Challenge
Build a world with UI copy, labels and names to fit an existing toy IP, while keeping up with rapid A/B testing that shaped game design
narrative design, UX writing, A/B testing
Business Need
Gobsmax Galaxy was being built from an existing toy IP (characters and team names existed, but no story). At the same time, Asteri's development process relied heavily on user research and A/B testing. Narrative and copy decisions had to determined by testing without breaking the world the IP was built on.
Proposed Outcome
Build a story and supporting microcopy that felt native to the existing IP, while using the same user feedback loops driving the rest of the game's design — so language and lore choices were validated the same way every other design decision was.
Context
- The toy IP came with character names and team designations but no backstory, powers, or world logic
- User research had already determined a launcher-style mechanic as the core gameplay — tutorial and help content needed to feel familiar enough not to be skipped, but distinct enough to highlight the game's unique features
- Target users spanned ages 5-16 plus adult collectors across multiple languages — copy needed to be accessible, concise, and structured for easy translation
- Asteri was a small, non-remote startup — design, content, and engineering worked in direct daily collaboration, which meant copy decisions were made and implemented in real time
Solution
Narrative and content were developed in tandem with UI design, then reviewed directly with engineers during implementation to catch issues before they shipped.
Built it by:
- Creating an adventurous backstory where "bad gobs" invade the "good gobs'" galaxy to steal their star powers — explaining both the existing characters and team structure as well as the in-game powers players would use
- Designing a World Bible from scratch in close collaboration with the PM (a structured reference document covering characters, world elements, powerups, color combinations, and terminology) delivered to both the internal dev team and Creata for approval
- Working directly alongside the UI designer to develop copy decks showing narrative and microcopy within actual UI mockups, presented to Creata's founder for approval at key milestones
- Writing tutorial and UI copy that reinforced game mechanics while echoing the tone and terminology established in the narrative, tailored to a wide age range and structured for clean translation across languages
- Sitting directly with engineers building in Unity to review implemented copy in real time, catching and resolving issues like copy overflow, truncation, font size, and readability before they reached users
- Observing A/B test results in team discussions across mechanics and design, using those findings to inform copy and narrative decisions as the game evolved
Outcome
- Creata's founder approved the story, and it was incorporated into marketing materials and the game's official website
- 10k+ downloads on Google Play in the 4 months after game launch
- User reviews specifically praised gameplay smoothness and transitions
- Retention rates met or exceeded comparable games
- Upper game levels — where narrative and mechanics were most integrated — were called out by users as the most original part of the game
What I'd Revisit
At the time, gameplay mechanics and design elements went through A/B testing, but copy did not. If revisiting, I'd include copy variants directly in those tests — comparing different tone and language directions for the IP, and identifying which tutorial copy led to drop-off versus higher engagement
By the numbers
130
Average players per day during game beta testing phase
2x
Higher retention rate than comparable games on day 7
10k+
Downloads from Google Play Store during first 3 months
