Seasons of Rocco
Developed in just 16 weeks by a team of 17 students during the Game Design & Development minor at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Seasons of Rocco is a cozy life simulation game with a seasonal gameplay loop. As a Game Designer, I contributed to audience research, UX/UI design, mechanics development, and community engagement, helping the game gain recognition in the Wholesome Games newsletter.
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Game Designer
8 Artists, 6 Developers, 3 Designers
Oct 2023 - Jan 2024
Steam, PC
Overview
Seasons of Rocco is a cozy life simulation game developed over 16 weeks by a diverse team of 17 students during the Game Design & Development minor at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. Collaborating across design, art, and development disciplines, I contributed as a Game Designer, focusing on player research, UX/UI design, and ensuring the seamless implementation of mechanics.
Key Contributions & Impact
- Player-Centric Design: Prioritized audience research and feedback, aligning the game’s mechanics and aesthetics with audience preferences.
- Design & Development: Acted as the liaison between the design and development team, updating the game design document to ensure accurate implementation of design concepts.
- Community Growth: Leveraged marketing and community interaction to increase visibility, establishing a loyal player base before launch.
Target Audience Research
I was responsible for researching and defining our target audience—Cozy Gamers—to ensure the game resonated with their preferences and expectations. My research included:
Persona Creation
I created a persona for Cozy Gamers, focusing on their motivations, player types, and behavior patterns.
Gameplay Preferences
Investigated which mechanics, core loops, and '30 seconds of fun' appealed most to Cozy Gamers.
Industry Insights
Analyzed trends, community behavior, sales data, user reviews, and content creators in the cozy games genre.
These insights directly influenced design decisions, ensuring Seasons of Rocco provided the relaxing, enjoyable experience our audience desired.
UX/UI Design
As the UX/UI Designer, I worked closely with the UI Artists to design intuitive and visually appealing interfaces:
Interfaces
Focused on creating interfaces that were simple to navigate, cohesive with the art direction, and tailored to our audience’s needs.
Seasonal UI
Designed UI elements that changed based on the in-game season, providing an immersive and dynamic experience.
Player-Friendly Tutorials
Developed onboarding flows and contextual tutorials to align with player expectations for cozy games.
Game Mechanics & Development Coordination
I communicated with the development team so that the game mechanics were implemented as the design team intended:
Game Design Document (GDD)
Maintained and updated the GDD to ensure all mechanics were documented, balanced, and aligned with the game’s vision.
Acceptance Criteria
Defined clear acceptance criteria and definions of done for mechanics to ensure they were implemented correctly.
Developer Communication
Facilitated communication between the design and development teams to ensure mechanics were implemented as intended.
Season of Rocco's seasonal game loop, showcasing the core gameplay mechanics.
User Testing & Iteration
To refine the game, I organized and conducted comprehensive user testing:
Playtesting Sessions
Tested with diverse players both within and outside our target audience.
Beta Testing
Ran in-person sessions and asynchronous tests via Steam's beta testing tools.
Feedback Collection
Gathered feedback in a centralized Google Sheet, tagged and categorized by department (development, art, or design).
Insight Synthesis
Synthesized user feedback into actionable insights, which were documented and passed to the respective teams for iterative improvements.
Marketing & Community
I was responsible for managing our community and marketing efforts to build a loyal player base:
Social Media & Content Marketing
Created a marketing plan. designed promotional materials, and regularly posted to the social media channels to engage with our audience.
Community Engagement
Fostered a connection with players, answering questions and gathering insights from community feedback.
Recognition
Secured a feature in the Wholesome Games Newsletter, garnering significant attention for the game.
Seasons of Rocco feature in the Wholesome Games Newsletter, the biggest community for cozy games (source: Wholesome Games).