CASE STUDY → ULTD STUDIO

Designing a new studio’s brand, mobile game, and indie game dev tool

ULTD Studio’s goal was to bring to life an all-new IP, starting with a new type of mobile game, and to build tools that would unlock a new way to create complex game worlds for indie devs and smaller studios.

My Role

  • Brand & Identity

  • Creative Direction

  • Game Design

  • UX Research

  • UX Design

  • UI Design

Results

ULTD (“Unlimited”) Studio was one of 20 startups accepted (out of ~1,200 that applied) into Launchpad Luna, a venture-backed accelerator led by Animoca Brands and Brinc. The team also landed an official development partnership with Niantic Labs, the makers of Pokémon Go and Marvel Snap.

We successfully developed a proof-of-concept build of the mobile game and an early version of their our first developer tool to pitch to prospective investors, securing multiple verbal commitments.

Overview

At ULTD Studio, our objective was audacious: to create a ground-breaking mobile game that would push the boundaries of conventional genres and to develop a robust toolset for indie game developers. We had to navigate several challenges—tight deadlines for accelerator programs, resource constraints, and an oversaturated mobile gaming market—to bring our vision to life.

Getting Started

Research

We commenced with exhaustive market research that revealed a saturated hyper-casual gaming market, struggling with monetization and primarily appealing to an older demographic. We realized that to make an impact, we had to innovate.

The initial insights guided our strategic brainstorming sessions, sketches, interviews, and early prototype tests. These exercises led us to the initial framework of ULTD Mobile—a cyberpunk-inspired, hybrid-casual game blending elements from multiple genres.

Early Findings

Learning & Iterating

Game Design

We confirmed that the hyper-casual market had stagnated and found an appetite for something disruptive and engaging among younger gamers.

UX analysis of onboarding flow for Ingress Prime, Pokémon Go, and Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs.

Onboarding flow of ULTD Mobile getting players in the action after just 3 interactions.

Our team workshopped narrative timeline and major world events to build a richer, more immersive world for ULTD.

Early concepts for different game modes, in-game perks, etc.

Wireframes of increasing fidelity showing the progression of the landing page I designed for the game’s pre-launch announcement.

Iterating

Early concepts were tested with focus groups, and the data collected helped us refine game mechanics, story arcs, and aesthetics. This iterative process was crucial in zeroing in on what resonated with our target audience.

The Finished Product

Landing Page

An immersive experience that encapsulated the game's ambiance, while providing a succinct introduction to our development toolset.

Final design of the game’s pre-launch landing page. View prototype in Figma →

Included multiple game modes and mechanics, bringing together a rich tapestry of puzzles, RPG elements, action sequences, and more.

Hi-fidelity mockups of various game modes and interactions.

A few slides from the investor pitch deck.

UI design for the first iteration of ULTD’s Living Story Engine™, an AI-powered NPC dialogue builder.

Key art featuring ULTD Mobile’s four main characters.

Mobile Concepts

Other Assets

Each character was intricately crafted to fit within the game’s narrative, contributing to an engaging and richly textured in-game world.