Mobile game UI/UX case study

Badland Brawl

UI art, UX design, gameplay design support, and 3D unit design for a physics-based real-time PvP mobile game.

A broad UI role on a shipped mobile game, from battle HUDs to reward moments.

Platform Android / iOS
Focus UI Art + UX Design
Additional Contribution Overall Design
Years 2016-2019

Overview

A physics-based mobile brawler with a wide UI surface.

Badland Brawl is a real-time multiplayer mobile game that combines physics-based combat, collectible units, deck-building, progression systems, rewards, shop flows, and social features.

I joined the project early, when the team consisted of four people and I was the only artist. My main responsibilities were UI art and UX design, but because there was no dedicated game designer on the team, I also contributed heavily to gameplay design.

Because the team was tiny for much of development, my contribution was visible across the game. UI/UX was my primary area of ownership, but I also helped shape gameplay features, reward presentation, visual direction, and playable content.

Major UI areas

  • Gameplay HUD and menu screens.
  • Deck management, card collection, rewards, and shop flows.
  • Onboarding, events, popups, social features, and clan UI.
  • Static visual layout implementation using internal tools.

My role

UI ownership across art, UX flows, assets, and implementation support.

UI art

Buttons, icons, panels, frames, polished mockups, and reusable interface components.

UX design

Core flows across battle, rewards, deck management, shop, onboarding, and events.

Gameplay support

Heavy contribution to gameplay design in a small early team without a dedicated designer.

Tools

Photoshop, Blender, Trello, and internal production tools.

Project context

The UI had to serve both chaotic battles and long-term progression.

During battle

The interface had to be readable, efficient, and unobtrusive during fast, physics-heavy multiplayer matches on small mobile screens.

Outside battle

The menus had to support browsing, upgrading, comparing, collecting, reward moments, monetization, and progression without feeling disconnected from the game.

Chest opening sequence

One UI/UX feature I am especially proud of is the chest opening sequence, which was my own concept. I wanted the reward reveal to feel tied to the game's core identity: physics-based action and expressive unit behavior.

The chest appears as a physical object in a landscape scene. It bounces to invite interaction, opens on tap, and then each rewarded unit jumps out one by one. Instead of being presented as a flat card, the unit behaves as it would in actual gameplay.

  • Made the reward flow feel alive and memorable.
  • Communicated unit function through visible action rather than text.
  • Connected progression directly to gameplay.
  • Turned the reward moment into a miniature unit showcase.
Badland Brawl chest opening sequence states
Emerged unit

Gameplay HUD

Badland Brawl prebattle screen
Prebattle screen
Full Badland Brawl gameplay screenshot showing the HUD
Gameplay HUD
Badland Brawl winner screen
Winner screen

The gameplay HUD had to support quick decision-making during fast, chaotic matches without covering too much of the battlefield. Because Badland Brawl is physics-heavy, the action itself needed room to stay visible.

The HUD communicated player scores, time remaining, tower floor health, names, levels, clan names, and supernatural event progress. The challenge was to keep those elements clear on a small touch screen without distracting from real-time play.

Card and deck management

Outside battle, players needed to browse their collection, understand card state, evaluate upgrades, and assemble decks. These screens were less about reaction speed and more about clarity, comparison, and long-term progression.

One detail I particularly like is the handling of card trophies. If a card's trophy count is very low, the value can be shown in green, signaling that the card is underused and can award more trophies when winning battles. This subtly encouraged players to experiment with a wider variety of cards.

Badland Brawl card collection and deck management interface
Deck management

Shop

Badland Brawl shop interface and offer tiles
Shop

The shop UI needed to present currencies, chests, and special offers clearly while fitting within the broader game language. Players needed to quickly understand what was being offered, what kind of value it represented, and how it related to progression.

Visual style evolution

From earlier directions into a more expressive mobile-game UI language.

An earlier UI artist had established an initial direction that leaned toward a tan, almost chiseled-stone look. After that artist left, I took over the UI and UX work.

The final direction became stylized, cel-shaded-like, clean but damaged, and saturated. I drew inspiration from both Clash Royale and the visual language of Badland Brawl's units, aiming for an interface that felt expressive, readable, and connected to the game's world.

Early Badland Brawl UI visual style
Early stage work by an earlier artist
Middle-stage Badland Brawl UI visual style
Mid stage
Final Badland Brawl UI visual style
Final stage

Additional contribution

Overseer unit

Overseer unit concept sketch
Rough early sketch
Overseer unit wireframe model
Wireframe model
Badland Brawl Overseer unit render
High-poly render for marketing purposes

In addition to UI/UX work, I designed and 3D modeled one of the playable launch units: Overseer.

Overseer's defining characteristic is telekinesis: it can move inanimate objects using physical force. Its hovering form reduces ground congestion while still interacting with the game's physics systems in a meaningful way.

The initial concept had wings to create lift, but was later changed to a jetpack. Jetpacks are cool. A blindfold was also added to make the unit even more unique. The rationale is that the telekinesis requires so deep concentration that visual stimuli has to be eliminated.

What this project demonstrates

Broad UI/UX ownership on a shipped mobile game.