Case Study: myStride

Guess that Sound: Game Design

My Role

Game Design
Product Design

Team

Leon Zeng - Game & Product Designer
Steven Demelo - Project Manager

Timeline

May-July 2023

How it Started

During my co-op internship at ANOO Concept Inc, I was tasked with designing a new browser game for the Digital Wellness Centre, myStride.

My team leader Steve provided me with a loose outline and a few ideas of what the game could look like, but it was up to me to flesh out the UI and the gameplay.

Problem

Because myStride is a wellness platform that values convenience and efficiency, I had to find a game mechanic that could be stimulating, while remaining simple for the player. Nothing too complicated, and easily understandable with easy replay value.

I eventually settled on an audio-driven guessing game inspired by “Wordle”.

Early Wireframes

I started to created some basic wireframes to help capture the basic flow of the game, and where buttons might be placed. There were no detailed graphics or colours which allowed me to quickly flesh out how it would look on a mobile interface.

I also created the original sound effects we would use for the game around this time.

Adding colours and improving the layout

To transition to higher fidelity, I started with adding simple colours and making an end screen where players could view other submissions from other myStride users around the world. I played with the idea of having multiple choice answers instead of typing answers, as well as limiting the amount of times the sound could be heard, but both options ended up in a less fun experience.

The end screen went through a few iterations as well, but I found that a colourful background added a bit of variety and a feeling that the “level” was finished.

Gameplay Loop

The main gameplay loop consists of three parts: Listening, guessing, and the result. Because myStride is a wellness platform, players should not be punished for making mistakes, but rather encouraged to seek out hints and provide feedback if they think the prompt was incorrect or inaccurate.

It was a unique and enjoyable challenge to create a simple game, without many complicated or “cooler” mechanics. I started by researching and playing other similar mobile or web games, to get a feel for their aesthetics, and also their gameplay details.

Reflections

Make it easy for users to provide feedback.

At first, there was no way for players to provide feedback within the game, which would be frustrating to communicate if any player found difficulties or felt unsatisfied with any aspect of the game.

Make each interaction satisfying.

Although the core loop of the game was extremely simple, tapping a big green button to submit a guess or listen to the prompt was much more fun than just playing it automatically. Similarly, a multiple-choice style answer system would be too easy for most players, and would remove the space for being able to review other players’ unique responses. There’s a ton of room for improvement, and new features to be added, but I enjoyed every aspect of designing this game from ideation to completion.