The Challenge
The social auto-chess battler: Arena Kingdoms, needed to quickly go from prototype to launch as one of the first games on Discord Activities. To help the development team, XAMA was tasked with early consultation on core launch features, and optimizing the UX for the unique community-based core game loop.description
XAMA was instrumental in producing launch features including the auto-chess game mode. XAMA worked with the product team to quickly test and validate unique game UI elements and layouts including: hud UI, board layout, unit selection, and rank up flows. Through efficient and early community testing, we quickly improved the game’s battle UX to better emphasize critical information.
While players enjoyed the game’s large communal battles, players spoke about their desire to quickly play matches with their friends. Based on the unique social aspect of Discord servers and communities, we looked to create a frictionless flow that allows Discord friends to easily invite-and-play together. Based on our collaborative rapid iteration process, we quickly ideated, designed and launched the unique feature.
Fast-Paced Launch
Thanks to XAMA’s UX guidance, and support in handling early feedback, The lean Arena Kingdoms team was able to ship the game in under a year. This rapid development allowed the game to be one of the first games featured on Discord Activities, securing a strong early presence on the platform.
Defining Clear and Actionable Core UX Strategies
We developed key UX strategies, defining visual and interaction rules that ensured consistency across the game and a smooth player experience.