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main focus on visual communication - The UI Design

-UI design for card games

Games research

-Balatro

-Slay The Spire

-Stacklands

-Cultist Somulator

↑Strategy games & Round-based card games

In most card games, cards have numerical values and characteristics, and are also played with different mechanics and strategies

Subjects-（brain storm）

·Ways of the interface of game enhance player clarity and control

·The UI aid player choices（？）

·How does the UI design in a game support strategic decision-making

·Principles of interaction design manifest in the UI

·How does the UI of a game apply key interaction design principles to create a readable and intuitive gameplay experience?

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*After comparing several games I decided to choose the game Slay The Spire to analyze and use as the main game reference for my thesis.

Compared to other games such as Balatro or Stacklands, Slay the Spire offers a more structured and symbolic UI, which makes it a strong candidate for studying visual clarity and player decision-making.

UI Elements

Top

Left: Player&Character, HP, Gold, Potions, Levels

(Below) Props

Right: Map, number of cards in hand

Center (game screen)

Character(left) Enermy(right)

Below character: HP, status (buffs)

Above enemie: actions taken this turn

Bottom

(in order from left to right)

Pile, Energy, cards available this turn, end of turn button, discard pile

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Focus: Visual communication in card game UI

Case: Slay the Spire

Final decision RQ: How does the UI support strategic decision-making and player clarity?

Sub-questions:

-How is information visually structured?

-How does the UI reduce cognitive load?

-How does it support fast-paced decision-making?

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Introduction

Briefly introduce the game genre and introduce the topic: card games are highly dependent on the presentation of information and instant decision-making by players, so UI design plays a key role in it.

Body 1 — Game interface analysis
(Keyword: information hierarchy, iconography, feedback)

Body 2 — Player experience impact
(Keyword: immersion, pace, frustration reduction)

Conclusion

Summary: The UI successfully supports player decision-making and enhances the gameplay experience.

Reflection: Can it serve as an example of “non-glamorous but extremely functional” UI design for more card/strategy games?

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Book：

1-Sylvester, T. (2013) Designing Games: A Guide to Engineering Experiences. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media.

2-Schell, J. (2015) The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses. 2nd edn. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

3-Adams, E. (2014) Fundamentals of game design. 3rd edn. Berkeley, CA: New Riders.

4-Norman, D. A. (2013) The Design of Everyday Things. Revised edn. New York: Basic Books.

Document：

1-Hunicke, R., LeBlanc, M. and Zubek, R. (2004) ‘MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research’, Proceedings of the Game Developers Conference. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228884866 (Accessed: 13 May 2025).

2-Ahmad, I., Hamid, E., Abdullasim, N. and Jaafar, A. (2017) ‘Game interface design: Measuring the player’s gameplay experience’, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pp. 539–551. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70010-6_46 (Accessed: 13 May 2025).

3-Zamri, K.Y. (2021) ‘The effect of 10 user interface (UI) elements on game design process’, International Conference on Research and Innovation in Science and Technology (I-CReST). Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354527166 (Accessed: 13 May 2025).

4-Vi, P.T., Mishra, S. and Nguyen, T. (2024) ‘User interface design and usability in information systems’, Bulletin of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, August. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394272303.ch23 (Accessed: 13 May 2025).

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- This essay explores the role of user interface design in enhancing visual communication and strategic clarity in turn-based card games

- In card games, players rely heavily on immediate access to structured information—such as card attributes, energy, turn sequence, and enemy intentions—to make decisions under pressure.

- UI design plays a crucial role in reducing cognitive load, ensuring readability, and supporting game flow.

- The analysis draws upon theories of interaction design and game design frameworks , to examine how Slay the Spire achieves a balance between minimalism and information richness.

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Basic principles of UI design and the needs of card games + references to related theories

The game's card interface (how to support “quick recognition”)

How the UI affects the game experience: reduces frustration, enhances “sense of strategy”: players can more clearly plan their next move

Pace maintenance: UI is not “in the way” or redundant, supports fast-paced decision-making, and is an important pillar of the game's replayability ( Learning and feedback are accomplished quickly.)

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- The UI design of Slay the Spire demonstrates how effective visual hierarchy, clear symbolic language, and consistent feedback can enhance strategic gameplay.

- By presenting essential information in a well-structured layout, the game enables players to plan ahead, react quickly, and maintain focus without distraction.

- The case study highlights how core UI principles—such as clarity, minimalism, and responsiveness—can directly influence player experience in card-based strategy games.

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Diversity / Inclusivity / Sustainability

Celeste

To the Moon

Stardew Valley √

-slow-paced eco-farming

-anti-corporate narrative reflect environmental values