GAMES · EDUTECH — Game jam
A puzzle that unwinds you, instead of winding you up.
Category Games · EduTech Tag Game jam Platform Mobile Role UI/UX Design (concept by a friend)
Are "relaxing" games actually relaxing?
Maybe it's just me, but those "relaxing" casual games? I get hooked and never actually relax.
So much for relaxing
Timers, leaderboards and notifications: don't you think they pile on a ridiculous amount of stress?
UIs that fry your eyes
Harsh contrast and cold light: wrecked sleep and retinas flambé!
And your brain goes soft
Casual games hook you precisely because they don't make you think: zero stimulation, just time lost.
What if ours were a cultural game that actually relaxed you?
A neumorphic look felt like a great start: satin surfaces, soft shadows, a "soundproofed" aesthetic. You feel the visual comfort right in the main menu, before you even start playing.
Warm grey, tuned for the evening.
The design system runs on warm grey tones that dial down the screen's blue light. A steady text contrast ratio, never harsh. Soft motion and relaxing, almost-ASMR sounds you can switch off. The goal: to play in the evening without tiring your eyes or messing with your sleep-wake rhythm.
A soft, smart puzzle game.
D-stress hands you word puzzles across a nice range of topics, from literature to science, generated by an engine. No leaderboards, no challenges: it's all chill, and it flows at your own pace. A game that stimulates the mind without draining it, and without straining your eyes.
A UI that rests your eyes.
Soft interaction
Every neumorphic component has clear affordance thanks to the extruded effect: it looks made to be pressed.
Made for the evening
Contrast and colour tuned toward grey-yellow, to spare your eyes.
Sometimes game design should be soft, too.
Though it's not necessarily the winning move.
D-Stress let me play with calm as a design choice: one made of contrast, texture and game rhythm.
The concept is a friend's, the UI is mine. We entered it in a Game Jam we didn't win. But that's fine: we had a blast anyway.
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