Cursed Crown
Cursed Crown
Cursed Crown
GLADE STUDIO
2025
Role
Game UI Designer
Game UI Designer
Timeline
8mo to alpha
8mo to alpha
Team
8 people
8 people
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
An RPG with lifelike AI characters.
An RPG with lifelike AI characters.
An RPG with lifelike AI characters.
Cursed Crown is an anime-style action RPG where your journey is shaped by personalized AI NPCs and an emotionally resonant, infinitely replayable experience.
The game invites players to slow down, savor meaningful connections, and forge their own path. Whether seeking thrilling combat, heartfelt bonds, or quiet moments of reflection, every player’s experience is unique.
Cursed Crown is an anime-style action RPG where your journey is shaped by personalized AI NPCs and an emotionally resonant, infinitely replayable experience.
The game invites players to slow down, savor meaningful connections, and forge their own path. Whether seeking thrilling combat, heartfelt bonds, or quiet moments of reflection, every player’s experience is unique.
THE IMPACT
THE IMPACT
A game that allows players to forge their own path.
A game that allows players to forge their own path.
A game that allows players to forge their own path.
After presenting Cursed Crown at GDC and releasing the game's trailer, we generated significant excitement and awareness among the player community. The reveal reached thousands of players across social media and gaming platforms, helping establish early interest in the project and building momentum ahead of launch.
This increased visibility also created valuable opportunities to gather player feedback, validate the game's visual direction, and grow an engaged audience around the title.
After presenting Cursed Crown at GDC and releasing the game’s trailer, we generated significant excitement and awareness among the player community. The reveal reached thousands of players across social media and gaming platforms, helping establish early interest in the project and building momentum ahead of launch.
This increased visibility also created valuable opportunities to gather player feedback, validate the game’s visual direction, and grow an engaged audience around the title.
First place
First place
GDC 2025 Best in Play
GDC Best in Play
2300+
2300+
Wishlists on Steam
98K
98K
Views on trailer
150
150
Alpha testers
THE CHALLENGE
THE CHALLENGE
Designing for a world that thinks for itself.
Designing for a world that thinks for itself.
Designing for a world that thinks for itself.
Cursed Crown houses NPCs powered by AI. They remember, react, and pursue their own agendas.
A player could say, "pass me that sword behind you" or "help me refine this dagger in my inventory," and the NPC would physically interact with objects to fulfill the request. This was new ground for game development.
The core challenge was extending conventional RPG UI to support conversation-driven interactions. The UI had to surface dynamic, emergent information from those characters as they respond to the player's actions in real-time.
Cursed Crown houses NPCs powered by AI. They remember, react, and pursue their own agendas.
A player could say, “pass me that sword behind you” or “help me refine this dagger in my inventory,” and the NPC would physically interact with objects to fulfill the request. This was new ground for game development.
The core challenge was extending conventional RPG UI to support conversation-driven interactions. The UI had to surface dynamic, emergent information from those characters as they respond to the player’s actions in real-time.
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
Learning to prioritize player immersion and engagement.
Learning to prioritize player immersion and engagement.
Learning to prioritize player immersion and engagement.
This project was my first time designing game UI. I researched similar titles to understand the conventions first, and then identified where Cursed Crown departs from them.
This project was my first time designing game UI. I researched similar titles to understand the conventions first, and then identified where Cursed Crown departs from them.
Competitive analysis.
Competitive analysis.
I played and studied a set of reference games chosen to test different aspects of game UI, such as how they handle inventory, conversation, world-state feedback, and HUD clarity.
I played and studied a set of reference games chosen to test different aspects of game UI, such as how they handle inventory, conversation, world-state feedback, and HUD clarity.
Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild
A near-empty HUD can still give players everything they need. This pushed me to question every element I added and whether it’s earned its place.
A near-empty HUD can still give players everything they need. This pushed me to question every element I added and whether it’s earned its place.
Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact
A live-service RPG that can manage inventory, quests, characters, and more without overwhelming the players. This was particularly useful for thinking through IA depth.
A live-service RPG that can manage inventory, quests, characters, and more without overwhelming the players. This was particularly useful for thinking through IA depth.
Nier: Automata
Nier: Automata
The UI is a part of the narrative voice and shows how strongly tone and visual identity can be carried through interface design.
The UI is a part of the narrative voice and shows how strongly tone and visual identity can be carried through interface design.
DESIGN SYSTEM
DESIGN SYSTEM
Determining the visual language.
Determining the visual language.
Determining the visual language.
The story of Cursed Crown takes place in Alder, a medieval fantasy world. It draws inspiration from the anime series Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and Legend of Zelda games, which revolve around relaxed pacing and more nuanced character interactions. This had to be reflected through the interface and the way players engage with the world.
Before designing individual screens, I established a visual foundation to capture the right aesthetic. The typography, color, iconography, and component shape had to reinforce the medieval-anime tone without breaking immersion. The goal was a design system that felt native to the world and is part of the narrative voice.
The story of Cursed Crown takes place in Alder, a medieval fantasy world. It draws inspiration from the anime series Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and Legend of Zelda games, which revolve around relaxed pacing and more nuanced character interactions. This had to be reflected through the interface and the way players engage with the world.
Before designing individual screens, I established a visual foundation to capture the right aesthetic. The typography, color, iconography, and component shape had to reinforce the medieval-anime tone without breaking immersion. The goal was a design system that felt native to the world and is part of the narrative voice.
INVENTORY SYSTEM
INVENTORY SYSTEM
Organizing a massive, multi-category inventory.
Organizing a massive, multi-category inventory.
Organizing a massive, multi-category inventory.
In Cursed Crown, players can accumulate hundreds of weapons, equipment, consumables, and more over the course of their journey. The primary challenge is structuring a layout where massive vaults of items are organized and easy to navigate.
To solve this, I designed a menu with sub-tabs to sort everything. Items are displayed in a grid with color-coded rarity levels and unique icons, so players instantly recognize what they're looking for. The split-screen layout allows players to scroll through their inventory on one side while viewing descriptions, attributes, and actions on the other.
In Cursed Crown, players can accumulate hundreds of weapons, equipment, consumables, and more over the course of their journey. The primary challenge is structuring a layout where massive vaults of items are organized and easy to navigate.
To solve this, I designed a menu with sub-tabs to sort everything. Items are displayed in a grid with color-coded rarity levels and unique icons, so players instantly recognize what they’re looking for. The split-screen layout allows players to scroll through their inventory on one side while viewing descriptions, attributes, and actions on the other.
AI NPC INTERACTION
AI NPC INTERACTION
Supporting lifelike character interactions.
Supporting lifelike character interactions.
Supporting lifelike character interactions.
Another major challenge revolved around the AI NPC interaction. While some quest-based conversations follow a dialogue tree, the AI NPCs can speak dynamically and have an active conversation with player at any other time. They remember past interactions, pursue their own goals, and can physically act in the world.
The UI had to support linear and AI dialogue. This led to two variations: one that follows traditional dialogue UI, and another that allows active conversations as players get to know characters, ask about world lore, or say something unexpected.
Another major challenge revolved around the AI NPC interaction. While some quest-based conversations follow a dialogue tree, the AI NPCs can speak dynamically and have an active conversation with player at any other time. They remember past interactions, pursue their own goals, and can physically act in the world.
The UI had to support linear and AI dialogue. This led to two variations: one that follows traditional dialogue UI, and another that allows active conversations as players get to know characters, ask about world lore, or say something unexpected.
Linear dialogue UI: Players choose from a list of responses and the conversation follows a traditional dialogue tree.
AI dialogue UI: Players can chat freely and build a dynamic relationship with the characters.
FINAL SCREENS
FINAL SCREENS
The delivered UI.
The delivered UI.
The delivered UI.
The following screens represent the UI systems shipped for alpha. Each was built directly in Unreal Engine 5 using UMG and Blueprints, translating the Figma designs into functional in-engine widgets.
The following screens represent the UI systems shipped for alpha. Each was built directly in Unreal Engine 5 using UMG and Blueprints, translating the Figma designs into functional in-engine widgets.
Title screen to start the game
Loading screen between areas
HUD overlay with essential elements
Inventory menu to sort and equip items
Dungeon difficulty selection screen
Story log to track collected dungeon notes
REFLECTION
REFLECTION
Prioritizing immersion and world building.
Prioritizing immersion and world building.
Prioritizing immersion and world building.
As a product designer attempting game UI for the first time, I kept asking the same question throughout: does this look like a game or a product? Product and UX design trained me to reduce friction, clarify, and simplify. Those instincts are useful, but they also drain the life out of a game if you let them.
Cursed Crown takes place in a medieval fantasy world drawn from anime like Frieren and the quieter moments in Zelda games. That tone had to live in the UI too. The equipment and consumable icons are all hand-drawn. The typography reads old without being illegible. The fantasy UI ornaments are subtle but still there. These decisions came from caring about the world, and prioritizing immersion, world-building, and player engagement. The best games start as passion projects, and players feel that.
As a product designer attempting game UI for the first time, I kept asking the same question throughout: does this look like a game or a product? Product and UX design trained me to reduce friction, clarify, and simplify. Those instincts are useful, but they also drain the life out of a game if you let them.
Cursed Crown takes place in a medieval fantasy world drawn from anime like Frieren and the quieter moments in Zelda games. That tone had to live in the UI too. The equipment and consumable icons are all hand-drawn. The typography reads old without being illegible. The fantasy UI ornaments are subtle but still there. These decisions came from caring about the world, and prioritizing immersion, world-building, and player engagement. The best games start as passion projects, and players feel that.
THE GAME
THE GAME
Play Cursed Crown.
Play Cursed Crown.
Play Cursed Crown.
Cursed Crown is in alpha, still being shaped by the people playing it. Add it to your Steam wishlist to stay up to date on the upcoming release for beta testing and early access.
Cursed Crown is in alpha, still being shaped by the people playing it. Add it to your Steam wishlist to stay up to date on the upcoming release for beta testing and early access.