Final Year Project
2021
Interstellar ER
Designing a cooperative player experience from prototype to shipped game
Overview
Interstellar E.R. is a two-player cooperative game developed as my final-year capstone project at DigiPen Institute of Technology.
Built over 24 weeks by a team of ten using a custom C++ game engine, the project challenged us to design, prototype, and ship an original game from concept through implementation.
Working across design and technical disciplines, I led gameplay prototyping, UI design, interaction design, scripting, and audio implementation while helping shape the overall player experience.
Download Link: https://games.digipen.edu/games/interstellar-e-r
My Role
Lead Designer · UI Designer · Gameplay Scripter · Sound Designer
Responsibilities
Led gameplay prototyping and core design direction
Designed player-facing HUDs and interaction systems
Built gameplay prototypes in Unity before engine implementation
Scripted gameplay interactions
Established gameplay metrics and level standards
Collaborated with programmers and artists throughout production
Produced sound effects and audio implementation
Early Prototyping
Before development began in the custom engine, I created gameplay prototypes in Unity to answer a number of design questions.
The prototypes focused on validating:
Core gameplay loop
Player movement
Camera behaviour
Interaction timing
Room metrics
Level scale
Core mechanics
These prototypes became the team's shared reference throughout development, helping programmers build engine tools while allowing artists to validate assets against real gameplay.
Room Prototyping
Rather than designing UI as isolated screens, the interface was treated as an extension of gameplay.
The cooperative nature of the game demanded that players understand information quickly without interrupting communication or movement.
Design decisions focused on:
Minimal visual noise
Readable interaction prompts
Clear gameplay feedback
Consistent iconography
Fast recognition under pressure
Main Menu
Inspired by holographic interfaces commonly found in science fiction, the visual language reinforced the game's futuristic setting while maintaining clarity during gameplay.
World Interaction
Interaction design extended beyond the HUD.
Rooms, interactable machines, and gameplay objectives combined diegetic elements with world-space UI to naturally guide players without relying on excessive on-screen instructions.
Each environment was intentionally themed around its gameplay function, allowing players to quickly associate visual landmarks with mechanics during increasingly hectic gameplay.
Iterating Gameplay
Iteration Through Playtesting
One of the biggest lessons from the project was learning that interesting mechanics are not always fun mechanics.
Frequent playtesting shaped many of the game's final systems.
Features that initially seemed exciting were simplified—or removed entirely—when they interrupted the cooperative experience or reduced clarity.
Every design discussion eventually returned to one question: "Does this make the game more fun?"
That mindset helped the team prioritise player experience over feature count and ultimately deliver a more focused game.
UX Decisions
Problem | Decision | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
Players become overwhelmed during hectic co-op moments | Reduced HUD complexity and prioritised icon recognition | Faster information processing during gameplay |
Players needed to coordinate without verbal instructions | Combined diegetic cues with world-space UI | Objectives remained discoverable while preserving immersion |
Frequent room switching caused disorientation | Each room received a distinct visual identity tied to its function | Players learned navigation through environmental recognition |
Team was developing a custom engine in parallel | Built Unity prototypes first to validate mechanics and establish metrics | Reduced uncertainty before implementation and aligned designers, programmers, and artists |
Reflection
Play testing is key - At one point the team was caught up with some “creative” mechanics but what ended up being fun was an unexpected feature/interaction which we only manage to notice during playtesting sessions.
Less is more - 24weeks for a 3d game in a custom engine isn’t a lot of time from ideation to execution. There were many ideas and features that needed to be cut in order to ship a product that was enjoyable and bug free at the end. In hindsight, there could’ve been more polish if we buckled down and focused on streamlining the workflow even more
Building on the fun - With every passing milestone, it was easy to get caught in the moment by adding on to existing features. However we learned the hard way that just because something is challenging, doesn't mean that it is fun. The final mantra that the team had to ask before ideas started flying is “Does it add to the fun?”
GO HAM! - Never go in half hearted or do things halfway. Our wacky concept and features had to go through several major facelifts before we reached a level that we can get behind and be proud of.
