When you ask players what makes a game really good they usually say it is the story, the graphics, the gameplay or the fact that they can play with people. Not many players will say it is the user interface away.. The truth is that the user interface is what every player uses from the moment they start playing a game until they stop. The user interface is always there it affects what players decide to do what actions they. What they experience when they play a game. The user interface is a part of the game it is just something that players do not think about that much.
That's why a skilled game development company doesn't treat UI as a finishing touch. Instead, it's considered a core part of the player experience from the earliest stages of development. A beautiful interface may impress players for a few minutes, but a trusted interface keeps them comfortable and engaged for hundreds of hours.
The difference between an user interface and a trusted user interface is really simple. A good user interface makes it easy for players to use a game. A trusted user interface makes players feel confident when they are using it. This confidence affects a lot of things like how players keep playing and how happy they are with the game.
Think about the games you have been playing for years. You probably do not remember what every menu screen looks like. You likely remember that it was easy to find your way around. You knew where to find the things you needed like your inventory or how to change your character. You also knew where to look to see how you are doing in the game. This feeling of being comfortable with a game does not just happen.
For game makers and companies that make games making players trust their games is very important. Players have a lot of choices today. If a game is confusing or annoying they will just play something else. Game makers want players to feel good, about their games so they try to make them easy to use and understand. A trusted user interface is important because it helps players feel confident and happy when they are playing a game.
Players Notice Confusion Faster Than Beauty
A nice looking interface can make a big impact at first. It is great to have animations, nice icons and menus that look amazing.. These things do not make people trust the game.
Think about starting a new game and it takes you ten minutes to find a simple setting.. You open your inventory and it feels like you are trying to figure out a hard puzzle. It does not matter how good the interface looks if people have a time doing simple things.
People do not mind if the visuals are not perfect. What they do mind is if they get confused.
When people play games they want to explore worlds beat enemies solve problems or play against other people. They do not want to spend their time trying to figure out the interface of the game itself.
Consistency Creates Comfort
One reason players trust games right away is because they are consistent.
When buttons work the way everywhere in the game players get used to them. When icons always mean the thing players learn to recognize them fast. When menu layouts are always the same it is easy to navigate.
Think about driving a car. You do not need to think about where the steering wheel's each time you drive because it is always in the same spot. A good user interface works like that.
The moment a game breaks the rules it set players start to lose trust. Players have to stop and think. That might seem like a thing but if it keeps happening it gets frustrating.
Good interfaces help by having predictable rules. This way players do not get interrupted much. Consistency, in games builds trust with players. Consistency is key.
Trust Is Built Through Small Moments
Many people who make games focus on the things while they forget about the small things that players do every day.
What happens when a player buys something in the game?
How clear is it when the game tells you that you got an upgrade?
Can players see away why they did not complete a mission?
Do the messages on the screen help. Just get in the way?
These things might seem like no deal on their own but when you put them all together they change how people think about the game.
Players, like systems that always tell them what is going on. Every time they click or tap or press a button they should get an answer. Whether it is a sound or a picture moving or something that shows them what is happening players should never have to guess if what they did worked. The game should always tell players what is happening. The game should do this every time players do something in the game.
Transparency Matters More Than Ever
Games are getting really complicated these days. You have all these things like progression systems and battle passes and currencies and crafting and skill trees and live-service content. It can be a lot for people to handle.
When things are not clear people start to lose trust.
They do not know what is going on. That makes them unhappy.
People want to know what is going on in the game. They want to know how they get rewards and how they make progress and what they are spending their money on. When things are explained in a way people can make good choices and they do not get as frustrated.
This is really important when you are spending money on the game. People are more likely to trust a game that tells them what they are getting when they spend money rather than a game that just gives them a vague idea.
Games are better when people feel like they know what is going on than feeling like they are being tricked. People trust games when they feel informed about the game like the game's being honest with them about the game. Trust in games grows when people feel like they understand the game and how the game works like the game is being upfront with them, about the game.
Accessibility Is a Trust Signal
Accessibility is not something that is part of the technical side of things. It is also a way to build trust with people who play games.
People who play games are all different. They come from places and are different ages. Some people need to see words on the screen. Other people like it when games have settings for people who are colorblind. Some people like to have subtitles so they can read what people are saying. Some people like to be able to change what the buttons on their controller do.. Some people like to be able to change what is on their screen.
When a game has these things it's, like the people who made the game are saying: We want everyone to have fun playing this game.
This is important.
People who play games notice when the people who make the games take the time to make sure everyone can play. It shows that the people who make the games respect them. Accessibility is a part of showing respect.. Respect is a big part of trust.
The Best UI Often Goes Unnoticed
One of the interesting things about designing user interfaces is that when they are done well you do not really notice them.
Users do not usually go online to say how great a website or game is because the menus are easy to use. They do not post about how nice it's that everything is organized in a way that makes sense. They just keep using the website or playing the game.
When things work like they should that is what makes it a good user interface.
On the hand when user interfaces are confusing people talk about it. They write about it in reviews and, on media. A bad user interface can make people forget that the game or website is actually really good.
That is why people who design user interfaces try to make them simple and easy to use. They want the user interface to help people have an experience, not to be the experience itself.
Final Thoughts
A good game user interface makes a game look professional. A reliable game user interface makes players feel comfortable spending their time on it.
The key, to an user interface is dependability. Players trust interfaces that are clear easy to understand and show them what is happening. They also trust systems that give them feedback and work the same way throughout the game.
As games get better players will trust them more if they are reliable. The game studios that get this are making games that players want to play again. They do this by making sure every interaction feels natural not by making the menus look fancy.
In the end players do not remember every button or screen. They remember how the game made them feel. If the user interface makes it easy for them to play they will trust the game.
Top comments (0)