Out of Time: Meaningful Play
To help Honda connect meaningfully with Gen Z, I designed a game to inspire healthier lifestyles. Starting from scratch, I crafted an engaging solution that blends gameplay with Gen Z’s passion for wellness, sustainability, and community.
Through rounds of ideation and playtesting, my team and I developed a gaming experience that doesn’t just entertain—it reflects Honda’s commitment to values that matter to the next generation.
My Role
Interface Prototype
Interaction Design
User Research
Team
2 UX Designers (Me)
1 Content writer
1 UX Researcher
Duration
Sept 2023 - Jun 2024
Tool
Figma, Protopie, Dscout
GAME TRAILER
12.7%
self-reported increase in step counts
Background
PROBLEM
Honda's Quest to Engage Gen Z with a Game with Limitless Possibilities
Our Client,
Honda Research
"Our previous research shows that Gen-Z is less likely to own a car than previous generations. We wanted to develop a game about micromobility to engage more with our potential Gen-Z customers, and get to know them better. "
"Awesome! What features do you imagine this game would have?"
Me and my team
Our Client,
Honda Research
"No specific requirements. Trust your game designer expertise!"
Navigating Ambiguity
IDEATION
0->100: Tapping into Group Genius
I believe that in game design, the best ideas emerge from a wealth of possibilities. That is why we embrace the "0-100" approach—aiming to generate a variety of concepts before we narrow in on the strongest contenders. By "going wide" first, we unleash our collective creativity.
DEFINITION
100->1: Scoping Down with Effective Prioritization
After incorporating feedback from our stakeholders, team members, and target players, we have finalized our game concept to "Out of Time" - a post-apocalyptic narrative RPG game on mobile.
Rapid Prototyping
ITERATIONS
We kept incorporating feedback from team members / experts / target players as we design the game mechanism
Final Design
Narrative Prologue
By leveraging generative AI, we create immersive backstory scenes that engage players from the start. We transport them into the game world with vivid, dynamic storytelling.
Onboarding Tasks
To ease players into the game, we designed onboarding tasks that offer low-stakes choices, allowing players to feel a sense of agency from the start.
NPC Interactions
To foster a deeply immersive experience, we crafted extensive dialogue with non-playable characters (NPCs) that goes beyond simple exchanges. Each NPC interaction is designed to evoke strong emotional responses.
Walking Goal-Setting
Players can set their daily walking goal and choose desired reward in the game.
