Designing Battle Screens for INSANITY
INSANITY is a classic battler game with horror elements. The story takes place in a psychiatric hospital after a mysterious incident. A place that was once safe has become an arena for bloody battles. Each floor brings new threats. The player must move through dangerous locations and escape the hospital.
Our goal was to design interfaces for the game’s battle system. We wanted to keep the familiar experience that battler fans expect and show the project’s unique mood.
Our goal was to design interfaces for the game’s battle system. We wanted to keep the familiar experience that battler fans expect and show the project’s unique mood.
- RoleLead UX/UI designer
- ResponsibilitiesUX/UI
- Period2025-2026
Challenge
The main challenge was to create an interface that keeps familiar battler mechanics but makes the game more memorable. Players in this genre quickly understand common interaction patterns. New ideas had to fit naturally into the game and stay easy to learn.
In the project, I was responsible for UX/UI at all stages of screen development. The key goal was to balance visual impact with ease of use. The interface had to stay clear, show every screen and element state, and remain easy to read during intense battles.
In the project, I was responsible for UX/UI at all stages of screen development. The key goal was to balance visual impact with ease of use. The interface had to stay clear, show every screen and element state, and remain easy to read during intense battles.
Requirements
Battler games have an established game flow, so it was important to keep familiar player actions. The interface had to help players understand what was happening, react to their actions at the right time, and keep their focus on the game.
Each decision helped the player understand what was on screen and what actions were available.
Each decision helped the player understand what was on screen and what actions were available.
Solutions
Before starting the design, I studied the target audience and analyzed popular games in the genre. In addition to competitors' interface solutions, I also researched player feedback and their gaming experiences, which allowed me to identify the most successful mechanics and avoid common problems.
Based on the research, the core gameplay loop was developed: the main menu, global map, local map, battle preparation, the battle itself, the results screen, and subsequent character development. This scenario allowed us to create prototypes with a clear interaction structure and maintain the dynamic nature of the gameplay.
Map navigation was also important. Players need to understand their position and progress at all times. The current level is clearly highlighted, and completed stages are easy to see.
Each event type has its own visual style: regular battles, boss fights, and rewards. Small details, such as blood drops on levels, support the story and show that the player can still improve their result.
Battle preparation is another important part of the experience. Players can combine melee and ranged characters, consider their factions, and check the enemy’s strength before the fight. Faction filters help players build a team quickly. When a player selects five characters from one faction, the interface clearly shows the active bonus with a special pentagon indicator.
The battle screen is the center of the game. It had to feel fast and brutal while staying easy to use. Players should enjoy the battle and still be able to affect its result. We added active skills with limited uses, clear character health bars, and team status indicators. Familiar features such as pause, battle speed, and auto-battle let each player choose how they want to play.
Results
The game is currently in the MVP development stage.
