School Games

School games is a local multiplayer mobile game designed for 1 or 2 players on a single device. The goal was to recreate the high-energy, competitive atmosphere of a school playground through a series of fast-paced mini-games. By focusing on shared-screen interaction, the project explores the UX challenges of “couch co-op” on a mobile scale, emphasizing accessibility, physical proximity, and intuitive play.

One of the most intentional interaction details is the difficulty selection mechanism, which replaces standard text-heavy menus with a character-driven slider. This approach uses visual empathy to communicate challenge levels; as the user drags the slider, the avatar’s expression shifts from a cheerful, easygoing smile to a determined, devil-horned rival. This creates an intuitive feedback loop where the user “feels” the increase in difficulty through the character’s persona rather than just reading a label.

Designing for two players on a single device presented a significant ergonomic challenge, requiring a UI layout that respects “thumb zones” while maintaining visibility for both participants. In games such as the path-following race or “Tug of War,” the screen is strategically divided to give each player a dedicated interaction area, ensuring their hands do not overlap or block critical visual cues. During gameplay, a centralized pause button remains accessible to both players, leading to a clean, high-contrast overlay that allows for quick restarts or navigation back to the main menu without breaking the flow of the session.

The experience concludes with a clear, binary feedback system that celebrates the winner while playfully teasing the loser. By using a golden crown for victory and a humorous, frowning poop emoji for defeat, the design leans into the lighthearted competitiveness of a real recess. Even the utility-focused elements, such as language settings and ad-removal prompts, are integrated into the hand-drawn aesthetic to ensure the immersion remains unbroken throughout the entire lifecycle of the app.