Serious Magic
Serious Magic is an educational mobile game platform, which caters lessons towards adults looking to enhance their thinking skills. During my 5 month contract, I was a foundational member of the platform's development. My primary responsibilities included designing and implementing core gameplay systems, researching and testing products across markets, and collaborating with programmers and professional educators to create an engaging educational experience. The platform is currently in private beta, with plans for public release in late 2025 to early 2026.
Full-Time employee, Contract Duration: 5 months (July - November 2025)
Company WebsiteRoles Held: Game Design, User Research and Testing, Programming, Marketing, Art & Animation
Game Design
Since Serious Magic is a start-up, a large part of my work involved rapid ideation and testing. The company was in the process of researching what worked best in the market, and what was most effective in actually educating. Since our core audience was casual players, many of whom do not regularly play games, this required thoughtful consideration of interaction and gameplay mechanics. I focused on mechanics that were easy to pick-up, but had underlying depth once the player dove into the subject matter.
Our designs when through many iterations in response to user testing and feedback. This is a game meant to teach about economic systems by having the player barter for items in a marketplace. In each iteration, I experimented with different interactions, finding the balance between usability and mechanical depth.
User Testing
A key part of my role was conducting user research and testing. The balance of difficulty and accessibility was crucial to the success of the platform. If it was too easy, there would be no educational value, but if it was too hard, players would become frustrated and disengaged. I organized and led playtesting sessions, gathering feedback from a diverse group of users using Supabase, Posthog, Prolific and in-house testing software.
Marketing
Part of my role involved creating marketing materials for the games I produced. This was crucial, as it allowed for me to analyze reception to my work, and adjust accordingly. Working between design and marketing helped me to better understand how to create content that resonated with our target audience.
The ad storyboards for the game Overfished designed in Figma, and the video I animated using After Effects.
The ad storyboards for a Probabilistic Thinking game designed in Figma, and the video I animated using After Effects.
Reflection
Working at Serious Magic was a great experience for me. Due to the small team and fast-paced nature of the project, I had the opportunity to wear many hats, and learn about different facets of game development beyond design and programming. It was rewarding to see my work have a direct impact on the product, and to be part of an enthusiastic team working towards a common goal. I look forward to seeing how Serious Magic continues to grow and evolve in the future.
Serious Magic can be accessed at the link below. It is a paid service which I cannot provide free access to, thank you for understanding.
Thank you to Serious Magic for allowing me to include this material in my portfolio. All work presented is owned by Serious Magic.