Word Zoo is a Boggle word puzzle game mixed with classic Match-3 mechanics. The game aimed to engage casual gamers and capture more potential word game players.
As Art Director, I worked to establish the look and feel of the game as well as create illustrations, in-game VFX, animations, and design and implement the UI/UX.
ROLE
Art Director
PLATFORM
IOS · Android
DISCIPLINES
Art Direction · UI/UX · Illustration · VFX · Animation
Word Zoo
Game Art
Word Zoo set out to bring the charm and tactile feel of Match-3 to word puzzle gameplay, giving it a broader, more casual appeal.
The visual direction leaned into bouncy, expressive animation, a warm, vivid palette, and snappy timing that kept every interaction feeling rewarding without slowing the player down.
In a puzzle game, clarity comes first. Every animation and effect during puzzle play was designed to support readability, guiding the eye and confirming player actions rather than competing for attention.
Beyond setting the overall art direction, I owned game art implementation, puzzle VFX, animation, and all gameplay art, taking the visuals from concept through to in-engine polish.
Word Zoo
UI/UX
As Art Director, I owned all UI/UX for the game. Beyond the Core Gameplay Flow shown here, that covered every feature, transition, and animation across the product.
The UX drew on proven patterns from broader casual games, in service of one of the game's core pillars: hybridizing the experience to reach players beyond the traditional word game audience.
On the implementation side, I worked closely with engineering to establish UI standards and guidelines for responsive layouts, keeping the final build in parity with the original Figma designs. I also built out the UI canvases in-engine using Unity's native UI tools.
Early
Exploration
In the early stages of the project, I was tasked with exploring a range of art directions built on top of the existing prototype.
Starting from mood boards drawn across a wide range of references, I narrowed the exploration to two distinct styles: a soft, proven casual look and a bolder, graphic, blocky-cute direction.
I then developed storyboards for marketing creatives to put both styles in front of players through CPI testing. The results gave us clear, data-backed direction that shaped the game's final art style.