Building and simulation games are some of the most challenging products to design. Unlike a simple utility app, a building game asks the player to manage a sprawling economy, monitor multiple overlapping systems, and stay engaged over months or years.
If the UX fails, the game doesn't just lose a user; it loses a player who was about to spend time and money on the ecosystem.
Having worked on a building game at Gameloft, we learned that designing for this level of complexity requires strict discipline. Interestingly, the principles we applied to make a game feel fun and intuitive are the exact same principles required for designing complex enterprise software or SaaS platforms.
1. Progressive Disclosure in Onboarding.
If you teach a player every mechanic in a building game on day one, they will quit. The cognitive load is too high.
Instead, great games use progressive disclosure. They introduce a mechanic, let the player master it, and only then unlock the next system. We applied the same logic at Gameloft: the player is guided to build their first structure and immediately sees the reward, before being introduced to the resource economy.
For your complex app, ask yourself: Are you overwhelming your users with features they don't need yet? Start simple, and reveal complexity over time.
2. The Interface is the Game.
In a building game, the UI/UX is the gameplay. Players need to instantly know their resource levels, the status of their buildings, and what their next objective is. If the HUD (Heads-Up Display) is cluttered or confusing, the game feels like a chore, not entertainment.
We designed interfaces that prioritized clarity over decoration. Important metrics were placed in a fixed visual hierarchy, while secondary menus were hidden behind clear, recognizable icons. The lesson for product design: your data should be visible at a glance, and user actions should never be buried in nested menus.
3. The “Something to Do” Loop.
When a building is upgrading in a game, the player has to wait. If they open the app and there is nothing to do, they might close it forever.
To prevent this, building games are designed around a strong “core loop.” The UI constantly prompts the player: Here is a task you can complete. Here is a new area you can explore. Here is a reward you can claim.
In non-gaming apps, this translates to the Empty State. When a user logs into your platform and there's no data, does the UI guide them to their next action? Great products never leave a user staring at a blank screen.
4. Micro-interactions Drive Dopamine.
Games are masters of emotional design. When a player collects a resource or finishes a building, the screen erupts in rewarding micro-interactions: satisfying sounds, particle effects, and animated numbers. This provides immediate psychological feedback, letting the player know their action mattered.
Enterprise apps often ignore this. But when you add subtle, purposeful motion—like a satisfying checkmark animation when a form is submitted—you reduce friction and make the digital experience feel human.
The Takeaway:
Whether you are designing a massive multiplayer game or a B2B SaaS platform, the goal is the same: reduce cognitive load, provide clear feedback, and guide the user to their next success.
CTA: If you are building a complex product and need a UX partner who knows how to make heavy systems feel effortless, explore our design process at Marcato Studio.
