Juicy damage UI feedback in video games

Lennart Nacke
9 min readJul 31, 2024

How to use UI iconography, text size, colour coding, timing, and audio to show impactful player damage feedback in your combat designs.

You know that rush when you land a perfect combo in your favourite game? That burst of visual and audio cues telling you, “Yes, you got it!” That’s what gamers call “juicy” feedback. It’s not just about seeing numbers pop up like disco beats. It’s about feeling the massive impact of your actions. Feeling that power of the mighty button press.

UI feedback is the secret sauce. It turns a good game into an unforgettable experience. So, why don’t we dive into the art of creating feedback that makes players feel the impact of every action for a second?

Effective combat feedback starts with visual cues. When a player lands a hit, the screen should erupt with information. Big, bold text and eye-catching icons are your allies here. The visual payoff should match the hit’s significance. Yes, it has flashy graphics. But, it conveys crucial info quickly and effectively.

Colour coding is another powerful tool in your arsenal here. Build a system where different hues represent varying levels of damage. Red for critical hits, yellow for medium damage, and blue for minor impacts, for instance. A colour-based hierarchy lets players quickly assess the situation. This helps their…

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Lennart Nacke
Lennart Nacke

Written by Lennart Nacke

I share effective strategies for better UX research, game design, and writing. University Research Chair & Tenured Full HCI Professor.