Veiled Shadows

UI/UX Design

The challenge of designing for a video game is not necessarily interaction or what features the UI needs to have. RPGs and JRPGs are saturated genres and there have been people before me who have figured out all the details.

Finding a Visual Identity

The real challenge is finding a unique design that reflects the identity of the game.

The game is set in the 2000s, so I wanted to give it more of an "old school" technology look.

The game is inspired by the Persona series, so the UI should be flashy, as far as the game engine allows it.

The UI should reflect the overall theme of the game. It is very focused on the characters.

Getting the "Old Technology" Look

To get this look, I took inspiration from old screens that had scan lines on them that you could clearly see.

I incorporated this element into all the dialog boxes and menu boxes.

Very subtle and in the background, but still visible enough to give this old school vibe.

Flashy, but not too flashy

The game is made with an engine that allows very limited layouts. However, it is also inspired by Persona, a series of games often used as examples for heavily stylized UIs.

Finding a middle ground is key here.

As an example: for the HUD I tried to keep the graphics simple, but make them unique with a flat design and saturated colours.

Communicating the Theme of the Game

The main character of the game uses a game console called "Gamecomp" throughout the story. I tried incorporating this console into elements of the UI, to create a sense of immersion for the player.

An example is the pause menu, where the main character is seen holding the Gamecomp, whereas the Gamecomp itself is used in sub-menus to display data. It should almost seem like the player is interacting with the Gamecomp through the main character.

Art-related Work

In addition to UX/UI Design, I am also working on the game as an artist for character art and iconography. Here is a gallery of some of the things I've made so far: