Samsung TV Gaming HUB 2
Shortly after our first game together, I was brought back to work on the next Samsung TV gaming hub game. This one would be a fast-paced word-matching game where you “cross” paths to “link” a string of associated words before the times up.
The design lightbulb lit for me when I began imagining this would be a rhythm game. The concept for this one was very light compared to the heavy narrative of our first game. I decided to let music be my guide for the look and feel.
2D Animation, Game Design, UX/UI
CrossLink early WIP
So how did we get here? I began by thinking of ways to visualize “linking” as I started this game design with a set name and general gameplay. I wanted this game to feel really BOLD and BIG so I warmed up with these sketches of big words and simple colors.
This felt very static for something intending to be quick and beat driven, so I began thinking of moving the answer options on a track (like guitar hero!) to show the passage of time.
While chaotic and totally unusable, this sketch really unlocked the thinking behind time as the “track” in which you are playing the game on and confined by.
Which brought us the sketch that really got the game going! Everything was beginning to fall into place. With this wireframe locked-in, I could move on to explore the visuals.
I experimented with motifs of speed- like the checkered pattern of a finish line.
I wanted this game to feel super funky and fun! I wanted to be able to “hear” it before the sound was even designed for it yet.
I considered a version where the first word and track selector visually mirrored the Samsung TV remote.
I explored this audio pulse sound wave in a few spots. Ultimately, I wanted this game to feel like you were at the club!
CrossLINK
Finally, intro and outro bumpers were animated and the game was coded. I can’t wait to be able to play this one!