Game Design  ·  Product Design  ·  2023

Rock On,
Raccoon!

Battle other animal groups as a raccoon garage-band in this rhythm mobile game. Designed to be accessible to casual players while sustaining long-term engagement for competitive ones.

App Store Google Play
Role
Team Lead
Product Designer
UI/UX Designer
Team
2 members
Duration
11 weeks
Rock On, Raccoon! — iPad mockup

01  ·  The Need

Designing
a rhythm game.

Designing a rhythm game that is accessible to casual players while sustaining long-term engagement for competitive players.

2-in-1
audience — casual players who want a fun pick-up-and-play experience and competitive players who want depth
< 60s
to learn the core mechanic — accessible enough that no tutorial is needed for new players
∞
replayability through difficulty tiers, leaderboards, and a narrative that keeps players coming back

02  ·  Design

How it
plays.

Falling targets are slid upon by the player via swipes to sync with the beat.

Scoring
Points are awarded by faster timing and multi-note combos.
Difficulty
Adjusted by changing the speed, frequency, and volume of notes.

03  ·  Design

Story &
Narrative.

The player takes on the role of a raccoon band battling other animal groups in musical duels — progressing through increasingly challenging opponents to become the ultimate garage-band champion.

Story Mode Character Design World Building Progression

04  ·  Design

Player
Engagement.

Unlockable content and a ranked competitive ladder keep both casual and hardcore players invested across dozens of sessions.

Casual Hook
Accessible one-finger swipe mechanic — playable in short sessions without prior rhythm game experience.
Competitive Layer
Ranked matchmaking and precision scoring reward mastery and keep skilled players challenged.
Progression
Unlockable band members, stages, and song tracks tied to story milestones and ranked achievements.
Replayability
Each song has three difficulty tiers. High-score leaderboards and daily challenges drive repeat play.
Design Goal
Make the base mechanic learnable in under 60 seconds — no tutorial needed for casual players.
Design Goal
Give competitive players a visible skill ceiling — timing precision scoring, combo multipliers, and ranked tiers.
Finding
Narrative framing increases session length — players continue to see what comes next beyond the core mechanic.
Finding
Character personality and animal theming creates emotional attachment that pure score-chasing alone cannot.

05  ·  Final Design

The prototype
& the app.

A fully realized mobile game prototype — vibrant character art, clear beat visualizations, and an interface that stays out of the way when the music starts.

Rock On, Raccoon! — gameplay hero shot
Mobile Game

Rhythm-based swipe mechanic — single finger, multi-difficulty, full narrative arc

Gameplay mechanics
Character narrative
Character narrative
In-context play
Score Display
App Screens

A vibrant, high-energy UI built for mobile play — bold character art, clear beat visualizations, and an interface that stays out of the way when the music starts.