User Experience and User Interface Design // 2020 // Coming Soon to Steam, Android, and iOS
Bringing a Card Game to Life
Tanto Cuore is a deck-building card game for 2-4 players, wherein players take the roles of “Master of the House” and employ the most effective home. Because the cards and character artwork are the main focus of the game, I used animations to bring each aspect of the game to life. Big game events like illnesses, turn transitions, and Private Maid abilities feel alive with over-the-top motions and effects.
Rules and Order
In order to convey the myriad of subtle rules in a large card game, it was paramount to make all of the information easily digestible. The last thing I wanted was to force a player to pause and read a rule book the way first-time players are expected to do in similar card games. Thus, focusing on new users and displaying information on a need-basis was my priority.
As a means to help players understand their options during their turns and to keep the user interface clean and uncluttered, lesser-known action options are highlighted if a player qualifies for them. Alternatively, action items are removed when they are not applicable.
Playing is Better with Friends
Since physical card games afford players the ability to interact and communicate amongst themselves, it was important to provide players with various ways of sharing the game with one another. As such, Tanto Cuore offers players both local and online multiplayer options for playing with their friends.
Expanding with Expansion Packs
Since the physical game already has multiple expansion packs and continues to have cards added regularly, it was important to build the interface to handle an ever-growing roster of characters. As new physical cards are released, their virtual equivalent can also be made available.
This allows players to have the ability to mix cards into the playable deck from each expansion in order to build unique and ever-changing strategies and gameplay.
Gallery
Retrospective
This project’s art style was a bit out of my normal style, but I was excited to take on the challenge of such a complex game and to create a style different than my own. The experience design was influenced by a few other digital card games such as Hearthstone, Eternal, and a browser version of Dominion. We expanded off of what existed and put a lot of effort into allowing players to control and use this game any way they want with either mouse, keyboard, or controllers. The multiple control options also afforded us the ability to build out a local multiplayer option to many of the fans’ delight. The game is still under development and I look forward to sharing more soon.