Common Indie UX Bugs and How to Fix Them Fast

Indie UX Survival Guide: Fixing “Polish Later” Before It’s Too Late

“We’ll polish it later,” you say, pushing UX improvements down the line. Sounds familiar? Many indie developers fall into this trap, only to find themselves with confusing interfaces and frustrated players when the game is “done.” This article is your UX survival guide, showing you why postponing UX is a dangerous game and how to fix common bugs before they become a crisis.

The truth is, UX isn’t polish. It’s foundational. A broken UX loop can sink your game faster than you think. Let’s dive into a step-by-step roadmap for identifying and fixing those issues.

Step 1: Recognizing the Symptoms of Poor UX

Before you can fix anything, you need to know what to look for. Here are some common signs your game’s UX needs attention:

• Unclear Affordances: Players don’t know what they can interact with. Buttons blend into the background, interactive elements lack visual cues.
• Poor Feedback Systems: Actions feel unresponsive. Players aren’t sure if their input registered. No satisfying sound or visual effect when hitting an enemy.
• Intuitive Navigation? More Like Intui-NO-tive: Menus are confusing, options are buried, and players get lost easily. Imagine getting lost in your own game!
• Information Overload: Too much text, crammed interfaces, and walls of stats overwhelm the player. Less is often more.
• Inconsistent UI: Different UI elements use different styles, fonts, or conventions, creating a jarring and unprofessional experience.

These symptoms are red flags. Ignoring them means your players will spend more time fighting the game than enjoying it.

Step 2: Proactive UX: Testing and Iterating

The key to avoiding these problems is to integrate UX testing early and often. Don’t wait until the end to think about UX. Here’s how to approach it proactively:

• Playtest Early, Playtest Often: Get your game in front of real players as soon as possible. Even basic prototypes can reveal major UX flaws.
• Observe, Don’t Intervene: Watch how players interact with your game without giving them hints. Where do they struggle? What confuses them?
• Record and Analyze: Document playtest sessions, noting pain points, areas of confusion, and suggestions.
• Iterate Based on Feedback: Use the feedback to make targeted UX improvements. Then, test again!

This iterative process is crucial. Every playtest is a chance to refine your game’s UX and create a more enjoyable experience.

Step 3: Fixing Common UX Bugs: A Practical Guide

Now let’s tackle some common UX issues with practical solutions:

• Unclear Affordances:
  • Add visual cues to interactive elements: highlights, outlines, animations.
  • Use clear and descriptive labels.
  • Ensure buttons look like buttons.
• Poor Feedback Systems:
  • Implement satisfying sound effects for actions.
  • Use visual effects to confirm input: flashes, screen shakes, particles.
  • Provide clear status indicators: health bars, progress bars, cooldown timers.
• Unintuitive Navigation:
  • Simplify menus and reduce the number of options.
  • Use clear and consistent icons.
  • Implement a tutorial to guide players through the interface.
• Information Overload:
  • Prioritize information and hide less important details.
  • Use tooltips and contextual help to explain complex mechanics.
  • Break up walls of text with visuals and spacing.
• Inconsistent UI:
  • Create a UI style guide and stick to it.
  • Use a consistent font and color palette.
  • Ensure all UI elements are aligned and spaced properly.

Step 4: The Power of Documentation and Game Dev Journals

Fixing UX issues isn’t just about applying quick fixes. It’s about building a process for continuous improvement. This is where a game dev journal becomes invaluable.

Think of it as your UX debugging diary. Document everything: playtest results, feedback, design decisions, and implemented solutions. Note the “why” behind each choice. What problem were you trying to solve? What impact did the fix have?

Comparing journaling styles across different studios reveals that some studios like to record only final design decisions, while others like to record every step along the way. It’s common for studios to want to avoid recording every misstep, but documenting those choices helps prevent teams from repeating them again in the future.

By tracking your progress, you’ll create a valuable resource for future projects and avoid repeating past mistakes. You can also share your experiences with other developers and contribute to the broader game development community.

Step 5: Tracking Your Game Development Progress

Keeping a game development log helps you stay consistent with devlogs. Documenting your creative process turns it into a valuable learning tool. You can analyze your past decisions, identify patterns, and improve your workflow.

You can track your game development progress using a variety of methods. Some developers prefer spreadsheets, while others use dedicated project management software. However, a dedicated game dev journal offers a more focused and tailored experience.

Step 6: Level Up Your Dev Process

It’s easy to tell yourself that you’ll fix these issues later, but later never comes. You’ll find yourself trying to remember exactly what you were thinking when you created these systems, and that’s never easy. So keeping a record of the changes you’ve made, and why you made them, helps you to avoid mistakes and solve problems faster.

Ready to ditch the “polish later” mentality and embrace proactive UX? Start tracking your progress with our free game development journal now! Free Game Development Journal