Initial playtests flagged a core problem: settings didn’t map to player mental models. Labels weren’t clear, effects felt unpredictable, and players’ expectations didn’t match what changed on screen. That mismatch created friction, second-guessing, and unnecessary trial-and-error.
Goal
I needed to redesign the menu to align with player's mental models. The goal was to provide clearer context, ensuring players better understand the purpose and impact of specific settings.
Solution: Impactful settings menu
Match mental models with reality
Align mental models with real changes made in game, so there is no misunderstanding or disconnect.
Recognition over recall
Add live previews so players recognize the effect instead of trying to remember it. That’s recognition over recall: see before you commit.
90% increase in user comprehension and satisfaction with gameplay controls
II. Research
Focus groups
Research revealed the old menu lacked detail and feedback
First, I needed to understand the problem in players’ words. I ran a focus group with 6 players to capture needs, preferences, and pain points. Because time was tight, this let me surface patterns quickly and hear people build on each other’s experiences. I asked questions like:
• When you change a setting, what do you expect to happen immediately?
• Which options feel confusing or risky to touch mid-match—and why
• How do you decide if a change helped? What feedback do you look for?
• Which settings do you change most? Which never?
• Where do you feel you’re guessing vs. knowing?
• If you could preview a change, what would you want to see?
From those sessions, a shared theme emerged: the old menu lacked detail and feedback. Players were guessing and trial-and-erroring mid-game. That costs attention, confidence, and performance.
Great examples
God of War: Ragnarok
In God of War: Ragnarok, players can choose their difficulty mode based on their preferred gameplay experience. Each mode is accompanied by a clear description, helping players understand the challenges of each option. This allows them to make informed decisions and select the mode that best suits their playstyle before embarking on their adventure.
Players can unlock runic attacks for both main and supporting characters, each with unique abilities and movesets. A preview shows the attack's effects, helping players visualize and make informed choices before committing.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
In Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, players can customize the colors of player indicators on any map. The ability to adjust settings based on different colorblind types, along with a real-time preview of the map and indicators, helps all players see the effects of their changes before finalizing them.
Psychology in practice
Synthesis pointed to two psychological principles that would be my north stars for the redesign:
Match mental models
Players expect menus and settings to align with how they naturally think about organizing and accessing features. By grouping related options logically and reflecting familiar patterns from other games, I reduced friction and made navigation more intuitive.
Recognition over recall
Instead of forcing players to remember where features were hidden or what settings meant, I used clear labels, icons, and contextual cues. This allowed players to recognize actions quickly, lowering cognitive load and speeding up task completion.
III. Design
Menu and settings design
Aligning expectations with reality
Here’s a concrete example. When a player hovers or focuses Invert Look (Horizontal), they get a short description plus a visual preview of how camera motion changes. That empowers informed decisions—recognition, not guesswork—and the interaction stays quick.
Easily digestible
Players also asked for a menu that’s digestible. I grouped settings by task—Game, Audio, UI—used plain language, added space, and used a scroll for long lists. It’s progressive disclosure: fewer choices at once, but depth when you want it.
Accessibility: subtitles and readability
I pushed accessibility improvements into the base design: adjustable subtitle size, a backing so text stays readable on any background, and speaker labels so you always know who’s talking. Critical for low-vision players, noisy environments, and anyone playing without sound.
Accessibility: HUD personalization
I also added HUD customization for key elements. Letting players tune visibility and placement supports different visual needs and boosts immersion by giving control where it matters.
Accessibility: remappable controls
Finally, button remapping before the playtest. It supports diverse motor patterns, comfort, and performance—small change, big impact on playability and satisfaction.
IV. Outcomes
Initial impressions
Received well by users
User feedback made it clear: the settings menu was well-received. Players appreciated the redesign and the new additions to gameplay controls.
Here are a few quotes that stood out to me:
“These are some of the slickest settings I’ve seen in a game” - user
“I like how much control you have over your gameplay” - user
Moderated tests
Improvement in comprehension and increased satisfaction
Through moderated tasks, comprehension rose ~90%. Alongside that, qualitative feedback trended positive on control and clarity.
