04 / PLAY971 / MOBILE PRODUCT DESIGN
Play971 · Game discovery featureLess searching.
More playing.
A game discovery and launch feature I worked on for Play971, connecting the game catalogue, previews and the path into play.
Your next escape.
Neon Drift
Find your line. Chase the sunset.
Know before you go
Internet required. Check each game for controls and ad availability.
THE PRODUCT FEATURE
A five-minute break shouldn’t become five minutes of browsing.
A large game library creates possibility, but a player still needs to answer a small question: what can I enjoy right now? My work on the Play971 game feature focused on connecting discovery, game details and launch in one coherent journey.
A player looking for their next game.
The feature supports both quick breaks and return visits: browse something new, check a game, or get back to a favourite.
Choice needs useful context.
Genre alone may not explain session length, controls or connection needs. Players may open several games before finding one that fits.
Make the next step obvious.
Offer time-based discovery, a compact game preview and a familiar return path. Keep promotional content secondary to finding and starting a game.
Help someone find a game that fits their moment—and start with confidence?
REFERENCE REVIEW + INTERVIEW PLAN
Start with signals. Be precise about what is still unknown.
The reference provides a category baseline. Interviews would test whether the proposed problems hold for Play971 players. The interview guide below is a proposed follow-up study for the recreated feature screens.
Many games, one entry point.
The mobile website combines varied game covers, categories, recent games and intent-led collections such as quick fun and relaxed play. This established pattern informed the catalogue; the design hypothesis is to make expectations and return paths clearer.
Mobile reference review · September 2026. These observations describe the reference interface, not player behaviour.Understand the last real session.
Recruit adult casual mobile players with both short and longer sessions. Include people who browse for new games and people who mostly return to favourites.
- Format
- 30-minute interview + 15-minute task walkthrough
- Capture
- Context, choice criteria, hesitation and recovery expectations
- Practice
- Ask consent, anonymise notes, separate observation from interpretation
Ask about behaviour
before suggesting features.
Follow up with “What happened next?” and “Can you show me?” Avoid asking participants to agree with the proposed solution.
- RecallTell me about the last time you opened a game during a break.
- ChooseHow did you decide which game to try? What did you check first?
- UnderstandWhat surprised you after you pressed Play?
- RecoverDescribe the last time a game did not load or lost connection.
- ReturnHow did you find a game you wanted to play again?
What I can see. What I still need to learn.
The catalogue is visual
CrazyGames uses varied cover art and category collections. I carried that variety into the mobile screens.
A preview can reduce uncertainty
Showing session estimates and controls together may help players judge fit before launching.
Does context improve the choice?
Ask participants to pick a game for a real break. Observe what they inspect, skip and misunderstand.
Keep evidence separate from interpretation.
Participant ID · date · consent
Record their available time, device and the last game they chose.
Exact words · observed actions
Capture a verbatim quote only after an interview. Note pauses, detours and the information they checked.
Theme · confidence · next question
Tag notes by choice, expectations or return. Preserve contradictory evidence before deciding a priority.
AFFINITY MAP / HYPOTHESIS BOARD
Turn scattered questions into three design priorities.
This is an illustrative synthesis structure, not a board of participant quotes. The notes below are assumptions to investigate; actual interview evidence would replace or challenge them.
Finding a fit
Time and intent
A short break may favour a predictable session length.
A familiar genre may still contain very different game formats.
Validate: Can players choose faster without excluding games they would enjoy?
Knowing what to expect
Clarity before launch
Controls and connection requirements may affect willingness to start.
Unexpected interruptions may feel worse than a disclosed wait.
Validate: Do players understand what happens after Play?
Getting back to it
Continuity and control
A remembered game may be hard to locate in a changing catalogue.
After disconnection, progress status may be unclear.
Validate: Can players return without searching again?
USER FLOW
One clear route in. A considered route back.
The primary journey is short-break discovery. Return visits bypass browsing through recent and saved games; a failed connection leads to a recoverable state.
- 01Open homeRecent games + discovery
- 02Choose a timeUnder 5 minutes
- 03Preview gameControls + expectations
- 04Start playingClear exit control
- 05Return homeGame stays in recents
Home → Recent or Saved → Game preview → Play
Search → Empty results → Clear filters → Browse again
Playing → Explain progress uncertainty → Retry or leave
Progress saving depends on each game’s capabilities. The interface must never promise a saved state the system cannot confirm.
LOW-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Resolve the hierarchy before adding the energy.
Three structural decisions carry through to the final screens: search near the top, expectations beside Play, and a dedicated place to return.
Connection + ad expectations
How much time?
Thoughtful | Social
Steer. Avoid traffic.
Exit at any time.
Progress status + next step
Return to games
I kept detailed filters inside Discover instead of crowding the home screen. This adds one step for a specific search but keeps the first view focused. The usability study would test whether that tradeoff holds.
HIGH-FIDELITY APP SCREENS
An arcade with energy. A journey with clarity.
A deep violet canvas lets game artwork lead. Lime marks the main action; quieter surfaces carry time, controls and expectations. Neon Drift is an original concept. Other game names and cover art are credited CrazyGames catalogue examples; session times and scores are illustrative.
#171326
#B8F36C
#A69BFF
Strong hierarchy
Different games. Different ways in.
Your next escape.
A varied starting point
A featured racer sits beside puzzle and multiplayer choices.
Play for your mood.
Start with an intention
Explore relaxed, thoughtful or high-energy play.
What are you into?
Scan a broader catalogue
Distinct artwork helps players recognise different games.
Find your moment.
How much time?
Choose a vibe
Session lengths are estimates. Your pace is always up to you.
Fit the available time
A focused panel keeps detailed choices off the home screen.
A little brain break.
Go deeper into one interest
Hexa Stack and Words of Wonders show genre variety.
Make room for your favourites.
Choose what you enjoy. You can change this later.
A personal starting point
Select interests while keeping the full catalogue accessible.
Understand it. Keep it close.
Neon Drift
Find your line. Chase the sunset.
Know before you go
Internet required. Check each game for controls and ad availability.
Know what comes next
Place time, controls and expectations near the primary action.
Saved for a little later.
Build a small personal arcade
A populated collection makes saved games easy to recognise.
Recently played.
Return without searching
Group recent activity into a simple timeline.
Design the moments around the game.
Find your racing line.
The racing clip is a concept preview.
Introduce the controls
Give the player a moment to understand the interaction.
Bring the concept to life
A moving track and passing cars illustrate the game direction.
Take your time.
Your break. Your pace.
Make room for a break
Resume and end-session actions stay explicit.
That was a
good run.
A clear stopping point. Another round is your choice.
Offer a natural stopping point
A clear ending lets the player choose another round.
A small pause.
Not the end.
Your connection dropped. Progress may not be saved. Check your connection, then retry.
Explain the uncertainty
Retry and return options make an interrupted state actionable.
Open the app.
Choose a game.
Start playing.
Watch the complete feature journey: open Play971, select Neon Drift, review the game and start the racing session. Tap cues show the actions between each screen.
Recreated interface walkthrough
Your next game is a tap away.
01 / Open Play971
TRY THE CONNECTED CONCEPT
From “what’s good?”
to “let’s play.”
Browse six game examples, explore categories, save a favourite, and follow Neon Drift through its racing motion preview, pause and result screens. The prototype demonstrates the app journey and a video concept of gameplay.
Try this: open Neon Drift, save it, then find it in Saved.
Your next escape.
VALIDATION PLAN
A strong visual direction still needs evidence.
The next step is to test the feature journey against a simple catalogue baseline, using the same game set. Counterbalance the order to reduce learning effects and report the small sample honestly.
| Task | What to observe | Decision it informs |
|---|---|---|
| Find a game for a five-minute break | Time to choose, wrong turns and confidence | Keep or revise the time filter |
| Explain what happens after Play | Recall of connection, ads and controls | Adjust preview hierarchy and language |
| Return to a saved game | Unaided completion and navigation errors | Validate Saved versus Recent separation |
| Recover from a lost connection | Understanding of progress uncertainty | Revise retry and exit guidance |
Give the game the spotlight.
Give the player a clear choice.
This work brings together the parts of a game feature that surround play: choosing a game, understanding it, starting a session and returning later. The recreated screens show how I connect those moments through a consistent interaction model.
