Blog
UX for Mobile Games: Optimizing User Interfaces for Small Screens
UX Design
8 min read

Introduction
Mobile games are a booming industry, with millions of players worldwide engaging with games on their smartphones every day. In the USA, mobile gaming has become a significant part of the entertainment landscape, with games like Fortnite, Candy Crush, and PUBG Mobile capturing the attention of diverse audiences. However, designing a seamless and intuitive user interface (UI) for mobile games can be a tricky task. The small screen size and touch-based interactions present unique challenges that demand a thoughtful approach to ensure players can easily navigate the game while enjoying an immersive experience.
In this blog post, we’ll break down the process of optimizing a mobile game’s user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), focusing on the key aspects of small screen optimization.
Step 1: Embrace the Constraints of Small Screens
Understanding the Limitations
The small screens of mobile devices require a drastically different approach compared to larger platforms like desktops or consoles. The key challenge is how to design a UI that is both functional and visually appealing while accommodating limited screen real estate.
- Minimalism is Key: In mobile game design, less is more. Every pixel on the screen matters, so it’s important to prioritize essential elements of gameplay, like health bars, scores, and primary game controls. The UI should avoid overcrowding the screen with too much text, images, or icons.
Example: In PUBG Mobile, the UI is clean and minimal, ensuring players can focus on the game itself rather than distracting UI elements. The health bar, mini-map, and ammo counter are all placed at strategic points around the screen, making them visible without obstructing gameplay.
- Functional Over Aesthetic: While aesthetics are important, prioritize UI elements that directly contribute to gameplay and player engagement. Focus on the functionality of each component before adding decorative elements.
- Focus on Core Interactions: Every button, icon, or gesture should serve a clear purpose. Avoid adding unnecessary features that might distract from the primary game experience.
Step 2: Optimize for Touch Interactions
Designing for Touch Input
Since mobile games are primarily controlled through touch, optimizing for touch interactions is critical. Poor touch interaction can lead to frustration and disrupt the overall gaming experience.
- Responsive Buttons: Buttons should be large enough for players to tap easily without hitting adjacent buttons or elements. A good rule of thumb is a minimum size of 44×44 pixels, which is the standard for touch targets.
Example: Fortnite Mobile utilizes large, responsive buttons for jumping, shooting, and building, ensuring that players can tap without accidental misfires or errors during intense gameplay moments.
- Gestures for Interaction: Use intuitive gestures that are aligned with the type of game. Common touch gestures such as swipes, taps, and pinches are effective for actions like character movement, zooming, or firing.
- Feedback on Interaction: Provide immediate feedback when players perform an action. This could be in the form of a visual cue (like a button animation), a sound effect, or haptic feedback (vibration). Feedback assures the player that their input has been registered and adds to the immersion of the game.
Example: Call of Duty: Mobile provides satisfying haptic feedback when players tap to shoot or switch weapons. This tactile response adds to the immersion and assures players that their actions are registered.
Step 3: Prioritize Readability and Accessibility
Ensuring Clarity in Small Spaces
Given that text, icons, and buttons are often smaller on mobile screens, ensuring readability and accessibility is a top priority.
- Font Selection and Size: Choose fonts that are legible on small screens. Avoid overly intricate fonts, which can become hard to read. Ensure that text is large enough and doesn’t require zooming in. A size of at least 14-16 points for body text is recommended.
Example: Candy Crush Saga utilizes a simple, bold font for player scores and objectives, making it easy for players to read the information at a glance, even on smaller screens.
- Contrast for Visibility: Make sure that text contrasts strongly against the background, especially in low-light conditions. High contrast between text and the background makes it easier to read, even in bright sunlight.
- Icons and Labels: Icons should be simple and universally recognizable. Consider using labels underneath icons to help users who may not understand the iconography immediately.
Example: Clash of Clans uses simple, easy-to-understand icons, accompanied by brief labels when needed, ensuring players can easily navigate their village or manage resources.
- Accessibility Features: It’s important to consider players with different abilities. Features such as colorblind modes, adjustable text sizes, and voice controls can make the game accessible to a wider audience.
Step 4: Design an Intuitive Navigation System
Streamlining Navigation
A mobile game’s navigation should be simple, direct, and intuitive. Players need to be able to move seamlessly between menus, game modes, and settings without frustration.
- Logical Hierarchy: Organize game menus in a clear, logical order. The primary gameplay options (like start game, pause, and exit) should be readily accessible, typically placed at the top or bottom of the screen.
Example: In Angry Birds 2, the menu system is intuitive, with a simple progression from the home screen to game modes and additional features like power-ups and settings. The layout is designed to ensure quick navigation with minimal clicks.
- Simplified Menu Systems: Instead of overwhelming the player with dozens of options on the main screen, group related items together in tabs or collapsible menus. For example, settings and account details can be nested under a “More” tab or gear icon.
- Familiar UI Patterns: Stick with established UI patterns that players already know. This includes positioning the back button at the top-left or bottom-left, and using a familiar hamburger menu for additional options. Familiarity increases user comfort and decreases cognitive load.
Example: PUBG Mobile follows common design patterns, such as placing the back button in the top-left corner and offering a familiar hamburger menu for extra settings. This familiarity enhances usability and reduces the learning curve for new players.
Step 5: Implement Efficient Use of Space
Maximizing Every Pixel
With limited screen space, it’s important to design layouts that maximize the available area without overcrowding the screen.
- Floating UI Elements: For games with complex information (such as RPGs or strategy games), consider using floating UI elements that stay anchored at the edges of the screen, like health bars, ammo count, or scoreboards. This ensures that important data is always visible but doesn’t dominate the screen.
Example: In Mobile Legends, health and energy bars are placed in floating elements on the screen’s edges, allowing players to monitor their stats without losing sight of the battle’s action.
- Collapsible Menus: Use expandable and collapsible menus that only reveal additional options when needed. For example, a settings button might reveal more advanced options when tapped, or a radar/map can be toggled on and off.
- Layered UI Design: Consider layering elements strategically. Game action (like a character in motion) should take precedence over UI elements. Temporary pop-ups (like a “You won!” message) can use animations to slide in and out smoothly, without blocking the game content permanently.
Step 6: Design for Responsiveness Across Devices
Adapting to Different Screen Sizes and Resolutions
Mobile devices come in a wide range of screen sizes, from small smartphones to large tablets, and each device has its own resolution. Ensuring that the game UI looks great on all devices is essential.
- Flexible Layouts: Implement flexible layouts that adjust to different screen sizes. A fluid grid system allows UI elements to resize based on the screen’s width, providing consistency across devices.
Example: Fortnite Mobile offers a responsive layout that adjusts to both small and large screens, ensuring that the user interface remains consistent, whether you’re playing on an iPhone SE or a large tablet.
- Resolution-Aware Assets: Use vector-based graphics or high-resolution assets to ensure your UI looks sharp on high-density screens, like those found on Retina displays.
- Test Across Devices: Always test your game on a variety of devices, including budget models and high-end smartphones, to ensure that the UI performs well on different resolutions, aspect ratios, and screen sizes.
Conclusion: Perfecting the Mobile Game UI
Optimizing the user interface (UI) for mobile games requires a careful balance between functionality, aesthetics, and performance. By considering factors like touch interactions, readability, navigation, responsiveness, and performance, you can create a game that’s intuitive and enjoyable for players.
Games like PUBG Mobile, Fortnite Mobile, and Candy Crush Saga offer perfect examples of UI design that focuses on usability and visual appeal. Their intuitive controls, responsive design, and efficient use of screen real estate ensure players can enjoy a seamless experience, regardless of their device. Always remember, mobile game UI design is an iterative process—test, adapt, and refine based on user feedback and performance metrics.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your mobile game stands out, offering a smooth and immersive experience for players across the USA and beyond.
Have a question about UX design? Start by viewing our affordable plans, email us at nk@vrunik.com, or call us at +91 9554939637.
Complex Problems, Simple Solutions.