How to Avoid Too Much Cognitive Load for Players

Created on March 29, 2022

2022   ·   game ux   acagamic tip tuesday   ·   article

First published as The Acagamic Tip Tuesday #7 on acagamic.com. Edited for this archive.

Avoid putting too much cognitive load on the player when engaging in game actions. People are bad at multitasking.

Show complex information during a break, a pause, or after a match. Games without real-time action, such as turn-based strategy games, can show more, because players have time to process it before they move.

A Fortnite player in build mode, with build and rotate prompts beside the crosshair and building pieces in the bottom bar.
Fortnite's building UI shows only what the player needs in the moment.
The League of Legends: Wild Rift victory scoreboard listing kills, deaths, assists, items, and gold for both teams.
League of Legends: Wild Rift saves its dense scoreboard for after the match.
Gears Tactics, a turn-based game, shows tactical information to inform the player's strategy.


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