core gameplay loop, the art style, and the high-energy feel we aimed for based on our research.
Core Gameplay
A simple "rock-paper-scissors" system (Force > Speed > Agility) where the higher-value card wins.
Light Customization
Players use won cards to "build" new robot cards, adding creativity without bogging down the core loop.
Quick Sessions
The gameplay is fast and intuitive, perfect for the "short burst" sessions our research identified as a key user need.
Key Learnings & Takeaways
This project was a valuable lesson in the power of the UX research process.
The Power of Low-Fidelity Testing
Our simple paper prototype was invaluable. It allowed us to identify fundamental flaws in our core mechanics quickly and cheaply, saving us from building a product users would find confusing and frustrating.
Don't Be Afraid to Pivot
The most important decision we made was to listen to our users and completely change our game's direction. Being committed to the user's needs rather than our initial idea led to a much stronger and more viable concept.
Simplicity is a Feature, Not a Limitation
By removing complexity, we created a game that was more accessible, faster, and better aligned with the mobile gaming context. For our target audience, a simple, satisfying experience was far more valuable.