Gateways Creative: Designing a Physical-Digital Interactive Experience
Defined the interaction framework for a physical–digital immersive gaming experience, aligning spatial behavior with real-time UI feedback. Simplified complex gameplay systems to enhance usability and player coordination.
Client:
Gateways Creative
Category:
Interaction Design, Game UX, Spatial Interfaces
My Role:
UX & UI Design
Gateways Cinescape is a location-based reality gaming experience that blends physical props with real-time projected interfaces.
For Ghost Writer’s Study, I designed the interactive UI systems supporting a 4-vs-1 asymmetric horror gameplay experience.
The Challenge
One Game. Two Different Experiences.
Gateways creates real-world, immersive games where players interact with both physical environments and digital interfaces.
In Ghost Writer’s Study, players are split into:
4 hunters (ensemble) sharing a physical space and projected UI
1 ghost (solo) controlling the game from a separate room
This creates asymmetric gameplay, where each role has different goals, information, and controls.
How do you design two systems that feel fair, clear, and immersive?
Communicate
Critical game states instantly in a low-light physical environment
Support fast pace
Physical and digital interaction loops under extreme pressure
Avoid overwhelm
For the solo player managing multiple variables
A ghostly game of hide and seek
At its core, the experience follows two opposing loops: hunters search collaboratively in the physical environment while the ghost uses a separate command layer to hide, disrupt, and survive.
Mapping the core interaction loop
The hunter experience was built around clear, repeatable states: searching, ghost found, stunned, and captured. Each state needed to be instantly recognizable in a dark, high-energy environment.
Designing within a real space
Designing for this experience required considering physical layout, visibility, and interaction flow alongside digital UI.
System 1: The shared projection
The projected walls act as a shared UI system for all hunters, communicating time remaining, hearts remaining, power status, and game events.
System 2: Solo Ghost Controller Room
The ghost operates from a private command interface providing real-time spatial awareness, health tracking, ability control, and stun feedback. The dashboard empowers strategy while maintaining clarity under time pressure.
Designed for scalability
The system supports multiple ghost characters through standardized health logic, reusable animation states, and modular ability structures. New characters can be introduced without redesigning the core interface.
Outcome
The final experience clearly differentiates player roles, maintains readable feedback during fast gameplay, supports scalable character expansion, and creates tension through intentional information imbalance.
Related Projects
