"Side Hustle" is a cooperative, turn-based RPG for PC where players act as mercenaries in a futuristic space colony. Developed as part of my Master's in Interactive Digital Media at Trinity College Dublin during the academic year 2023–2024, this summer project was created in collaboration with a team of six. The project followed a collaborative approach, with each team member taking on roles such as game designer, level designer, and game UI designer. My primary focus was on the UI design, which I worked on closely with my teammate Abhishek. Together, we iteratively refined the designs based on team discussions to make the game more engaging. The UI showcased in this project reflects the collective input of our team and the valuable guidance of our supervisors, Mads and Sam, whose feedback helped enhance the final outcome.
The project began with brainstorming sessions, where we as a team explored game concepts and finalised the idea of a turn-based RPG. To better understand the genre, I analysed games like Honkai Star Rail and Pokémon, identifying essential elements such as clearly displayed stats (HP, XP, etc.) and intuitive navigation. These insights informed the creation of mood boards, which helped establish the visual language of the game.
MoodBoard
As the design process progressed, Abishek and I collaborated with the team to define the game’s visual style, aligning it with the sci-fi theme. We experimented with futuristic color palettes and typography to convey immersion and adventure. Starting with low-fidelity sketches in Figma, I iterated through various designs for critical screens, such as the combat interface, overworld map, and victory/defeat screens. These iterations ensured the UI accommodated both single-player and multiplayer gameplay modes while maintaining usability.
Initial sketch of the combat screen
Game Screens Brainstorming
The combat screen was pivotal, as it needed to display crucial stats and player actions clearly without overwhelming users. I explored layouts that balanced information density with clarity, incorporating solid color blocks, icon-based buttons, and sharp-edged elements to reflect the game’s futuristic tone. Collaborating closely with my teammate Abhishek, we refined these designs based on feedback from team discussions.
To enhance the player experience, I designed UI elements such as character icons and progress bars, ensuring they visually aligned with the narrative and gameplay mechanics. For the MVP version, We simplified certain screens to meet project deadlines, prioritising core functionality over additional embellishments.
Main Combat screen variations
Overworld exploration screen variations