Innovative UX/UI Redesign for Ultimate Player Engagement
Dovetail Games aimed to overhaul the UX/UI of their upcoming release, Train Sim World 3, with the goal of expanding their player base and appealing to new users, all while maintaining the satisfaction of their dedicated enthusiasts. The franchise sought to streamline user experiences, improve onboarding, and dynamically tailor content based on user experience and ability. Additionally, we introduced the genre-defining ‘Creators Club,’ facilitating an in-game community-driven ecosystem that sparked a real sense of community with over 13,000 liveries uploaded and over 280,000 subscriptions to created liveries & scenarios. All content is property of Dovetail Games.
Previous titles in the Train Sim World series suffered from high bounce rates among new users due to poor onboarding and user experiences. To resolve these issues, we proposed tailored user experiences for each user type. Balancing the needs of new and dedicated users was incredibly challenging, especially as it resulted in longer development times. This focus on UX/UI led to a complete overhaul, establishing new user flows, user interfaces, and entirely new features. The newly introduced ‘Creators Club’ uncovered the issue of restricting explicit content. The UX/UI and visual identity required constant collaboration with in-house Creative Services and Marketing teams to establish a cohesive new brand identity that would appeal to both the existing community and new users.
To address these challenges, we tailored the onboarding process by allowing users to select their ability level. This enabled us to provide a more supported experience for new users, with tutorials and spotlighting tooltips, while offering experienced players an unrestricted experience. We also focused on streamlining processes for users to effortlessly reach gameplay through a maximum three-step process: selecting a route, a locomotive, and finally a scenario. This was a significant improvement compared to previous Train Sim World releases. For the Creators Club, we implemented filters and empowered well-known community members to prevent and report offending content, rewarding them with incentives. Achieving a cohesive visual identity throughout the fast-paced development process was incredibly difficult, but with constant communication with in-house teams, we ensured and maintained alignment and agility.
This project resulted in Dovetail Games’ best-performing release in their history at the time. The improved UX/UI significantly enhanced the game’s appeal to new users, including those unfamiliar with simulation games, while ensuring existing community members remained satisfied with the new experiences. The direct communication of UX/UI improvements was a notable achievement within the gaming industry, setting a new standard for user experience in simulation games.
