Practical Game Design

Keep theme and pacing in mind

The style and execution of the UI should reinforce the pace and theme of the game. The subtle UI in Dead Space— where indicators and menus are holographically projected onto or from the character—fits the slower pacing of an immersive horror game. It also makes menu management a potentially risky move as the game is not paused when navigating various screens. Since all information is embedded right into the game world, players are driven further into it. Even the health indicator is part of the character's suit, blending with it seamlessly until players get hurt in which case it serves as a constant, brightly flashing reminder of the threat they're in. Embedding the UI into the game world is known as a diagetic ...