Perfect Match is a multiplayer game where players compete to memorize and accurately reproduce colors. They can use special skills and resources such as Inspiration and Cookies to boost their precision. The game features various artists like Frida Kahlo, Bob Ross, Salvador Dalí, and Vincent van Gogh, along with unlockable items, environments, and skins. Players earn rewards, climb seasonal leaderboards, and strategically manage resources to enhance their performance.

UI/UX Design

I designed a user interface that emphasizes simplicity and ease of use, built around a classic style with warm, wooden color tones that create a friendly and inviting atmosphere. The interface features a card system that makes interactions intuitive and straightforward, supporting seamless navigation through the game. The overall aesthetic promotes a relaxed, enjoyable experience, complemented by calming, relaxing music. 

Gameplay Mechanics 

The core mechanic involves 45-second rounds where players memorize a color and try to reproduce it as accurately as possible. The goal is to win three rounds to secure victory, with perfect matches earning special rewards. Players can use skills that consume inspiration, adding a strategic layer to decide when to leverage their resources. Overall, the mechanic emphasizes precision, strategy, and fast-paced competition.

Systems Design

In my system design, I focused on creating a balanced ecosystem of resources and items that encourage strategic decision-making. Resources like Paint, Inspiration, Cookies, and Coins are vital for gameplay and progression, while unlockable skins and items provide meaningful incentives for achievement and personalization. This setup aims to increase engagement and support ongoing progression.

Characters Design

I designed six colorful, cartoon-inspired characters based on famous artists like Frida Kahlo, Bob Ross, Salvador Dalí, and Vincent van Gogh. Each character features three customizable skins and unique personalities. The artists are divided into two types - Novices and Masters, which influence their skills and gameplay strategy. My goal was to create memorable characters that enhance the game's friendly and creative atmosphere.

AI Implementation

To ensure seamless gameplay during extended wait times, I implemented AI bots to serve as opponents. These bots adapt to the player's level, providing a balanced challenge. They feature realistic behavior, making their actions and reactions indistinguishable from those of human players. The bots react to emojis and in-game events, adding a lively, interactive feel. Additionally, each bot generates random skins, names, items, and stats.

Character Animations

Creating character animations was my favorite part of the project. I collaborated closely with the animator to bring the characters to life, giving them distinct personalities and patterns based on what we know about these iconic artists. For example, we animated Bob Ross with his cheerful outlook and his famous saying - "We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents", or Salvador Dalí with his eccentric, surreal style - "I don’t do drugs. I am drugs. The only difference between me and a madman is that I’m not mad." Working on these animations was a fun and creative process that helped make the characters memorable and full of personality.

Problems Solving

During development, our main challenge was creating a reliable color matching system. We wanted to compare each player's color with a base color using Delta E, but existing formulas didn’t work well in our game because of how people perceive colors. To fix this, we built two color pickers - one for the main color and one for the tone, and designed our own complex formula. This manual approach made the color matches more accurate and felt better to players, improving the overall experience.

Reflection

During the development of Perfect Match, I continuously improved my understanding of game design and gained practical experience in multiplayer game development, covering both front-end and back-end. I encountered and resolved various challenges, especially in balancing gameplay. A major focus was on implementing in-app purchases, other monetization methods, and setting up analytics and user funnels to track player behavior and engagement. Throughout the project, I enhanced my teamwork skills and followed an agile development process, which made our work more efficient. Overall, this experience significantly enhanced my technical, strategic, and collaborative abilities in game development.