Mapping the Narrative, feature design for a Quest Journal
This case study covers my design work on a Quest Journaling feature for an unannounced sci-fi multiplayer game. Brought in as a creative consultant, I collaborated with the internal team and another external partner to invent the UX for this ambitious new IP. The project was later canceled during production.
Mapping the Narrative, feature design for a Quest Journal
This case study covers my design work on a Quest Journaling feature for an unannounced sci-fi multiplayer game. Brought in as a creative consultant, I collaborated with the internal team and another external partner to invent the UX for this ambitious new IP. The project was later canceled during production.
San Francisco served as a bounded proxy to keep quest pacing honest before in-game world metrics stabilized.
Map Visuals WRLD3D
San Francisco served as a bounded proxy to keep quest pacing honest before in-game world metrics stabilized.
Map Visuals WRLD3D
San Francisco served as a bounded proxy to keep quest pacing honest before in-game world metrics stabilized.
Map Visuals WRLD3D
San Francisco served as a bounded proxy to keep quest pacing honest before in-game world metrics stabilized.
Map Visuals WRLD3D
I was hired for UX concept development early in preproduction, before the game’s rich storylines solidified. The world was too vague to model pathfinding for a city-scale space station built around vertical traversal and public transit, so travel time was guesswork.
I mapped familiar San Francisco waypoints to pressure-test traversal assumptions within known constraints, not final distances. I built this to keep narrative and worldbuilding aligned while authoring tools were being developed. This work helped us spot pacing risks like dead zones and backtracking before committing to narrative structures.
I was hired for UX concept development early in preproduction, before the game’s rich storylines solidified. The world was too vague to model pathfinding for a city-scale space station built around vertical traversal and public transit, so travel time was guesswork.
I mapped familiar San Francisco waypoints to pressure-test traversal assumptions within known constraints, not final distances. I built this to keep narrative and worldbuilding aligned while authoring tools were being developed. This work helped us spot pacing risks like dead zones and backtracking before committing to narrative structures.
I was hired for UX concept development early in preproduction, before the game’s rich storylines solidified. The world was too vague to model pathfinding for a city-scale space station built around vertical traversal and public transit, so travel time was guesswork.
I mapped familiar San Francisco waypoints to pressure-test traversal assumptions within known constraints, not final distances. I built this to keep narrative and worldbuilding aligned while authoring tools were being developed. This work helped us spot pacing risks like dead zones and backtracking before committing to narrative structures.
I was hired for UX concept development early in preproduction, before the game’s rich storylines solidified. The world was too vague to model pathfinding for a city-scale space station built around vertical traversal and public transit, so travel time was guesswork.
I mapped familiar San Francisco waypoints to pressure-test traversal assumptions within known constraints, not final distances. I built this to keep narrative and worldbuilding aligned while authoring tools were being developed. This work helped us spot pacing risks like dead zones and backtracking before committing to narrative structures.
Context
What's a quest?
Context
What's a quest?
Context
What's a quest?
Context
What's a quest?
A quest is a location-based task with steps to complete, and a reward. Different quests guide the player through plot points and other activities like collecting resources. Stories take shape through interconnected quests, often with recurring characters, locations, and objects. Certain quests are conditional, unlocking only after others are completed. Using stories from the narrative design team, I identified core quest types while mapping their beats over time
A quest is a location-based task with steps to complete, and a reward. Different quests guide the player through plot points and other activities like collecting resources. Stories take shape through interconnected quests, often with recurring characters, locations, and objects. Certain quests are conditional, unlocking only after others are completed. Using stories from the narrative design team, I identified core quest types while mapping their beats over time
A quest is a location-based task with steps to complete, and a reward. Different quests guide the player through plot points and other activities like collecting resources. Stories take shape through interconnected quests, often with recurring characters, locations, and objects. Certain quests are conditional, unlocking only after others are completed. Using stories from the narrative design team, I identified core quest types while mapping their beats over time
A quest is a location-based task with steps to complete, and a reward. Different quests guide the player through plot points and other activities like collecting resources. Stories take shape through interconnected quests, often with recurring characters, locations, and objects. Certain quests are conditional, unlocking only after others are completed. Using stories from the narrative design team, I identified core quest types while mapping their beats over time
A taxonomy for clarifying structure, replay expectations, and where each quest type enters the player flow.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A taxonomy for clarifying structure, replay expectations, and where each quest type enters the player flow.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A taxonomy for clarifying structure, replay expectations, and where each quest type enters the player flow.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A taxonomy for clarifying structure, replay expectations, and where each quest type enters the player flow.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Design
Who needs it?
Design
Who needs it?
Design
Who needs it?
Design
Who needs it?
Players engage in different ways—sometimes diving in for hours, other times just dropping in. I identified player types like Collectors chasing quick rewards and Managers who want to pick up right where they left off. By linking player circumstances to feature design, I supported varied play styles and created a more cohesive interface.
Players engage in different ways—sometimes diving in for hours, other times just dropping in. I identified player types like Collectors chasing quick rewards and Managers who want to pick up right where they left off. By linking player circumstances to feature design, I supported varied play styles and created a more cohesive interface.
Players engage in different ways—sometimes diving in for hours, other times just dropping in. I identified player types like Collectors chasing quick rewards and Managers who want to pick up right where they left off. By linking player circumstances to feature design, I supported varied play styles and created a more cohesive interface.
Players engage in different ways—sometimes diving in for hours, other times just dropping in. I identified player types like Collectors chasing quick rewards and Managers who want to pick up right where they left off. By linking player circumstances to feature design, I supported varied play styles and created a more cohesive interface.
Behavior based player archetypes used to shape feature decisions.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Behavior based player archetypes used to shape feature decisions.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Behavior based player archetypes used to shape feature decisions.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Behavior based player archetypes used to shape feature decisions.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Player archetypes mapped to user stories to evaluate feature coverage and priority.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Player archetypes mapped to user stories to evaluate feature coverage and priority.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Player archetypes mapped to user stories to evaluate feature coverage and priority.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Player archetypes mapped to user stories to evaluate feature coverage and priority.
UX Design Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Structure
User interface
Structure
User interface
Structure
User interface
Structure
User interface
These wireframes organize a player's activities by both progression and proximity. Activity details include an interactive visual record of rewards and intel gained along the journey.
Feature Goals
Ground quest objectives in the story by showing who they involved and where they took place
Associate game lore with quest progression
These wireframes organize a player's activities by both progression and proximity. Activity details include an interactive visual record of rewards and intel gained along the journey.
Feature Goals
Ground quest objectives in the story by showing who they involved and where they took place
Associate game lore with quest progression
These wireframes organize a player's activities by both progression and proximity. Activity details include an interactive visual record of rewards and intel gained along the journey.
Feature Goals
Ground quest objectives in the story by showing who they involved and where they took place
Associate game lore with quest progression
These wireframes organize a player's activities by both progression and proximity. Activity details include an interactive visual record of rewards and intel gained along the journey.
Feature Goals
Ground quest objectives in the story by showing who they involved and where they took place
Associate game lore with quest progression
Quest detail page, consolidating everything related to a quest, including objectives, people, objects, and locations.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Quest detail page, consolidating everything related to a quest, including objectives, people, objects, and locations.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Quest detail page, consolidating everything related to a quest, including objectives, people, objects, and locations.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Quest detail page, consolidating everything related to a quest, including objectives, people, objects, and locations.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A storyline quest list lets players see the full arc, including completed steps and what’s next.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A storyline quest list lets players see the full arc, including completed steps and what’s next.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A storyline quest list lets players see the full arc, including completed steps and what’s next.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A storyline quest list lets players see the full arc, including completed steps and what’s next.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A proximity-based guide to nearby quests and points of interest, designed around a time-limited player use case from early UX research.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A proximity-based guide to nearby quests and points of interest, designed around a time-limited player use case from early UX research.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A proximity-based guide to nearby quests and points of interest, designed around a time-limited player use case from early UX research.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A proximity-based guide to nearby quests and points of interest, designed around a time-limited player use case from early UX research.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Integration
Accessing the feature
Integration
Accessing the feature
Integration
Accessing the feature
Integration
Accessing the feature
Players can open the Quest Journal interface by interacting with various systems
A Case File
Tagged locations
Game Menu
Players can open the Quest Journal interface by interacting with various systems
A Case File
Tagged locations
Game Menu
Players can open the Quest Journal interface by interacting with various systems
A Case File
Tagged locations
Game Menu
Players can open the Quest Journal interface by interacting with various systems
A Case File
Tagged locations
Game Menu
Case File interface, designed to present quests as investigations tied to characters, locations, and story lore.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Case File interface, designed to present quests as investigations tied to characters, locations, and story lore.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Case File interface, designed to present quests as investigations tied to characters, locations, and story lore.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Case File interface, designed to present quests as investigations tied to characters, locations, and story lore.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
I designed this Unreal Engine prototype to place quest objectives as in-world 3D tokens for pathfinding discovery.
Gameplay Prototype (Unreal Engine) Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
I designed this Unreal Engine prototype to place quest objectives as in-world 3D tokens for pathfinding discovery.
Gameplay Prototype (Unreal Engine) Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
I designed this Unreal Engine prototype to place quest objectives as in-world 3D tokens for pathfinding discovery.
Gameplay Prototype (Unreal Engine) Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
I designed this Unreal Engine prototype to place quest objectives as in-world 3D tokens for pathfinding discovery.
Gameplay Prototype (Unreal Engine) Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A dashboard-style game menu that surfaces quest status at a glance (latest, nearby, tasks) outside the dedicated Quest Journal interface.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A dashboard-style game menu that surfaces quest status at a glance (latest, nearby, tasks) outside the dedicated Quest Journal interface.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A dashboard-style game menu that surfaces quest status at a glance (latest, nearby, tasks) outside the dedicated Quest Journal interface.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A dashboard-style game menu that surfaces quest status at a glance (latest, nearby, tasks) outside the dedicated Quest Journal interface.
Wireframe Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Visualization
Every city has a story
Visualization
Every city has a story
Visualization
Every city has a story
Visualization
Every city has a story
I used real San Francisco distances to build a quest dataset, then mapped it across the city to see how it might feel in play. Like blocking a scene in theater, this helped the designers I worked with explore pacing, flow, and how quests might overlap or stand apart. I chose SF because I know it. I could sense the scale and rhythm without guessing.
I used real San Francisco distances to build a quest dataset, then mapped it across the city to see how it might feel in play. Like blocking a scene in theater, this helped the designers I worked with explore pacing, flow, and how quests might overlap or stand apart. I chose SF because I know it. I could sense the scale and rhythm without guessing.
I used real San Francisco distances to build a quest dataset, then mapped it across the city to see how it might feel in play. Like blocking a scene in theater, this helped the designers I worked with explore pacing, flow, and how quests might overlap or stand apart. I chose SF because I know it. I could sense the scale and rhythm without guessing.
I used real San Francisco distances to build a quest dataset, then mapped it across the city to see how it might feel in play. Like blocking a scene in theater, this helped the designers I worked with explore pacing, flow, and how quests might overlap or stand apart. I chose SF because I know it. I could sense the scale and rhythm without guessing.
Structured quest dataset created from game design documentation to validate relationships and sorting logic across the Quest Journal screens.
Quest Data Model Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Structured quest dataset created from game design documentation to validate relationships and sorting logic across the Quest Journal screens.
Quest Data Model Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Structured quest dataset created from game design documentation to validate relationships and sorting logic across the Quest Journal screens.
Quest Data Model Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Structured quest dataset created from game design documentation to validate relationships and sorting logic across the Quest Journal screens.
Quest Data Model Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A video sequence showing the player advancing through a quest storyline while discovering and picking up side quests along the route.
Quest Progression Visualization Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A video sequence showing the player advancing through a quest storyline while discovering and picking up side quests along the route.
Quest Progression Visualization Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A video sequence showing the player advancing through a quest storyline while discovering and picking up side quests along the route.
Quest Progression Visualization Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
A video sequence showing the player advancing through a quest storyline while discovering and picking up side quests along the route.
Quest Progression Visualization Gary Boodhoo, Skinjester Studio
Outcome
