Heuristics for games

I originally developed the heuristics for heuristic evaluation in collaboration with Rolf Molich in [Molich and Nielsen ; Nielsen and Molich ]. Four years later, I refined the heuristics based on a factor analysis of usability problems [Nielsen a] to derive a set of heuristics with maximum explanatory power, resulting in this revised set of heuristics [Nielsen b]. In , we updated this article, adding more explanation, examples, and related links.

While we slightly refined the language of the definitions, the 10 heuristics themselves have remained relevant and unchanged since When something has remained true for 26 years, it will likely apply to future generations of user interfaces as well.

You can download the summary poster in 3 sizes: full poster size, A4, and letter. You can also download the full set of 11 posters 10 Usability Heuristics and the summary poster. Many people ask if they can use these heuristics in their own work. Yes, but please credit Jakob Nielsen and provide the address for this page [nngroup.

If you want to print copies of this page or reproduce the content online, however, please see our copyright info for details. ISSN Jakob Nielsen , Ph. Donald A. Norman former VP of research at Apple Computer. Nielsen established the "discount usability engineering" movement for fast and cheap improvements of user interfaces and has invented several usability methods, including heuristic evaluation. He holds 79 United States patents, mainly on ways of making the Internet easier to use.

The latest articles about interface usability, website design, and UX research from the Nielsen Norman Group. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter to get notified about future articles.

Usability Heuristic 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design. Usability Heuristic 4: Consistency and Standards. Usability Heuristic 7: Flexibility and Efficiency of Use. Share this article:. Present feedback to the user as quickly as possible ideally, immediately.

Build trust through open and continuous communication. Example of Usability Heuristic 2: When stovetop controls match the layout of heating elements, users can quickly understand which control maps to which heating element. Never assume your understanding of words or concepts will match those of your users.

User research will help you uncover your users' familiar terminology, as well as their mental models around important concepts. Tips Support Undo and Redo. Show a clear way to exit the current interaction, like a Cancel button.

Make sure the exit is clearly labeled and discoverable. Example of Usability Heuristic 4: Check-in counters are usually located at the front of hotels. Tips Improve learnability by maintaining both types of consistency: internal and external. Maintain consistency within a single product or a family of products internal consistency. Follow established industry conventions external consistency. Tips Prioritize your effort: Prevent high-cost errors first, then little frustrations. Avoid slips by providing helpful constraints and good defaults.

Prevent mistakes by removing memory burdens, supporting undo, and warning your users. People are more likely to correctly answer the question Is Lisbon the capital of Portugal? Offer help in context , instead of giving users a long tutorial to memorize. Reduce the information that users have to remember. Learn more Full article: Recognition vs. Recall in UX 3-minute video: Recognition vs. Example of Usability Heuristic 7: Regular routes are listed on maps, but locals with more knowledge of the area can take shortcuts.

Tips Provide accelerators like keyboard shortcuts and touch gestures. Provide personalization by tailoring content and functionality for individual users. Allow for customization , so users can make selections about how they want the product to work. Tips Keep the content and visual design of UI focus on the essentials. Don't let unnecessary elements distract users from the information they really need.

Prioritize the content and features to support primary goals. Learn more 3-minute video: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design. Example of Usability Heuristic 9: Wrong way signs on the road remind drivers that they are heading in the wrong direction and ask them to stop. Tips Use traditional error message visuals, like bold, red text. Tell users what went wrong in language they will understand — avoid technical jargon.

Allow users to tailor frequent actions. The power law of learning says that the time it takes to perform a task decreases with the number of repetitions of that task. Therefore, games must build in features to cater to both novice and experienced users. Savvy players can also bind commands, thereby setting up controls exactly how they like them. This functionality makes it possible for users to create a setup that matches their playstyle, ending with a more comfortable and often more skilled experience.

Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility. Video games, like interfaces, can house many different activities and presenting information about all of them can easily become overwhelming.

Designers should take advantage of progressive disclosure and only display information that is relevant to the task at hand. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch, the play screen is overlaid by relevant game information positioned to the corners of the viewport.

The layout and display of this data is visually appealing and quick to interpret. Error messages should be expressed in plain language no codes , precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution. Effective error messages need to clearly communicate the error, reduce the amount of work users must do to solve the problem, and educate users along the way. These principles are true of interfaces and games alike.

Subway Surfers , an endless-runner mobile game, does a nice job crafting error messages. Which would not be a good dialog prompt in a productivity app, but is acceptable in the playful context of a game.

To continue the game from the point at which they lost, users can either watch an advertisement or use game Keys a type of game currency. If the user attempts to use Keys but does not have enough, an error message appears. The error message uses simple language to diagnose the problem Not enough keys! However, an even better design approach would be to avoid this problem altogether by disabling the option to use Keys while still promoting the purchase of Keys if the user does not have enough.

Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the user's task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large. PUBG Mobile did a nice job of organizing the Help content and the app even allowed users to search the Help documentation by describing their problem. On the main Help page, content was grouped presumably by frequency of use; there is even a Hot Topics section with the most accessed content.

Additionally, the content structure is thoughtfully organized with numbered steps, action-oriented phrases, and parallel hierarchy. Though, it would be nice if there was a secondary header along with the white space used to separate answer sections.

Perrin, Andrew. Hodent, Celia. She is a mixed-methods researcher with a specialization in cognitive psychology and behavioral observation.

Alita has published research on a diverse range of topics, such as interface design patterns, young technology users, social media, emerging technologies, and strategic design initiatives.

The latest articles about interface usability, website design, and UX research from the Nielsen Norman Group. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter to get notified about future articles. Video Game Design and User Experience. Computer Screens. Video Game Engagement vs Addiction. Firm Rules and Goals for UX vs. Balancing Goals. Share this article:. Share this article: Twitter LinkedIn Email. Video Game Design and User Experience 5 minute video.

Computer Screens 8 minute video. Video Game Engagement vs Addiction 3 minute video. Balancing Goals 11 minute video.