| name | t1k:designer:base:mobile |
| description | Mobile game design patterns — session design, retention mechanics, notification strategy, portrait/landscape, battery/thermal constraints, FTUE |
| effort | medium |
| keywords | ["mobile design","mobile game","UX","design"] |
| version | 1.12.0 |
| origin | theonekit-designer |
| repository | The1Studio/theonekit-designer |
| module | base |
| protected | false |
Game Mobile Design
When This Skill Triggers
- Designing session pacing or game loops for mobile
- Planning retention mechanics (daily quests, login rewards, streaks)
- Designing push notifications or re-engagement strategy
- Choosing portrait vs landscape layout
- Handling battery, thermal, or memory constraints
- Designing FTUE (First Time User Experience) onboarding
- Handling interruptions (phone calls, backgrounding)
Core Mobile Design Concepts
Session Design
- Optimal session: 3-5 min/level, 15-20 min/session, 3-5 sessions/day
- Micro-sessions: meaningful progress in <2 min (collect rewards, quick battle)
- Save-anywhere: auto-save after every action, exact resume
- Interruption: phone call/notification → auto-pause, seamless resume
- Offline progress: idle rewards accumulate (cap at 8-12 hours)
- Loading: <3s cold start, <1s hot resume, show tips during loads
→ See references/session-design.md for session bookends, micro-session patterns, idle rewards
Retention Mechanics
- D1/D7/D30 targets: 40-50% / 15-25% / 5-10%
- Daily login: 7-day escalating cycle, streak bonus, gentle reset (don't punish 1 missed day)
- Daily quests: 3 easy + 1 medium + 1 hard, complete 3/5 for bonus, midnight local refresh
- FTUE: 5-10 min, 3-5 guided actions, first win guaranteed
- Win-back: 3-day absence → comeback notification, welcome-back bonus on return
- Social: friend list, gift sending, guild contributions, leaderboards (friends only, not global)
→ See references/retention-mechanics.md for event cadence, notification timing, social hooks
Platform Constraints
- Battery: <5% drain per 30-min session, reduce effects on low battery
- Thermal: Adaptive Performance API to reduce particle/shader complexity on heat
- Memory: 1.5GB (low-end) / 3GB (mid) / 6GB (high) — always have fallback quality tier
- App size: <150MB initial download, <500MB total installed
- Frame rate: 30fps default (battery), 60fps option (quality), NEVER unlocked (thermal runaway)
- Screen: support 4.7"-6.7", safe area insets (notch, punch-hole, pill)
- Orientation: portrait = one-hand casual, landscape = immersive/action — pick ONE
→ See references/platform-constraints.md for safe area implementation, quality tiers, network handling
Quick Reference
| Decision | Mobile Rule |
|---|
| Session target | 15-20 min, 3-5 sessions/day |
| First win | Always guaranteed in tutorial |
| Notifications | Max 2/day, opt-in, respect quiet hours |
| Frame rate default | 30fps (battery); 60fps opt-in |
| Initial download | <150MB |
| Orientation | Portrait OR landscape — never both |
| Offline cap | 8-12 hour idle reward accumulation |
Anti-Patterns
| # | Anti-Pattern | Problem | Fix |
|---|
| 1 | Session too long (>30 min) | Players drop mid-session | Design natural 15-min pause points |
| 2 | Aggressive notifications (5+/day) | Uninstall spike | Max 2/day, content-relevant, opt-in |
| 3 | Strict streak punishment | Casual players quit after 1 miss | Gentle reset — keep streak bonus, not penalty |
| 4 | Uncapped frame rate | Thermal throttling, battery drain | Lock to 30fps default, 60fps toggle |
| 5 | No safe area insets | UI clipped by notch/pill | Apply Screen.safeArea on all edge UI |
| 6 | Global leaderboards only | New players always last | Friends + rank-range leaderboards |
Cross-References
- engine mobile skills (auto-activated via registry) — mobile optimization, texture compression
- engine mobile UI skills (auto-activated via registry) — touch input, gesture handling, safe area insets
game-economy-design — Session economy rhythm, daily quest rewards, ad integrationgame-ux-design — HUD layout for mobile, FTUE flow, onboarding UXpuzzle-game-design — Casual mobile puzzle pacing and session design
Reference Files
| File | Coverage |
|---|
references/session-design.md | Session structure, micro-sessions, offline progress, loading |
references/retention-mechanics.md | D1/D7/D30 targets, daily quests, FTUE, win-back, social |
references/platform-constraints.md | Battery, thermal, memory tiers, app size, screen/orientation |
Gotchas
- Thumb reach ≠ screen real estate — a button in the top-right corner is on-screen but unreachable one-handed on a 6.7" device. Validate with the bottom-half rule.
- Session length is set by your retention loop, not your wishes — if your D1 says 90s sessions, designing for 5-min runs guarantees churn.
- Battery + thermal budgets cap render quality — sustained 60fps on mid-tier Android at high quality is a myth; design with thermal throttling in mind.
