GDC 2025 Session Viewer
Invisible UI: How thatgamecompany Designs Interfaces for Emotional Immersion
Dylan Faust (UI Lead, thatgamecompany)
Location: Room 2010, West Hall
Date: Friday, March 21
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Core Pass - Get your pass now!
Track: Design
Format: Lecture
Vault Recording: Video
Audience Level: All
thatgamecompany is known for creating minimalist, emotionally impactful experiences, as seen in their games Journey and Flower. In their latest project, Sky: Children of the Light, they expanded their vision by developing an MMO with deeper mechanics, available on platforms ranging from mobile phone to PC. This presented unique challenges in user interface design and development, as they aimed to make Sky accessible to a casual audience while maintaining their signature minimalism.
In this talk, Dylan Faust (UI Lead at thatgamecompany) discusses key UI design patterns they developed to deepen players' emotional immersion, while making the game intuitive for a diverse audience. He also explains the methods and technologies they use to extend their designs across various input devices and platforms.
Takeaway
Attendees will gain insights into how UI designers at thatgamecompany enhance players' emotional immersion in their games, exploring key design patterns and the pros and cons of each. They will also discover practical approaches to developing interfaces that work seamlessly across various platforms and input devices, including consoles and mobile phones.
Intended Audience
This talk is primarily targeted towards UI designers, game designers, developers, and anyone interested in the role UI plays in an emotional narrative multiplatform game. No prerequisites are required, it assumes no prior knowledge about UI design or development.
