Main Menu

Loading… Loading… I wonder, is this game as good as its reviews. Loading… Loading… how fun will it be. Loading… Loading… Here it comes and — oh, it looks awful. Your game’s first vital sign is the main menu. If your menu is bad then your games dead. To help your main menu shine I have constructed a list of 10 common mistakes.

• Only animate your menu when the user performs an action.
• If your game doesn’t use the mouse then your menu shouldn’t.
• Easy to read text. Easy to use controls.
• If you have many items, smash’em together. For example, Contact us, website, and credits fall under the same umbrella. Group them together.
• On the other hand, if your website only includes Contact us, website, and credits, then skip the main menu at the start of the game, and show it at the end of the game.
• The selected text should stand out from other text.
• No distractions. Keep things simple. I don’t want to see flying pigs floating around when I’m trying to read the text.
• Your menu should set the mood for the game. A scary game shouldn’t have light music on the main menu.

Good vital signs keep your game alive. Don’t let your main menu kill your game.