Creative Lead and Product Designer for Loved Indie Gaming Platform

UX/UI, IxD, Identity / Branding, Animation

Pushing the Envelope in Gaming

Kongregate is a popular online gaming platform known for its diverse free-to-play games, including casual, indie, and complex titles. Users can play games directly in their web browsers without downloads, spanning genres like strategy, action, puzzle, and multiplayer.

A standout feature of Kongregate is its robust social and community elements, allowing users to create profiles, earn achievements, and interact with others through forums, chat rooms, and comment sections. Additionally, Kongregate supports indie game development through its comprehensive upload and monetization system.

Innovatively, Kongregate has integrated blockchain technology, enabling users to own and build their characters, assets, and value across games, thereby enhancing player immersion and engagement while fostering a dynamic gaming ecosystem. Expanding beyond browser-based gaming, Kongregate has launched mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, providing users with on-the-go access to their favorite games, and through partnerships with various developers, it continues to enrich its library with high-quality content.

Overall, Kongregate remains a top destination for gamers seeking free and accessible online gaming experiences while actively supporting indie game development and pioneering innovations like blockchain integration.

Changing Times

After years of minimal evolution, Kongregate was primed for a fresh vision that mirrors today's gaming community's inclusive and diverse landscape. There was an urgent need to realign their mission and values to better resonate with the changing times, ensuring they stay relevant and don't fall behind in the rapidly evolving gaming industry. Central to this revitalization was a focused commitment to inclusivity, both in audience and accessibility. Embracing a diverse range of players and ensuring their games are accessible to all, regardless of background or ability, became integral pillars of Kongregate's new direction.

More about the rebrand on Medium

A Massive Undertaking

► This case study has been redacted due to IP considerations but can be shown upon request.

The chosen approach involved introducing these updates to the entire platform gradually, favoring incremental changes over a sudden, complete transformation.

The platform underwent significant changes to adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes. The layout now adjusts dynamically to fit the screen of desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones, ensuring that users have a consistent experience regardless of the device they use.

Streamlined Navigation

The main navigation underwent a transformation, adopting a single-row design with larger font sizes to facilitate easy navigation while users scroll through the page. Related functionality was streamlined into drop-down menus for enhanced user accessibility. Additionally, a mini playlist was introduced to conveniently hold the games users engage with most, further enhancing accessibility and user experience.

Game Discovery

A new top row was introduced on the game grid to showcase fresh games selected to cater to user preferences. Tags were incorporated to facilitate quick exploration of games within specific categories, enhancing the overall game discovery experience.

Improved Search Functionality

The search feature was made more prominent by moving it out of the navigation bar and onto the page that later on will be customizable to each page template ‘lift’ off the page and snap to the browser edge in a minimized state as you scroll for easy access. Real-time suggestions now appear as users type their queries, saving time and effort while providing relevant search results.

Unified Game Card

Last but certainly not least, we’re excited to present the result of our hard work and dedication: our brand-new, unified game card that brings together all the information you are familiar with and love. This card makes a great first impression with just the cover image and title but ensures easy access to essential details when you hover over it. You’ll find links to developers, tags, ratings, auto-rotating visuals showcasing key moments from each game, and more!