FlappinGo
A mobile arcade game where the entire UI lives inside the gameplay
Role
UI/UX Designer
Year
2024
Deliverables
App Store
Download on iOS ↗apps.apple.com/us/app/flappingo/id6744437866
Overview
FlappinGo is a casual arcade game for iOS built around a deceptively simple mechanic: tap left or right to navigate, collect all bubbles to complete a level. The design challenge was making the game immediately understood — with no tutorial, no text, no onboarding — while building enough visual feedback to keep players engaged across dozens of levels.
Challenge
Game UI operates under a different constraint than most product design: every interface element competes with the game itself for attention. Traditional HUDs — health bars, score counters, level indicators — can make a minimal game feel cluttered. The challenge was designing a UI that communicates everything the player needs to know without ever feeling like an overlay on top of the experience.
Solution
I embedded the interface into the game canvas itself. Progress indicators, bubble collection state, and obstacle feedback are communicated through in-world animations and visual effects rather than static UI elements. The result feels less like 'a game with a HUD' and more like a world that speaks for itself. Smooth micro-animations reward collection and communicate collision state without any text.
Outcome
Published on the App Store with immediate comprehension — players understand the rules within the first three seconds of play, which is the benchmark for casual game accessibility.
Key Highlights
- Zero-text UI design: the game teaches itself through play
- Progress and state communicated through in-world animation
- Micro-animation system for collection, collision, and level completion
- Minimal visual footprint that keeps focus on the gameplay