Battle Sheep
Leading the end-to-end product design of a real-time PvP game, from early concept through launch.
Year :
2023-2025
Industry :
Mobile Gaming
Client :
Yakim Interactive
Battle Sheep was a real-time PvP mobile strategy game published by Yakim Interactive. As the Design Lead, I owned the end-to-end UX/UI transformation - scaling the product from its initial conceptual framework to its release on Google Play. The game is no longer available there.
Project Role: Design Lead
Established a scalable design framework optimized for high-paced mobile multiplayer gameplay, ensuring a low barrier to entry for novice players while maintaining strategic depth for advanced users. My execution bridged the gap between complex game loops and business monetization metrics.
Key Responsibilities:
- Product Collaboration: Partnered with the PM to translate business KPIs, monetization requirements, and complex game mechanics into intuitive, player-first flows.
- Interface & Systems Design: Designed the entire visual layout, core HUD elements, and interactive animations for fast-paced mobile gameplay.
Core Product Strategy & Goals
- Hybrid Monetization: Ad loops and contextual store triggers built into the user journey to drive conversion without adding friction.
- Progression Economy: Designed the main lobby loops and the resource conversion mechanics that support long-term progression.
- Data-Driven Retention: Structured behavioral feedback loops and two-step exit modals designed to mitigate player churn.
User Journey & Flow Architecture
This core user flow maps the player's lifecycle from session launch to exit. The architecture was designed to minimize friction between the lobby and the match, creating optimized entry points for monetization (booster selection) and retention loops (daily challenges) based on real-time player states.
Lobby Flow: Resource Management & Conversion
The main lobby architecture centers on core resource loops (sheep units and premium currency). The UI layout is structured to provide an immediate, clear snapshot of the player's economic status, giving a direct path from resource management into core battle loops or micro-purchase states.
Pre-Game Flow: Core Engagement & Monetization Triggers
Before entering a match, players encounter a high-intent setup screen designed to support retention and drive micro-transactions. The UX strategy focuses on three key pillars:
- Tactical Preview: Displaying the battle grid upfront to give players immediate context and drive the perceived value of using boosters.
- Progression Signaling: Visually locking higher-tier boosters based on player level to incentivize ongoing progression and long-term engagement.
- Contextual Monetization: When coins are depleted, the UI avoids dead-ends with an overlay that offers a direct path to purchase at the moment of need.
Combat Flow: Battle HUD, Turn Logic & Retention
The core battle interface was designed to support fast, turn-based tactical combat while keeping the immediate feedback of an arcade game. The UX layout focuses on:
- Readable Priorities: Timers, active turns and player health sit in the primary visual zone for split-second decisions.
- Direct Control: Hitboxes and action triggers tuned for high-stress mobile PvP.
- Churn Prevention: Designing an intentional, two-step exit confirmation modal that recalculates the penalty of abandoning a live match, reducing player drop-offs.
System Specifications & Mobile Optimization
The final high-fidelity interface was built for tight mobile constraints, balancing a playful casual aesthetic with strict competitive usability.
- Ergonomic Mapping: High-frequency interactive zones sit in the lower third of the viewport for one-handed thumb reach during high-stress PvP play.
- Iconography Asset Design: Minimalist icons with exaggerated, high-contrast silhouettes that read instantly on small viewports under strict turn timers.
- Accessibility & Palette: A vibrant, dark-mode friendly color system with strict contrast ratios for visibility and less eye strain in long sessions.
- Interactive Feedback Loops: Mapped explicit hitboxes paired with distinct responsive micro-animations, delivering immediate behavioral feedback for every critical player selection.
Outcome
Not measured.
