KINGJECTS
A fast-paced obstacle-dodging game where you race against time as the character King.
Role
Backend Developer & UX/UI Designer
timeline
November 2024 – January 2025
Kingjects is a fast-paced obstacle-dodging game inspired by the thrill of Temple Run, reimagined with a medieval twist. Players race as a brave knight, dodging traps, collecting coins, and sprinting through dungeons to survive as long as possible.
This project was built as a creative collaboration with friends who loved endless runner games but wanted to see the concept in a new light. My role was to design both the UX/UI gameplay flow and contribute to the development in Unity, ensuring the experience felt engaging, rewarding, and visually immersive.
The Challenge: Making Old-School Fun Feel Fresh
Most endless runner games look and feel similar, which created a clear challenge for Kingjects.
The goal was to take a familiar mechanic — swiping to dodge, jump, and slide — and make it feel exciting again. At the same time, the design needed to integrate a medieval theme without losing clarity or speed. Finally, the game had to strike the right balance in difficulty, keeping players challenged while still motivated to try again.
Research: Exploring Endless Runner Patterns
To understand how to design Kingjects, I looked at popular endless runner games like Temple Run, Subway Surfers, and other titles in the genre. By analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, I discovered what keeps players engaged and what creates frustration.
This research highlighted the importance of simple controls, rewarding progression, and a unique theme to stand out in a crowded mark
et.
Insights: What I Learned
From the research phase, I uncovered several key insights that shaped the game concept:
Players wanted familiar mechanics – Endless runner gameplay (like Temple Run) felt instantly understandable and fun, lowering the learning curve.
Theme matters for immersion – My friends were excited about the medieval knight idea, as it made the game feel unique compared to typical modern settings.
Challenge keeps engagement – Players highlighted that increasing speed, more obstacles, and rewards (like boosts) were essential for replayability.
Accessibility is key – Simpler controls (left, right, boost) were preferred, making the game easy to pick up and play without tutorials.
These insights confirmed that combining a simple runner mechanic with a fresh medieval theme could create a fun and engaging experience, while also leaving room for future features and complexity.
Ideation: From Sketches to Gameplay Flow
Using quick sketches and Crazy 8’s, I mapped out:
Different obstacle ideas (rolling boulders, spike traps, collapsing floors).
UI placements for score, coins, and lives that don’t distract from gameplay.
Possible themes for environments: dungeon, castle courtyard, forest path.
These sketches later became wireframes for the game flow, defining how players interact with the world step by step.
To explore the core mechanics, I created a low-fidelity wireframe focusing on movement, obstacles, and rewards.
The goal was to quickly test how players would interact with the game loop before investing in visuals.
Key elements in the wireframe:
Movement controls (left, right, forward, boost) to simulate player input.
Obstacles blocking the path, forcing players to react.
Boost power-ups designed to add excitement and variety.
HUD elements like timer and score counter to give real-time feedback.
This lo-fi stage allowed me to validate the basic game flow — showing that the endless runner concept worked with a knight-theme and helped identify improvements early on.
User Testing & Iteration
Final Outcome & Reflection
The final version of Kingjects successfully combined the fast-paced thrill of endless runners with a unique medieval knight theme. Players responded positively to the mix of familiar mechanics and fresh storytelling, highlighting how the knight character, obstacles, and rewards created an immersive experience.
Through this project, I learned the importance of iterating on player feedback, balancing speed, clarity, and challenge to keep gameplay both fun and engaging. I also gained valuable insight into how thematic design choices — such as character identity, environment, and item rewards — can elevate a simple mechanic into something memorable.
If I were to take the game further, I would explore adding more item variety, expanding level design complexity, and introducing progression systems (such as upgrades or achievements) to keep long-term engagement high.
This project not only improved my technical and design skills but also showed me how user-centered iteration can transform a simple idea into a game that feels rewarding and unique.
