Creating Iconography and Currency Design in Mobile Games: How Game Design Impacts?

In recent years, the mobile gaming industry has rapidly expanded, and factors such as visual appearance have become very important to the customer. One of the most visual components is icons and the design of virtual currencies, which plays a decisive role in making the whole experience pleasant.

Apart from making the gaming experience more interesting, these design components are also very important for making money. Effective currency category design can grab more attention from consumers and increase the number of purchases they make. Now, let’s try to understand how the designing of icons and currency in mobile games affects a customer and the revenue.

The Importance of Iconography Design in Mobile Games

Combat games, console or PC gaming, and mobile games are fundamentally different activities, whereas mobile games are played on a small screen, which means that the message needs to be communicated visually in a very short span of time. This is where the ecosystem comes in. Icons are like pictures but do not exclusively represent something; rather, they speak on lots of things in short – a picture, a serious concept; picture this, but in concise and easy paving. It has already been stated that a well-outlined icon can easily explain the benefit of a game without the need for any textual information.

Think about the elements found mostly in a mobile game, such as a health bar, power-ups, achievements, and in-game currency, for example. These small but powerful images are critical in terms of user interaction with the game. However, it is not enough to only make the icons attractive. Iconography should be:

• 1. Intuitive – Players should instantly understand what an icon represents.
• 2. Consistent – Icons should match the overall design aesthetic and not feel out of place.
• 3. Scalable – Icons need to be legible and recognizable on screens of all sizes.

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Designing In-Game Currencies: More Than Just Numbers

The in-game currency functions as an integral part of the mobile game ecosystem, focusing more on the free-to-play games. Players earn or buy the currency in order to unlock extra features or customize their characters or progress through the level in a shorter period of time. However, aside from those practical purposes, game currencies are also great design software that complements the general feeling of the game.

Case Study: Mobile Legends Diamonds

Mobile Legends diamonds are one of the most commonly used in-game currency examples, whereby it is the premium currency in the excellent mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. These diamonds are not only a number or simply a certain amount of data. They enhance the real experience of players making real purchases. Jewels like Mobile Legends diamonds attract users as if they are purchasing a very valuable item. More techniques are employed by these mobile phone game designers; the one of them is surrounding an object with physical attraction by use of currency. The more appealing and unique it appears, the more fake currency players are willing to purchase.

Key Principles of Currency Design in Mobile Games

Designing in-game currency is a delicate balance of form and function. Here are a few principles to keep in mind:

1. Visual Value Representation

One of the most important elements of currency design is how the currency is visually represented. Players need to associate the currency with value, so giving it a design that conveys worth is crucial. For instance, gold coins, jewels, or gems are common motifs because they naturally represent value in the real world.

In Mobile Legends, diamonds are not just shaped like generic gems; they are given a polished, vibrant glow, indicating their worth in the game. Players are more likely to spend money on in-game purchases when the currency itself feels valuable.

2. Distinctiveness

In many mobile games, there are multiple currencies—premium currencies (like Mobile Legends diamonds), soft currencies (earned by playing), and special event currencies. The design of these different currencies should be distinct so that players can easily differentiate between them.

Distinctiveness also helps highlight the premium status of certain currencies. In Mobile Legends, for example, diamonds stand out because of their exclusive design, which immediately separates them from any other in-game currency.

3. Ease of Recognition

Players should be able to recognize the in-game currency quickly, even at a glance. The design needs to be simple enough to be legible in different sizes and clear enough to avoid any confusion. The use of bold colors, contrasting outlines, and simple geometric shapes can make a currency icon stand out.
A great example is how Mobile Legends diamonds are often represented as a standalone icon or next to the player’s inventory, making them instantly recognizable, whether you’re looking at the in-game shop or your currency balance.

Also read: Exploring the Role of AI Characters in Modern Video Games

How does Iconography Influence User Behavior?

Calling iconography in mobile games just aesthetics would be an understatement, and this is a factor which determines how players behave and how much they invest in the game. Certain factors of efficient icon and currency designs can affect the actions of the users, and they are in the following ways.

1. Encouraging In-Game Purchases

When currency looks valuable, players are more likely to purchase it. The design of Mobile Legends diamonds, for example, are strategically designed as stones, persuading the players that they are precious. When the currency is in some appealing form, it makes the players to want to spend cash on such items.

2. Improving Game Flow

Perfect use of symbols guarantees that a player does not experience any difficulties while scrolling through a game. When they have to remember the frames for health, power-ups, or currency, the game does not seem overwhelming, as the progression is more natural. This is more critical in fast-paced mobile games where the flow is key, and any interruption from this causes the player to lose focus.

3. Creating a Sense of Achievement

Icons are almost always associated with achievements or rewards in games. Through the use of visually appealing icons for achievement attainment, gamers are satisfied. However, aesthetically pleasing currency icons, such as the ones from Mobile Legends, serve as a tremendous enhancement to this experience when earned or bought by gamers.

Conclusion

The development of iconography and currency design for mobile games has not only a visual impact but is also an effective process for defining user and revenue opportunities. Considering every aspect, from the detailed and complex designs of the icons leading players in the game to the beautiful and tempting nature of the Mobile Legends diamonds in the game, such elements alter how players associate with the game.

Developers of mobile games can make changes to the gameplay and game aesthetics without repercussions by creating good-looking and functional interfaces. Next time you are in a mobile game and drooling at the currency icon because it’s really shiny, do not forget that it’s not just for visual appeal. That is actively working to ensure that you do not leave the application.