Project Description
EMPTY SHELL will throw you in a dark industrial environment, a secret facility on a Japanese island. Each volunteer has signed a contract for a “recovery operation” without being privy to too many details. A tense roguelite survival horror with a top down perspective.
Objective 1:
Balancing Challenge Without Compromising Fun
The difficulty of the client’s game was meant to appeal to players who enjoy high-stakes gameplay. However, early feedback suggested that the experience leaned too far into frustration, affecting overall player satisfaction.
While the game was designed to be tough, the level of punishment, such as limited recovery options and harsh penalties, was creating a negative player experience. This risked alienating the target audience and reducing engagement.
Our QA team conducted comprehensive playthroughs to evaluate the game’s difficulty curve. We pinpointed the areas where challenge became unfair rather than rewarding, and provided the developer with structured, actionable feedback. This included suggestions on checkpoint placement, enemy behavior, and resource distribution, all aimed at preserving difficulty while reducing frustration.
With our input, the developers refined the game’s balance to deliver a more rewarding experience. The final version maintained its intended difficulty and intensity, but with improved pacing and fairness, resulting in increased player satisfaction and a more engaging gameplay loop.
Objective 2:
Ensuring Seamless Xbox Controller Support
As part of a multiplatform release plan, the client aimed to provide full support for Xbox controllers to ensure a polished and consistent gameplay experience across devices.
Although basic controller functionality was in place, subtle UX issues, such as mismatched input prompts, inconsistent button mapping, and delayed feedback, were impacting the overall experience for controller users.
We deployed our QA team to test the entire game using Xbox controllers across different gameplay scenarios. Through focused play sessions and usability reviews, we identified key issues and offered targeted recommendations for control responsiveness, prompt accuracy, and UI adjustments tailored for controller input.
Following our feedback, the development team implemented several refinements that resulted in full Xbox controller compatibility. The final game delivered a smooth, intuitive control experience that matched player expectations and supported a successful cross-platform launch.
