Role: Game UX / Systems Design / UI
Tools: Figma, Illustrator, After Effects
Scope: Solo project
Tools: Figma, Illustrator, After Effects
Scope: Solo project
OVERVIEW
Scoops & Stardust is a cozy management game focused on resource management, progression, and time-based play. Players raise intergalactic cows, craft and sell ice cream desserts, and grow their brand to rival a fully automated ice cream corporation.
This project was developed as a solo UX and systems design case study focused on narrative coherence, gameplay clarity, and reducing cognitive load during time-pressured interactions. It demonstrates my approach to designing cohesive gameplay systems composed of multiple interconnected parts, with a strong emphasis on UX clarity and player decision-making.
Olive
Title screen on game start.
BACKGROUND
As a solo project, I focused on designing systems that were easy to understand, scalable, and testable, rather than overloading complexity early in development. The concept originated during my time working part-time at Ben & Jerry’s during undergrad and later evolved into a short comic and mini-game that was featured at Maker Faire NYC (2017) while I was at Parsons.
Left: Olive, You comic Right: Marker Faire (2017) display poster
GAME LOOP
Design Question:
How can I tie the different elements of the game together cohesively to create an experience that doesn’t feel messy?
How can I tie the different elements of the game together cohesively to create an experience that doesn’t feel messy?
Reason:
To prevent confusion and reduce friction, supporting a positive player experience.
To prevent confusion and reduce friction, supporting a positive player experience.
Solution:
Clearly defining distinct times of day to situate the player, paired with minimal in-game reminders to prevent accidentally skipping parts of the day.
Clearly defining distinct times of day to situate the player, paired with minimal in-game reminders to prevent accidentally skipping parts of the day.
Gameplay loop flowchart
At the start of each new game, players experience three tutorial segments: Terrarium Farm, Ice Cream Store, and Alien’s Shop. Each tutorial is triggered at predetermined points in the day. Once regular gameplay begins, each day is divided into three phases: Before Work, Work, and After Work. Based on my own gaming experience, I chose not to use a real-world clock for the day loop, as it often disrupts immersion in management games.
Before Work: Shop at the Alien’s Shop and gather or prepare stock at the Terrarium Farm
Work: Complete the Customer NPC play loop to earn money
After Work: Collect missed items at the Terrarium Farm and end the day
The core progression driver is the Money Loop, referred to in the diagram as the Customer NPC play loop. Players earn money by selling ice cream desserts using available equipment and flavors, then reinvest those earnings to upgrade their store and advance toward the end goal.
NARRATIVE
Olive is a longtime employee at a beloved local ice cream shop recently acquired by The Big Ice Cream Corporation (TBICC). She is kept on solely due to her popularity with customers. Human employees are rare at TBICC, which is fully automated across its entire pipeline, from livestock management to customer service.
Although Olive’s values don’t align with TBICC’s, she cannot afford to be unemployed. While sitting alone in a park, venting her frustrations, she encounters Henry. This chance meeting opens the door to unexpected opportunities.
Henry
Design Question:
How can nonsensical elements be grounded in logic so they feel believable within gameplay?
How can nonsensical elements be grounded in logic so they feel believable within gameplay?
Reason:
Even fantastical narratives require internal logic to prevent player confusion.
Even fantastical narratives require internal logic to prevent player confusion.
Solution:
Henry is an alien who crash-landed on Earth while transporting intergalactic cows to a nearby planet. After volunteering to stay behind with the livestock, he meets Olive and offers his equipment and cows to help her rebuild.
Henry is an alien who crash-landed on Earth while transporting intergalactic cows to a nearby planet. After volunteering to stay behind with the livestock, he meets Olive and offers his equipment and cows to help her rebuild.
Example:
When Henry arrives on Earth, he brings a small flock of cows. Players can order additional cows—or cows that produce different flavors of milk—through the Alien Shopping Network (ASN) using the Computer Pod.
When Henry arrives on Earth, he brings a small flock of cows. Players can order additional cows—or cows that produce different flavors of milk—through the Alien Shopping Network (ASN) using the Computer Pod.
Before Cow Pods can be ordered, players must build appropriate greenhouses on the Terrarium Farm. Cows can only survive in their designated climates. These greenhouses, called Moohouses, are equipped with HVAC systems that replicate specific environmental conditions.
From left to right: Moohouse, Cow Pod, mint milk, chocolate ice cream, Milk Procesor
Design Question:
How can Olive’s story remain believable from a narrative perspective?
How can Olive’s story remain believable from a narrative perspective?
Reason:
Grounding the character in realistic circumstances increases emotional impact.
Grounding the character in realistic circumstances increases emotional impact.
Solution:
Olive lives in a walk-up apartment building as a recent graduate struggling to reconcile her principles with her need for financial stability.
Olive lives in a walk-up apartment building as a recent graduate struggling to reconcile her principles with her need for financial stability.
Example:
Henry’s spaceship was moved from an early concept of being parked in Olive’s yard to the roof of her urban apartment building. This change better reflects Olive’s financial reality and clarifies the spatial relationship between key locations.
Henry’s spaceship was moved from an early concept of being parked in Olive’s yard to the roof of her urban apartment building. This change better reflects Olive’s financial reality and clarifies the spatial relationship between key locations.
This decision also influenced the evolution of Henry’s ship, which shifted from a flying saucer to a larger cargo-style vessel more appropriate for transporting livestock.
Evolution of Olive and Henry's living spaces
WIREFRAMES
Shopping
Because the Shopping UI is accessed through Henry’s Computer Pod, I designed it with a browser-like interface in mind
Key questions:
• How can visuals be simplified?
• How can button interactions be minimized?
• How can layout consistency be maintained?
Top: Original UI Bottom: Current UI
Clickable prototype available
Customization
Selecting customization options opens a bot message prompting the player to customize either the Terrarium Farm or Ice Cream Store.
Terrarium Farm
Players see a grid-based view of their farm, allowing them to rearrange placed assets.
Ice Cream Store – Cosmetics
Players can change the color scheme of the building and interior equipment, with the ability to save a limited number of preset combinations.
Customize UI through each steps
Ice Cream Store – Equipment
Players can change the store layout. At maximum upgrade level, up to four pieces of equipment can be installed, each producing different dessert types (e.g., panini press for ice cream sandwiches, waffle iron for cones).
Equipment can be mapped to specific action buttons during setup.
Equipment customization and button mapping UI
Ice Cream Store – Ingredients
The store upgrades through three levels: push cart, ice cream truck, and flagship store. At level one, players can stock three flavors; at level three, up to seven flavors.
Customize ice cream stock
Inventory
Items collected on the Terrarium Farm are carried by Olive and must be transferred into Storage. Storage is divided into categories: Freezer (ice cream), Pantry (toppings), and Shed (dry goods).
Top left & center: inventory in over world. Top right: Storage UI. Bottom: Menu UI
DESIGN CONSTRAINTS & OPEN QUESTIONS
Ingredients
Problem:
For flavors like Strawberry Cheesecake or Cookie Dough, where do secondary ingredients originate?
For flavors like Strawberry Cheesecake or Cookie Dough, where do secondary ingredients originate?
• Buying them directly felt unengaging
• Baking introduced unnecessary mechanical complexity
Solution:
A Sweets Processor, parallel to the Milk Processor, produces confections such as cake, cookies, and sprinkles. A sugarcane cow produces sugar milk, which serves as the base ingredient for these items.
A Sweets Processor, parallel to the Milk Processor, produces confections such as cake, cookies, and sprinkles. A sugarcane cow produces sugar milk, which serves as the base ingredient for these items.
Customization
Question:
Does cosmetic customization need to be this deep?
Does cosmetic customization need to be this deep?
Consideration:
The combination of equipment, flavor, and cosmetic customization may be overly complex. Reducing cosmetic depth would be an acceptable tradeoff if it improves clarity and player understanding.
The combination of equipment, flavor, and cosmetic customization may be overly complex. Reducing cosmetic depth would be an acceptable tradeoff if it improves clarity and player understanding.
CUSTOMER NPC PLAY LOOP (Money Loop)
As the primary driver of progression, this section received the most design focus.
The UI places equipment at the top, ingredient containers at the bottom, and the Order Ticket on the right.
Customer NPC play loop UI
Early layouts crowded the screen and minimized Olive’s presence. Splitting equipment across both sides improved spatial balance.
Players switch between the Ice Cream Display Case and Toppings Container using R2, navigate with the D-pad, and select with R1. The right joystick fills a progress bar to scoop ice cream, mimicking real-world motion.
Problem: Button Fatigue
Question:
Does repeated use of directional and confirm inputs become monotonous?
Does repeated use of directional and confirm inputs become monotonous?
Solution:
Inspired by action games such as Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment and Ghost of Tsushima, equipment actions were mapped to buttons to reduce friction.
Inspired by action games such as Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment and Ghost of Tsushima, equipment actions were mapped to buttons to reduce friction.
Tradeoff:
While this reduces fatigue, it increases the risk of mis-inputs during timed gameplay.
While this reduces fatigue, it increases the risk of mis-inputs during timed gameplay.
Next Steps:
Playtesting to measure input errors and player enjoyment.
Playtesting to measure input errors and player enjoyment.
Order Ticket
• The Order Ticket displays all relevant information: time of day, weather, order details, pricing, and customer mood.
• Flavor details are shown using both imagery and text to improve accessibility and reduce ambiguity under time pressure.
CONCLUSION
Scoops & Stardust was developed as a solo UX and systems design case study focused on clarity, scalability, and player experience during time-pressured interactions. The project explores how narrative, economy, customization, and moment-to-moment interaction can be integrated into a cohesive management loop without overwhelming the player.
The Customer NPC play loop emerged as the primary driver of progression and the area of highest UX risk. As a result, the majority of design effort was concentrated on reducing cognitive load, minimizing friction in input-heavy interactions, and maintaining accessibility during timed gameplay. Key tradeoffs, such as balancing speed against mis-input risk and information density against readability, were intentionally identified to guide future iteration.
With additional time, the next phase would focus on structured playtesting to validate assumptions around button mapping, information hierarchy, and customization depth. Insights from testing would directly inform iteration on interaction design and system constraints.
Overall, this project reflects my approach to game UX and systems design: grounding fantastical ideas in logical systems, designing for real player behavior under pressure, and prioritizing clarity and intent over unnecessary complexity.
