#projectonboarding

[sayskez]

Onboarding User Testing

Running through the onboarding with a fellow gamer highlighted one particular area of confusion: saving vs adding evidence.

Originally I had in mind that you would be able to save files to read through later. However I then introduced the ‘add’ function so you could instantly add files to the case report from in context, rather than having to go to the report and then search for the file. However, they did not understand the difference between the two and suggested rewording or removing for at least the onboarding.

I opted for simplicity and removed the save function entirely to keep things straightforward and direct users straight to the critical case report. For the onboarding, I also made things a bit easier by only including the add function on the correct files so there’s no chance of messing up.

Other areas I would like to look into more next semester:

Railroading it a bit more - currently everything is very non-linear which is part of the appeal but also can mean more opportunities for mistakes so the onboarding in particular could benefit from more strict ordering and steps.

Streamlining the explanations - The help text is quite lengthy at the moment and I would like to introduce these concepts more naturally.

Arcadia’s Eye - I want to animate the contextual help ‘eye’ of Arcadia so it’s more obvious and pops up just when you need it, prompting interaction.

[sayskez]

Secrets of Arcadia

I want The Arcadia Report to be a rewarding game that you can play as a unique experience without ever diving too deep or become immersed in the narrative. From early gameplay tests with people, puzzles and being rewarded for digging deep often came up so I want to be sure to reward people’s thoroughness.

As an example, I include a little secret in the onboarding prototype. The access keys you are looking for are in binary code. Translate it and you’ll find the key words: Project Canary. Search up that clue to discover a secret file hinting at the fact that there might be more to Arcadia than meets the eye.

What is Project Canary? What really happened to Arcadia? What other secrets might it be hiding? You’ll just have to play on to find out.

Check out the alpha prototype here

(Click at the bottom of the search pop up to search for project canary)

[sayskez]

Final Alpha Prototype: Welcome to Arcadia

Check out the final alpha prototype on Figma

A mysterious message and a special quest: you have been selected to help resurrect Arcadia. Enter The Arcadia Report and restart the corrupted database.

Why?

Through testing various prototypes, I identified the need for a more comprehensive introduction to Arcadia.  Incorporating everything I learned from testing with users, I devised an onboarding scenario which introduces all the key concepts quickly and in a completely in-character manner by having you install and reboot the Arcadia system. No meta help text or breaking the 4th wall.

The Scenario

You journey starts when you receive a message from the mystery Reporter inviting you into Arcadia. Unfortunately Arcadia is a corrupted shell after the collapse of the company so before you can reignite the quest to ‘crowdsource’ justice and start solving crimes, you need to reboot the system. Along the way you’ll learn about how search, locations, and reports work.

Give it a try

Dive into the world of Arcadia