Fishing for Multiplers
The Game
Fishing for Multipliers is a fast-paced mobile arcade prototype built around short, high-intensity play sessions. Players tap rapidly moving fish targets to build score multipliers while avoiding penalty obstacles within a 30-second time limit.
The project focuses on designing a tight gameplay loop where risk-reward targeting, escalating difficulty, and responsive audiovisual feedback reinforce player decision-making under time pressure.
Design Focus:
Score Systems • Difficulty Curves • Player Feedback Loops
Client: Hoosier Lottery
Agency: Cactus - Edges First
Role: Game Developer
Platform: Mobile-first microsite
Timeline: Nov 2024 – Feb 2025
My Contributions
Scoring & Multiplier System
I designed a tiered scoring framework where fish carried escalating multipliers (2x, 5x, 10x, etc.), encouraging players to prioritize higher-value targets instead of simply tapping the nearest object. To support this risk-reward structure, I implemented weighted spawn logic and velocity variation so that high-multiplier targets appeared less frequently and moved faster. This forced players to balance speed with accuracy while chasing higher scores.
The system was tuned to create moment-to-moment decision-making rather than pure reaction tapping.
Difficulty Phasing
Because the entire experience takes place within a 30-second session, pacing was critical.
I divided the session into progressive time segments that gradually increase difficulty:
• Early phase: slower fish and lower spawn density
• Mid phase: increased velocity and more simultaneous targets
• Late phase: obstacle targets introduced alongside high-value fish
This escalation preserves accessibility early in the round while steadily increasing cognitive load and precision demands as the timer approaches zero. The goal was to maintain tension without overwhelming players during such a short play window.
Feedback & UX
To reinforce player clarity and responsiveness on mobile, I designed tight audiovisual feedback loops tied to player actions. Successful hits trigger scale amplification, opacity fade-outs, and positive sound cues to reward accuracy and maintain momentum. Negative hits use contrasting red glow states and penalty audio to clearly communicate mistakes.
Feedback timing was tuned to feel immediate and tactile on mobile touch input, ensuring players could quickly understand both success and failure during fast interactions.
Technical & Production Challenges
One of the primary design challenges was building the experience mobile-first within a 9:16 aspect ratio while maintaining visual clarity across device sizes.
I implemented responsive UI scaling, adjusted hit detection zones for touch accuracy, and optimized object density to ensure the game remained readable even as spawn rates increased late in the session. These adjustments helped preserve smooth interaction and clear player feedback under increasing gameplay intensity.
Design Reflection
Designing a satisfying gameplay loop within a 30-second session constraint required careful balancing between accessibility and escalating challenge.
The most significant iteration involved adjusting the spawn frequency of high-value multiplier targets. Early versions allowed high multipliers to appear too frequently, creating runaway scoring advantages. Refining the spawn weighting helped ensure that skilled play was rewarded without destabilizing the scoring curve.
This project strengthened my ability to design focused gameplay systems where pacing, feedback clarity, and difficulty tuning must work together within tight production constraints.
