GAMBLER’S FALLACY UI

A roguelike where poker shapes both the combat and the UI. (WIP PROJECT!)

TEAM SIZE: 10

ROLE: UI/UX DESIGNER

DURATION: WIP

SOFTWARE:
Figma, Unity

Gambler’s Fallacy is an isometric roguelike where every bullet is a card, and every fight is a gamble. Players shoot cards from their deck, forming hands like straights, flushes, and kinds to boost damage and attack effects. The game is fast-paced, with procedurally generated rooms, gambling mechanics for upgrading stats, and Joker cards that change how attacks work — like making shots boomerang back or move in a figure-eight pattern.

I joined the team halfway through development as the UI/UX Designer, focusing on making the game’s menus feel like part of the world instead of traditional overlays. This portfolio shows how I design, get feedback, work with programmers, and improve UI throughout development.

Take a look at this high-stakes poker showdown… if the saloon were still under construction.

breakdown

➟ IDEA ➟ DESIGN➟ FEEDBACK ➟ IMPLEMENTATION ➟ ITERATION ➟ SHOWDOWN ➟

MAIN MENU

In Gambler’s Fallacy, the main menu isn’t just a screen — it’s the first hand you’re dealt. Instead of static buttons, the menu is designed as a poker table, placing the player right in the world before the game even starts.

Each menu option is represented as cards:

• PLAY: The player shoots the Play card like a bullet, making it feel like a decisive, high-stakes action.
• OPTIONS: The camera shifts behind the table, revealing a picture frame on the wall with the options menu “painted” onto the canvas.
• CREDITS: Three decks of cards appear on the table, separating the credits into DigiPen faculty, the development team, and external asset contributors.
• QUIT: Instead of a simple quit button, the game challenges the player with a tongue-in-cheek “Declaration of Defeat” contract, guilt-tripping them into staying.

The main menu serves not only as the UI, but also as the starting point of the story. In the planned prologue level, the player will find themselves sitting at the same table, playing a hand of cards with a buddy before the game fully begins. This helps the tutorial feel natural, tying the UI and narrative together.

CONNECTING TO THE PROLOGUE

Below is an interactive Figma prototype outlining the current plan for the tutorial.

HUD

• Rotating Chamber: The active hand rotates with each shot, just like a revolver cycling through bullets.

• Visibility Options: Players can press a key to toggle a half-reveal mode, showing the last card used, the current card at the top and the next card.

• Tactile Feel: The HUD physically spins, reinforcing the act of cycling through ammo.

Since the player’s hand of cards doubles as their ammo, I designed the HUD to reflect that by spinning like a revolver cylinder. This keeps only the most important cards visible without overwhelming the screen.

The pause menu is designed to keep players aware of their surroundings while giving them a moment to breathe. Instead of a traditional pause screen, a deck of cards slides down from the side of the screen.

PAUSE MENU

Highlighted Cards: The same cards from the main menu reappear, but only the relevant ones are highlighted, while the rest remain blank.

Hover Interaction: When the player hovers over a card, it tilts slightly outward, making it feel like they're picking a card from the deck.

Game Awareness: The menu doesn’t fully cover the screen, so players can still see their current position in the game, helping them prepare mentally. Additionally, when the player resumes the game, the deck rises back up over 2-3 seconds, giving them a brief moment to react before they’re thrown back into the action.

what’s next?

Gambler’s Fallacy is still a work in progress, and there’s a lot more to come. The tutorial is being developed to seamlessly introduce players to the world, the inventory system is getting a complete overhaul, and the menus are evolving to feel even more immersive. This portfolio will be updated as the game grows, so feel free to check back for new developments!

I joined this project because I fell in love with the premise, but working with this team has made it an incredible experience. The collaboration, creativity, and passion behind this game continue to inspire me, and I’ve been enjoying every step of the process. Huge shoutout to the UI/UX Engineer, Julian Loaiza — bringing these ideas to life together has been an amazing journey. I’m excited to keep pushing the design forward and see where we take it next.