Rotary
A memory game where the thing you are trying to remember refuses to stay still
An experimental mobile game I designed around a simple twist on the classic memory mechanic: all the pieces continuously rotate on concentric rings. I developed the concept into a complete product experience covering gameplay, branding, UI, animation, progression, themes, power-ups and promotional visuals, which makes it a useful example of how I think beyond an isolated screen or asset.
Brief
Rotary started with one question: what happens to a familiar matching game if the positions never stay fixed?
The idea became a mobile game where coloured pieces rotate on concentric circles and players must track both identity and movement. I wanted the mechanic, interface and brand to feel like one idea rather than a game with a logo added later.
Challenge
The game deliberately increases cognitive load, which meant the visual design had to do the opposite.
As levels progressed, more colours appeared and the rings rotated faster. UI feedback, hierarchy and interaction states needed to remain extremely clear while the play area became harder to follow.
The identity also had to stretch across dark and light themes, icons, promotional imagery, menus and gameplay without becoming visually noisy.
Execution
I built the visual language around circular movement and simple geometry, using the rotating rings as both the gameplay mechanic and the core brand device.
I designed the full interface, progression structure, power-ups and theme system. Power-ups could slow rotation, briefly reveal all colours or reduce recorded completion time, each with its own clear visual state.
Animation, menu transitions, iconography, branding and promotional materials all reused the same circular logic, so the product felt designed as one connected system rather than a collection of screens.
Stills & Styleframes
Results
Rotary became a complete playable and branded product rather than remaining a mechanic prototype.
Commercially, it did not gain traction in a crowded mobile market. Creatively, it became a valuable exercise in interaction clarity, brand consistency and building an entire visual system around one behavioural idea.
Apparently the world wanted Flappy Bird. I respect the democratic process.
Personal View
This project taught me a lot about the difference between making something interesting and making something frictionless enough for a mass mobile audience.
I still like the mechanic, precisely because it asks the player to pay attention. It also showed me early on how naturally I gravitate toward connected systems where branding, motion, UI and behaviour all come from the same core idea.