SNAKE EYES INTERFACE ATLAS
Study index/Stage I/UIX-03
03
Player decisions and journeys

How to study a studio decision

Borrow the principle, adapt the mechanism, or keep the case as reference?

THE SNAKE EYES BASELINE
R32 / 02 NOV 2026 Four profiles on one scale
WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Which visible choice does the work?

Trace the readout, its owner, the state and the interaction. Compare the same version or label the difference. A game capture, a patch illustration and an engineering slide answer different questions.

Study how four Remnant columns line up the same attributes. Name the comparison you want to make in your own playthrough.

Three for Snake Eyes ↓Top ten ↓Saved direction ↓
Read the full lesson Case files & solo exercise PDF ↗
01 / RESEARCH SHORTLIST

Three for Snake Eyes

CURATED FOR THIS QUESTION
Multiplayer first-person shooter · 2021

Battlefield 2042

In Collection, give owned and inspected creatures a shared order for public values. Keep labels visible when a value is unavailable.

Read the example ↓
Action adventure · 2020

The Last of Us Part II

For a selected format row, capture focus, actual selected value, affected rules and Back behavior separately. Read each through keyboard and controller paths.

Read the example ↓
Turn-based mech tactics · 2018

BATTLETECH

Prototype the active owner, selected target and public health separately in the battle HUD. Use a readback where the selected creature belongs to the other side.

Read the example ↓
02 / PRODUCTION CONTEXT

One question, different scales

Compare what the player can infer. The scale labels describe the production context of each example.

IndieRytmos↘AABATTLETECH↘AAABattlefield 2042↘
03 / COMPARATIVE GALLERY

The top ten

MECHANISM / EDITORIAL RANKING
How these examples were ranked

These editorial top tens compare eleven documented productions from 1990–2023, including later revisions. Each ordering weighs the stated problem, the visible mechanism or the applicability of the lesson according to the selected view. The three Snake Eyes picks can differ from the first three historical ranks. The pool favors traceable public sources with images. It underrepresents unpublished failures, older console documentation and games without English material. Award scope is reported separately, and the AA label describes an estimated production scale. A still records a visible state. A designer’s account records a reason. Neither measures how a Snake Eyes player will perform.

Each entry links to the image and the feature evidence. Award badges name the recognized category. The saved direction records the director’s own choices.

See how different genres answer this question
Multiplayer first-person shooterBattlefield 2042Trace the same field across the two teamsAction adventureThe Last of Us Part IISeparate focus, current value, consequences and edit pathTurn-based mech tacticsBATTLETECHLink the phase strip to the selected unit and its local detailTurn-based tactical strategyXCOM: Enemy UnknownTrace a preview to its spatial targetMusical path puzzleRytmosConnect a visible route to the documented sound ruleSurvival horrorDead SpaceFind the spatial home for each type of informationSuperhero tactical RPGMarvel’s Midnight SunsInspect an engineering example at its own levelGrid tactics puzzleInto the BreachPlace an exact rule beside its current subjectMusical graphic adventureLoomFollow a command from selected subject to musical inputHistorical narrative adventurePentimentLocate the exception rather than assuming one look is mandatory
10 / 10 references
AAA · Multiplayer first-person shooter2021

Battlefield 2042

Trace the same field across the two teams

Find the cyan and red team headings, then the matching icon columns beneath each. The left block keeps the local player’s three personal stats apart from the team tables.

Study notes and sources
Why it ranks
The release illustration exposes exactly which grouping and comparison path changed, down to matching columns.
Where it breaks down
This is DICE’s release illustration for in-match Conquest. Row values and list length are illustrative. It cannot show scroll behavior or round-end availability.
For Snake Eyes
In Collection, give owned and inspected creatures a shared order for public values. Keep labels visible when a value is unavailable.
Production
DICE / Electronic Arts · Conquest · 12 November 2021 early access, 19 January 2022 proposal, 8 March 2022 update 3.3. DICE and EA identify the studio and large-publisher release. The bracket describes production context.
Image context Original image Feature source Production source
Other views of this game
DICE / Electronic Arts. November gameplay captured by Morgan Park for PC Gamer. January and March illustrations issued by Battlefield.
AAA · Action adventure2020

The Last of Us Part II

Separate focus, current value, consequences and edit path

The highlighted Motor row still reads Off. Its detail pane names the cross-menu effects, and the separate Options › Accessibility instruction lets a reader find adjustments.

Study notes and sources
Why it ranks
The same frame exposes four often-confused states and pieces of information in an inspectable arrangement.
Where it breaks down
The menu is a pre-action state. A second capture and a reload test would be needed to verify an applied value and persistence.
For Snake Eyes
For a selected format row, capture focus, actual selected value, affected rules and Back behavior separately. Read each through keyboard and controller paths.
Production
Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment · Original PS4 release · June 2020 developer description and July 2020 SpecialEffect captures. Naughty Dog’s lead systems designer describes this first-party PlayStation production and feature set.
Image context Original image Feature source Production source The Game Awards 2020 · Innovation in Accessibility, for the overall game
Other views of this game
Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment. Original PS4 gameplay captured by SpecialEffect GameAccess.
AA · Turn-based mech tactics2018

BATTLETECH

Link the phase strip to the selected unit and its local detail

At the top phase 3 is highlighted. The same number appears beside units. At the bottom Behemoth’s selected portrait, named mech and front/rear diagrams identify which unit is described. The weapon list occupies another region.

Study notes and sources
Why it ranks
A named owner, an explicit phase and a local diagram let the reader trace three related facts without guessing which body they describe.
Where it breaks down
The store capture does not walk through a full turn or describe each colored marker. It cannot establish that all units of a size act together in every case.
For Snake Eyes
Prototype the active owner, selected target and public health separately in the battle HUD. Use a readback where the selected creature belongs to the other side.
Production
Harebrained Schemes / Paradox Interactive · 2018 PC game, publisher gallery · Backer Beta Manual page 11 and 2016 design diary are labeled separately. Editorial mid-scale estimate. Paradox documents the crowdfunding campaign, independent studio and publishing partnership. A production budget was not disclosed.
Image context Original image Feature source Production source Paradox publishing partnership Backer Beta Manual, initiative on page 11
Other views of this game
Harebrained Schemes / Paradox Interactive · publisher-supplied PC gameplay and page 11 of the Backer Beta Manual.
AAA · Turn-based tactical strategy2012

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Trace a preview to its spatial target

A line from the selected grenade action ends inside a translucent blast sphere. The HUD states that this is a free-aim frag grenade, giving the geometry a named scope.

Study notes and sources
Why it ranks
A visible arc and boundary make the mechanism inspectable even without access to code or simulation data.
Where it breaks down
The overlay is a predicted area. It does not identify every unit eventually damaged or show the realized explosion.
For Snake Eyes
If a battle command affects several public targets, expose the intended set before confirmation when the rules allow it. Record the realized event separately.
Production
Firaxis Games / 2K · 2012 PC original · publisher gallery and contemporaneous producer interview. Take-Two identifies the Firaxis studio and multiplatform 2K production. The scale bracket is editorial.
Image context Original image Feature source Production source Original PC manual 2013 BAFTA Games Awards · Strategy, for the game
Other views of this game
Firaxis Games / 2K · publisher-supplied PC screenshots.
Indie · Musical path puzzle2023

Rytmos

Connect a visible route to the documented sound rule

A yellow circuit runs around two raised cylinders and a red disc. The interview explains that contacts with emitters generate sounds. The path is inspectable even when the audio is unavailable.

Study notes and sources
Why it ranks
Visible geometry and documented sound generation can be distinguished precisely in one award-winning interaction.
Where it breaks down
The picture gives neither a played note nor the time between contacts. Check a recorded sequence before making a pacing claim.
For Snake Eyes
Give one resolved roll a matching visual receipt and audible cue. Review actual playback and a muted capture before claiming the cues carry the same information.
Production
Floppy Club · Original 2023 game · Apple’s 2024 developer interview and iPhone/iPad Interaction award. Apple’s award profile identifies a five-person Floppy Club team.
Image context Original image Feature source Production source 2024 Apple Design Awards · Interaction, game winner on iPhone and iPad
Other views of this game
Floppy Club · game images reproduced in Apple Developer’s interview.
AAA · Survival horror2008

Dead Space

Find the spatial home for each type of information

The character stands left of a projected Inventory panel. The item grid and the selected Med Pack description stay on that panel while a separate illuminated gauge remains on the suit.

Study notes and sources
Why it ranks
It makes the designer’s claim about available screen space visible while distinguishing status reading from item selection.
Where it breaks down
A still cannot demonstrate whether the simulation pauses or how quickly someone can select an item. Beaver’s account separately describes real-time menus.
For Snake Eyes
Place comparable items where both fit at the same viewing distance. Test legibility against the brightest and darkest intended Estate backgrounds.
Production
EA Redwood Shores / Electronic Arts · 2008 original · EA’s gallery for the original PC product, capture hardware and patch unspecified. The original senior producer describes EA’s team and its production of the integrated interface.
Image context Original image Feature source Production source 2009 BAFTA Games Awards · Use of Audio, a separate craft from the pictured HUD
Other views of this game
EA Redwood Shores / Electronic Arts · publisher gallery for the 2008 original.
AAA · Superhero tactical RPG2022

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Inspect an engineering example at its own level

Gonzales’s slide 125 connects two different menu presentations with an arrow. Earlier slides explain that controls can use shared screen components. This is evidence about how the team organized UI functionality.

Study notes and sources
Why it ranks
The author’s own diagram lets a reader distinguish a production mechanism from a visual similarity between screenshots.
Where it breaks down
The slide does not identify which code built Knee Strike, measure player learning or require another Unreal project to reproduce the architecture.
For Snake Eyes
Ask the architect to demonstrate two Snake Eyes screens calling the same permitted display operation while keeping their focus and recovery behavior independent.
Production
Firaxis Games / 2K · Publisher’s PC gallery · lead designer’s October 2022 account and UI engineer’s GDC 2023 slide 125. The lead designer describes a Firaxis and Marvel collaboration. The UI engineer separately describes the breadth of the production.
Image context Original image Feature source Production source Joel Gonzales, UI Engineering Patterns, original 2023 slides Unreal Engine, Joel Gonzales’s 2025 presentation
Other views of this game
Firaxis Games / 2K / Marvel. PC gameplay supplied by the publisher. Engineering slide by Joel Gonzales, GDC 2023.
Indie · Grid tactics puzzle2018

Into the Breach

Place an exact rule beside its current subject

The terrain panel identifies the chasm and the consequence for a pushed ground unit. The map still shows the position and threatened tiles, while objectives remain in a separate panel.

Study notes and sources
Why it ranks
The scope word for the affected unit type can be checked against a named tile without assuming an animation or inferred outcome.
Where it breaks down
This is the tooltip for one terrain type. The picture does not show a committed push, the identity of its result or every prediction available in the game.
For Snake Eyes
In Collection or battle Inspect, put the subject’s name directly beside the rule that applies. Ask which creature and which condition the sentence refers to.
Production
Subset Games · Original design · PC storefront capture and Netflix iPhone listing for the later mobile edition. Cofounders Justin Ma and Matthew Davis describe the small team, its full-time collaborators and the mobile adaptation.
Image context Original image Feature source Production source Developer announcement for the mobile edition 2019 Game Developers Choice Awards · Best Design, for the game
Other views of this game
Subset Games · developer-supplied PC gallery. Mobile capture supplied by Netflix on Apple’s App Store.
Publisher-led · Musical graphic adventure1990

Loom

Follow a command from selected subject to musical input

The target name reads clam while the distaff remains below the scene. Lettered and colored notes occupy a separate line so the player can relate the current object to an available input vocabulary.

Study notes and sources
Why it ranks
Its historically different command surface is still legible enough to distinguish object, input and an outcome that has yet to occur.
Where it breaks down
No spell resolution is visible. The frame says nothing about how the sound is mixed, which note was last played, or whether the player remembers a draft.
For Snake Eyes
Keep the target owner beside any symbolic battle command. Check whether someone can name both from a muted still and then observe an actual attempt.
Production
Lucasfilm Games · 1990 design · publisher-distributed color PC edition, exact capture build unspecified. Lucasfilm’s retrospective identifies the original team and period. A modern budget tier cannot be reconstructed from these materials.
Image context Original image Feature source Production source
Other views of this game
Lucasfilm Games · publisher-distributed PC screenshots.
Publisher-led · Historical narrative adventure2022

Pentiment

Locate the exception rather than assuming one look is mandatory

The settings image places Easy Read Fonts next to its checked value and describes the simpler rendering. Ligatures and Dialogue Speed are separate rows.

Study notes and sources
Why it ranks
The source makes a concrete user-facing override inspectable independently of the elaborate original lettering.
Where it breaks down
A checked option documents its displayed state. Without a matching dialogue capture it cannot show the resulting glyphs or all circumstances in which they change.
For Snake Eyes
If a presentation variant is considered, capture its selected setting and the same target sentence after applying it. Check wrapping at the actual resolution.
Production
Obsidian Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios · 2022 game · Lettermatic’s dialogue capture and Obsidian’s official settings image. The project director describes a small team within a major studio. The publisher’s scale alone does not describe the production team.
Image context Original image Feature source Production source Obsidian’s game and settings overview
Other views of this game
Obsidian Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios. Lorenz dialogue is a still from Lettermatic’s credited game capture, frame 50 of 50. Settings image supplied by Obsidian.
04 / DIRECTOR’S SELECTION

Saved direction

Loading saved references…