Portfolio by Rena

What I learned: I discovered that I enjoy game design more than I expected. This project also revealed so much more of Figma’s potential, making me appreciate the tool even more. I am excited to keep exploring its possibilities.

What is next for the Future: Given the time constraints, I couldn’t fully build out my vision for this project. I’d love to continue working on it and add more functionality in the future.

I would also like to conduct user-testing to evaluate the app’s flow and identify areas for further improvement.

Finally, If possible, I would love to turn this project into a mod pack for the Stardew Valley community to enjoy.

Conclusion

Sketches meet High-Fidelity

Like Stardew, each Season has its own Color Palette: Creating these was so much fun! I wanted each season’s color scheme to reflect the game’s atmosphere, drawing inspiration directly from Stardew Valley's in-game colors (pg. 1-4).

Styling was the Best Part: I aspired to make my project feel like it truly belonged to the game. The distinct item art in Stardew is so iconic that, as a fan, I couldn’t resist incorporating some of those elements into this project (pg. 5).

Creating the Style Guide

Low Fidelity Wireframe Sketches: After planning, I sketched out 2 versions of what I wanted the app design flow to look like to get a more visual represenation (on left).

User Flow Chart: A user task flow was created based on the user narrative I drafted, this shows how a user would start and end using the app (img. below).

Prototype Sketching

Name & Theme: I wanted the name to connect to the parent game since it’s meant to be played alongside it. Once I decided on the name, developing the theme and game jargon came naturally (pg. 1).

User Narrative: Once the concept was developed, I created a user narrative imagining how would a user walkthrough the app, laying out the order of the app (pg. 2-3).

Quest size & Game Mechanics: To balance the rewards, I did the standard 5x5 bingo layout. To tie it to Stardew, I excluded festival rewards since you already earn special ones during festivals. Seasons with fewer festivals, I added a free reward for fairness (pg.4-6).

Creating the Gameplay

What is Stardew Valley: A solo/multi cozy farm life simulation game where a player takes the rile of a character inheriting a farm that needs to be taken care of after being neglected for so long after the grandfather passed away.

Ideation: I am not a completionist gamer, I prefer to do whatever I am in the mood for. I wanted to create something that allowed that freedom for players like me, but still give satisfaction to those that like to complete everything.

Because this was made in Figma, I wanted to create my creative freedom and push the boundaries of its capability.

It was popularized by a toy salesman in New York, Edwin S Lowe, who saw this game played in Jacksonville, Georgia at a fair!

History of Bingo: Everyone in the world has to have heard or seen a version of bingo before in their lives right? But does anyone know about the history of how it became what we know it now?

Background

Rewards for Every Harvest

Perfect for those that want to take things slow and complete quests whenever
You can receive a reward for just completing 1 every time!

Bigger Rewards for a Challenge

Great for those that want a tougher challenge!
Complete 5 in a row in any direction and receive bigger rewards!

A Short Preview of the Game

Tools Utilized: Figma, FigJam, Dayol, Stardew Valley, Stardew Valley Wiki

Timeline: August - September 2024

Role: Interaction & UX Designer

High-Fidelity

Figma

Game

Prototyping

UX/UI Design

Design Goals:

Create a High-Fidelity Prototype
Push the boundaries & capabilities of Figma
- Can it create a high quality game?

Game Fandom Goals:

Give homage to the video game it was inspired by, show love & passion
Create a game that appeals to non-traditional & hard core gamers.

Project Objective: Stardew Fields is a remixed take on classic BINGO, designed to be played alongside Stardew Valley. It’s designed for all types of players, whether you’re taking it slow or craving a tougher challenge.

Stardew Fields

Rena Huang