Funzio
Crime City
A role-playing game for web and mobile
Overview
I partnered closely with Funzio’s founders to build Crime City from the ground up, playing a key role in defining early mobile social gaming through mission-driven progression, stylized visuals, and rich social interactions on iOS and Facebook. As the sole designer, I led the full product development lifecycle—from initial concept to launch—leveraging strategic insight, systems design expertise, and strong visual skills to continuously iterate and innovate. I created core gameplay mechanics including the shop and builder features, avatar customization, player profiles, and collections, significantly boosting player engagement with advanced personalization tools. This foundational work was instrumental in the franchise’s successful $210 million acquisition in 2012.
Style Guide
I shaped Crime City’s distinctive visual identity and overall “look and feel” by setting standards for visual and motion design, creating templates, and building extensive visual asset libraries that streamlined production and facilitated rapid reskinning. I developed custom iconography sets and vector illustrations optimized for early mobile and web platforms, crafting a vibrant, cohesive visual language. The game’s iconic style has been described as a unique fusion of SimCity and Grand Theft Auto.
Core Mechanics & Modular UI
I designed modular player experience templates—covering shop systems, character customization, and more—that skillfully balanced engaging gameplay with the technical limitations of early 2.5D games on first-generation iPhones and Facebook. By establishing scalable UI/UX frameworks, I ensured consistent interaction patterns, enhanced player engagement, and developed reusable components that accelerated production workflows. These adaptable frameworks were essential for efficiently reskinning Crime City and tailoring its core mechanics to similar social mobile titles, enabling the swift release of new games with consistent quality and familiar player experiences across multiple platforms.
Map & Locations Icons
Map & Loations Icons