Main Menu User Test

UPDATED TESTING PLAN AS OF 24/09/2021

Purpose

The purpose of this test is to evaluate the success of Retroactive's main menu screen in terms of reflecting the aesthetic and emotional aspects of the game, and facilitating good user experience. The test will focus on interface styling, comparing the current iteration to potential new layouts.

Method

The procedure will include two main sections, that is the discussion of game menu styles in existing (and similar) games, and then discussing the design direction of Retroactive's menu.

Process:

1. User is shown short video clips of various game menus (~4 games)
2. They then thinks of words associated with each game screen.
3. User interacts with the main menu screen of Retroactive.
4. Users must rank the previous clips in order of appropriateness for Retroactive

Template

Hello and welcome to our user test. The purpose is to identify design insights on what makes a good main menu for a game.

Firstly, we're going to watch some video clips of main menus from existing games. Try focus only on the design and 'feel' of the navigation as you watch each clip.

Now, lets have a short discussion about the clips. Regardless of if you are familiar with the games or not, please use some words to describe your ideas and feelings for each clip. Please also justify your decision.

1. Bro Force
2. Street Fighter
3. n++
4. Abandon Ship

Now, for some background information on the game we are developing, it is called Retroactive. This is its current main menu screen and gameplay. Feel free to play around with the prototype.

Recalling the clips we've seen, pleae rank them in order of preference for a menu navigation system you feel would be the most appropriate for Retroactive. In this case, you should disregard the actual visual designs of the clips and instead apply Retroactive's aesthetic.

That is all for the testing session. Thank you very much for your time.

Results

User 1 -

Bro Force:

Like that it lights up whole thing, shows the selection easily. Little sluggish in the transitions, visually intense. Nostalgic, very particular design that reminds of earlier gamers.

Street Fighter:

Kinda the same as Bro Force. Kinda boring, nice that the background colour changes. Bit slow, classic feeling

N++:

It’s fine, pretty boring, very clean to scroll through the options, very simple. Obvious what you are selecting. Colour scheme not great, and not as obvious as bro force

Abandon Ship:

I like this one, very simple, not much happening in the background, very simple in showing what you are selecting. Very modern in what you would see in a triple AAA game. Its cleaner

Which is best for Retroactive?

1. Bro Force
2. Street Fighter
3. N ++
4. Abandon ship

Very a Bro Force vibe, like old school. Would expect to see it at an arcade

Not a huge fan of SF but that same atmosphere

N++, not get that nostalgia as the others. Colour scheme isn’t great. But just the overall design of it isn’t the same. 80’s game are supposed to be bright and flashy, n++ is not that, it’s too simple.

Abandon ship is too modern, very visually there

---

User 2 -

Bro Force:

Very flashy, very cool. Not for me, but fits very into the game art style

Street Fighter:

Old school very cool, not much too, bit of an older game, would expect it

N++:

My favourite, very good art style, very easy to understand and navigate.

Abandon Ship:

More modern version of n+=/Bro force, as in easy vs style of whole bar

Which is best for Retroactive?

1. N++
2. SF
3. Bro Force
4. Abandon Ship

Like the indicator of n++, and the feel of SF.

Abandon ship cause of mouse and too modern

Bro Force, a bit flashy, retro games are very simple cause of hardware limitations, doesn’t suit the vibe of retro. Bro Force is its genre of retro modern

Much more into keyboard rather than cursor. Change the font colour of username as kinda hard to read

---

User 3 -

Bro Force:

Liked it, even though it had an animation it was still smooth. Didn’t take up any play time

Street Fighter:

Slow to load in, and slow to change between each button

N++:

Liked how it shows the option of the other side of the screen, how it’s not centred and too one side. Clear seeing what option you are at.

**Abandon Ship: **

Didn’t like it, seemed dull too basic and too old school. No love

Which is best for Retroactive?

1. Bro Force
2. N++
3. SF
4. Abandon ship

The highlight of colour as you change options – Bro Force

The change of colour to show where you are – N++

Feel like SF and Abandon Ship don’t fit at all

---

User 4 -

Bro Force:

Like it, lot of feedback, could tell where you are. Navigation was really good

Street Fighter:

It didn’t strike me as anything special, classic and old game menu

N++:

Easy to figure out where you are, nothing special. Very simple

**Abandon Ship: **

Thought it was pretty good, just clear to see where you are with the bar, easy to follow, clean.

Which is best for Retroactive?

1. Bro Force
2. SF / N++
3. Abandon Ship

Additional ‘flair’ is very retro and suits best

Same thing as N++. It works fine, simple and works well enough

Not bad, snaps between the options and change the colours not too much difference between it and SF

Not the same style, retro style wouldn’t work with the opacity of the white bar. It’s not a really retro style - Abandon Ship

---

User 5 -

Bro Force:

dynamic and active. It’s about action. Cause when you select another button it bounces. Very movement (?)

Street Fighter:

Very cute because of mini character, and it changes. It’s very old-style, traditional type game. The text doesn’t change so if you don’t notice the icon you might get confused, but its very cute. Very retro. Something you’d see at an old arcade

N++:

Nice and simple. Minimalistic. It’s very clear where you are cause the colour changes. It’s a very simple drop down. But users can get overwhelmed by 9 options. For me, I’d make the play and quit standout more. The design isn’t very special.

Abandon Ship:

This one has very different vibes. This one is very modern, an advanced game. Again, very clear where everything is cause when hover, there’s “things” on top of the word. It’s minimalistic like the other one but it is clearer.

Which is best for Retroactive?

1. Street Fighter
2. Bro Force
3. N++
4. Abandon Ship

(SF) the text of it, I guess it matches the Retroactive theme the most because of the font. The colour is also similar. The vibes look more retro, but in terms of aesthetic, Bro Force looks better. But then, Retroactive isn’t much of an action game so removing the red line and just the rectangle would look really nice. The image relates more to the retro vibe. Maybe instead of character as icon, we could have, like objects from the game, like cute little banana peel or TV as like sneak peek of to-do list. Or you can just do the character avatars.

(Bro Force) I was gonna put it first but it felt too contemporary. It looks like too much action is involved. The game is about completing chores before your mum comes home. The impact isn’t so strong. It’s a much toned down game.

(N++) It doesn’t fit the retro vibe at all. I don’t like how everything is set out. Everything looks the same it’s very boring. But it does look cute. Like a to-do list.

(Abandon Ship) Way too modern. I like this one but it doesn’t fit the vibe at all. Looks like a really nice computer game with very high resolution? Quality? It’s very HD

Summary

Firstly, majority of users seem to identify that style is very important for Retroactive, citing that older methods of interaction may work better, even if it appears less technologically advanced. This can be seen in the game clip 'Abandon Ship' being consistently placed last for preference due to the design being 'too modern' and utilising mouse interaction.

It should be interesting to note that, despite user's needs for an era-appropriate main menu system (i.e. 80's arcade), unsurprisingly, 'flashiness' was still the number one priority. Bro Force's graphics were praised for dynamic yet useable UI. The fact that users often ranked Bro Force - a modern game developed to reflect arcade nostalgia - higher than Street Fighter - an actual arcade game from the time period - strongly reinforces the concept that Retroactive's core theme is romanticisation of the 80's aesthetic, rather than a historically-accurate recreation.

Judging from the feedback obtained in this user session, it seems that a main menu with clear indicators and keyboard-based controls would be most appropriate. In terms of what actual 'pointer' to use, a frame similar to the one used in Bro Force could be implemented. The menu should also have a bit of animation to give the game a dynamic feel, as a static but minimalistic game menu may be too 'boring' (as stated about N++).

OBSOLETE TESTING PLAN

Purpose The purpose of this test is to evaluate the success of Retroactive's main menu screen in terms of reflecting the aesthetic and emotional aspects of the game, and facilitating good user experience.

Method As the area of testing is quite small, the procedure will consist of an interview and walkthrough of the screen.

The process is as follows:

1. Run game
2. Present game menu screen
3. Allow tester to navigate around with buttons
4. Ask follow-up questions

Interview Questions

1. Ignoring what the actual gameplay screen looks like, what do you think is the game's genre?
2. Which parts of the main menu screen affirms your answer?
3. Retroactive is a retro 80's pixel game. Do you think the main menu is appropriate?
4. What extra visual components would you add to promote the theme further?
5. In terms of usability, did you encounter any problems? How?
6. In terms of usability, what changes would you make to the menu?
7. Any other comments?

Results & Analysis User 1

1. "Puzzle"
2. "Style of the Characters (just thinks 2bit characters/games are usually puzzle games)"
3. Yep
4. No
5. Nothing, don't think so
6. It's lovely