We’re looking for a UI/UX designer to lead the interface and control design for classic games ported between modern consoles, mobile devices, and PC.
There will be several challenges that come with the job
- Supplementing DOS-era UI without replacing it. Many titles were built around dense, keyboard-and-mouse-driven menus that players still expect to see. Here the challenge is to design an overlay and control layer that sits on top of the original interface, hooking existing menu calls through readable, gamepad-friendly menus and control hints while respecting and preserving the original screen layouts.
- Controller-first overhauls of pointer-driven games. Many older, Windows 95–98 era games are effectively unplayable without a mouse. Those will need genuine ground-up UX remakings: every menu item a few button presses away, while translating complex menus and screen navigation into something that reads instantly on TVs or handheld screens.
- Introducing mouse support where it never was. Console titles from the past were never intended to be controlled with keyboard and mouse. The UI is usually compact enough and is built around a controller, but is often not good for a pointing device. Secondly, analog stick and camera controls map very poorly to precise mouse controls and almost always require additional tailoring to feel proper.
What you’ll do
- Own the UI/UX vision, from control scheme to screen layout to on-screen guidance
- Design control schemes and input mappings, including gamepads, touch screen support, air cursor, PS5 touchpad, Switch 2 mouse-mode support, and potentially VR controls
- Produce overlay designs that extend legacy interfaces without breaking their original intent
- Lead the controller-first redesign of pointer-driven titles
- Build wireframes, mockups, and interactive concepts, then iterate them against real builds and playtests
- Design for localization from the start: keeping in mind UTF-8 text, variable string lengths, and tight UI real estate
- Work closely with programming, art, and production to get designs implemented and feeling right on hardware
- Keep the player’s experience the priority: improve quality of life without breaking the underlying game mechanics
What matters
- Shipped at least one game or port where you owned significant UI/UX work
- Strong command of console UX conventions and gamepad-first interaction design
- Ability to design within hard technical constraints and legacy systems rather than on a blank canvas
- A feel for readability on a TV at distance and on a small handheld screen: layout, type, contrast, and information density
- Comfort designing menu systems and input flows for complex, systems-heavy games
- Solid wireframing and mockup skills, and the judgment to know when to preserve versus when to rebuild
- Examples of your work — required
Nice to have
- Experience porting or remastering older PC titles to console
- Familiarity with console certification requirements
- Experience designing UI for localized releases
- Motion, air-cursor, or touch-input design experience
Terms
- Remote
- Full-time, project-based engagement
- Compensation negotiable
How to apply
Send your CV and portfolio to contact@bewareofbytes.com.