PAPERBOUND

Paperbound is a 3D puzzle platformer that puts you in the shoes of an author stuck in his own world. You interact with quirky characters and solve puzzles by using magical abilities that can alter objects. I was the UI/UX designer (along-side programmers and designers).

This was the final project for my master’s thesis and is showcased by Abertay University. I worked together with twelve other members under the supervision of Abertay professors and Rocksteady Studios (who graciously helped us with their feedback!)

This is where the player is able to view their spells. I went for a skeuomorphic design with the binders and the leather bound elements to compliment the main character’s “writer” personality.

Different UI elements make up the all dialogue instances, from talking to an NPC to when you’re near them.

The style I adopted for the UI was inspired by first title Nintendo IP’s like Super Mario World and Kirby’s Adventures. Early on I prototyped a variety of colour palettes however the blue and red/pink combination worked best. Blue is used for as the body and pink as the accent.

Abilities are taken straight from the spellbook and into a real-time HUD display that pops up. On the left is the process I went through with the programmers and designers to come up with a viable system. On the right is the final version in the game with all the coloured elements. The radial menu operates by clicking right click after selecting the quill and whilst holding it, using scroll wheel to select a spell.

UI elements made for the game; menus, HUD etc.

In the game, you’re able to swap between two types of “weapons” in real-time: Quill and the Eraser Pen. When the quill is selected the icon on the HUD has a white border on it - the eraser pen appears faded (and vice-versa).

Check out my other projects below!