FI Ocean Adventure
A fresh meta-progression built on a familiar core design.
Project Overview
Ocean Adventure is a limited-time feature that expands Family Island’s core gameplay with a new upgrade path set on the vibrant Sunny Reef Island. It reuses proven mechanics from the Core Game Redesign and wraps them in a lighthearted, ocean-themed experience tied to daily events.
Company
My Role
Product Design Lead
Managed a team of 11 (UX/UI, concept artists, animators). Oversaw the feature end-to-end.
UX/UI Designer
Designed key screens: Ocean hub, building flows and event integration.
Concept Artist
Illustrated Sunny Reef buildings and characters, giving each a distinct personality tied to the ocean theme.
Extend progression beyond the main island
Reinforce the event loop with meaningful rewards
Introduce a charming new zone without overwhelming players
Reuse familiar mechanics to reduce onboarding friction
The Goal
Players unlock Sunny Reef Island, centered around the Dolphin House - the island’s "Main House”.
How It Works
To upgrade it, they must first improve six smaller buildings inspired by marine creatures:
Fish Shack
Crab Den
Turtle Hut
Snail Dome
Boat
Mushroom Cap
Upgrades require Ocean Items, earned by completing Ocean Rush, a special daily event.
Play the event → Get items → Upgrade buildings → Unlock big rewards
This creates a tight loop:
My Role
As mentioned - Product Design Lead, UX/UI Designer & Concept Artist
System & Economy Collaboration
Worked with game designers to define upgrade pacing and resource flow.
Market Research
Partnered with the research team to benchmark similar systems in top casual games.
Design Highlights
Original Art: I illustrated buildings in the island - playful, themed, and easy to recognize.
Micro-Interactions: Animations in my team, motion added charm to upgrades and progress moments.
Seamless UI: Players saw their daily tasks feeding directly into Ocean Adventure progression.
Narrative Loop: Each building felt like part of a story - growing the island felt meaningful.
Some of the concept designs I illustrated for the feature:
Built on a Proven System
Ocean Adventure reuses the Main House + sub-buildings structure introduced in the Core Game Redesign.
We kept:
Familiar interaction logic
Upgrade progression gates
One central building unlocked only after all others
A new themed island
A time-limited event connection
A different resource economy (Ocean Items)
But we added:
This allowed players to jump in with confidence - while still feeling like they were exploring something fresh.
Seasonal Reskins
Alongside the core feature, we designed several seasonal reskins of Ocean Adventure to support live events.
This included illustrated Halloween version, complete with themed buildings, eerie lighting, and spooky animations.
I also created concept art for additional reskin ideas, allowing the feature to evolve visually throughout the year.
Ocean Theme Beyond the Island
The oceanic visuals and characters were expanded into other areas of the game and marketing. We integrated themed assets into reward popups, loading screens, and campaign creatives. This visual cohesion helped reinforce the event’s identity across multiple touchpoints - making Ocean Adventure not just a feature, but a seasonal moment in the game’s world.
Although exact numbers are internal, the feature contributed to:
+20% increase in daily event engagement
Stronger mid-player retention during Ocean Adventure weeks
Positive feedback on the visuals and reward clarity
Reuse of the structure in future seasonal features
Results
Takeaways
Familiar frameworks scale beautifully when paired with fresh themes
A tight event-to-progression loop drives repeat engagement
Strong visual identity makes even meta-features feel playful and rewarding
