Paperbound — a 3D puzzle-platformer where you play an author trapped in his own book, interacting with quirky characters and solving spatial puzzles by using magical abilities that alter objects and the environment. I was the UI/UX designer (working alongside programmers and other designers); the project was my master’s thesis final project, showcased by Abertay University and developed by a 13-member team under Abertay supervision with feedback from Rocksteady Studios.

  • Platform: PC

  • Role: UI/UX Designer

  • Core Pillars: Narrative-driven platforming, object-manipulation puzzles, character interaction, and playful, author-themed mechanics.

  • Gameplay Highlights: Manipulate environment with magical abilities, solve context-sensitive puzzles, and navigate whimsical characters and levels that reflect the protagonist’s writing

  • Collaboration & Credits: 13-person student team; supervised by Abertay University professors; playtest/feedback support from Rocksteady Studios

  • Tools Used: Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Figma

  • Status: Final year thesis showcase / conceptual prototype (unreleased commercial product)

Main menu.

This is where the player is able to view their spells. I went for a skeuomorphic design with the binders and the leather bound elements to compliment the main character’s “writer” personality.

Different UI elements make up the all dialogue instances, from talking to an NPC to when you’re near them.

The style I adopted for the UI was inspired by first title Nintendo IP’s like Super Mario World and Kirby’s Adventures. Early on I prototyped a variety of colour palettes however the blue and red/pink combination worked best. Blue is used for as the body and pink as the accent.

Abilities are taken straight from the spellbook and into a real-time HUD display that pops up. On the left is the process I went through with the programmers and designers to come up with a viable system. On the right is the final version in the game with all the coloured elements. The radial menu operates by clicking right click after selecting the quill and whilst holding it, using scroll wheel to select a spell.

UI elements made for the game; menus, HUD etc.

In the game, you’re able to swap between two types of “weapons” in real-time: Quill and the Eraser Pen. When the quill is selected the icon on the HUD has a white border on it - the eraser pen appears faded (and vice-versa).

I made a simple animation of the quill using twenty sprites in After Effects. These were then exported into Unity.

 

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