Wild Sanctuary, developed by Dibs Studios, is an augmented reality, location-based game inspired by Pokémon Go and the rich experience of social simulation and management games. As players explore their real-world environments, they can collect resources, rescue animals, and restore urban landscapes back to nature. These activities build up sanctuaries where players can nurture rescued animals and enhance their habitats. The game offers rich social features, allowing players to decorate and upgrade their sanctuaries, and share them with friends.

As the Player Experience Lead, my role was to create an engaging and intuitive experience that guided players through both the augmented reality and management aspects of the game. My contributions began with user journey mapping and research to establish a seamless navigation and user flow. Early on, I conducted comprehensive surveys and administered user tests through platforms like PlaytestCloud to identify user expectations and behaviors in AR and management simulation contexts. Based on insights from testing, I developed rapid prototypes for core mechanics, including mini-games that explored resource collection, sanctuary management, and social interactions to gauge feasibility and optimize gameplay.

The initial stages of development involved understanding the unique challenges of a game that combines location-based augmented reality with simulation and management gameplay. Mapping out the user journey from exploration to sanctuary management, emphasizing seamless transitions between navigating real-world environments and the in-game sanctuary interactions was essential to create a fluid and enjoyable gaming experience that hits all the happiness hormones. This research revealed key moments in the user flow that could enhance engagement, from collecting resources in real-time locations to returning to the sanctuary to manage and decorate habitats.

With the core mechanics defined, I moved into UI wireframing and full design. Working in Figma, I created a detailed design methodology, specifying a cohesive visual style that blended the AR exploration with the sanctuary management aspect of the game. This methodology was documented extensively for the team to use in Unity, ensuring consistent UI elements and interactions across all screens. By establishing this framework, I provided a clear path for developers and designers to maintain a unified style, making the experience seamless for players.

Wild Sanctuary gained remarkable recognition in the Niantic Real World platform competition, winning a silver for its innovative blend of AR and simulation mechanics. The project successfully engaged players in the dual goals of exploration and sanctuary management, supported by user-driven design and iterative testing. Stakeholders expressed appreciation for the intuitive interface and engaging player journey, which were made possible through research-driven development, consistent UI standards, and thorough prototyping.