Posted on: 16 January 2025
Helldivers 2 has taken the gaming world by storm, becoming a massive commercial success and a strong contender for multiple awards. The cooperative shooter, where players unite to protect democracy from alien bugs and robotic foes, combines thrilling gameplay with a biting satirical edge that resonates with audiences. Yet, even in the glow of its triumph, there are usability issues that threaten to tarnish its long-term appeal—particularly as the game grows and evolves.
This post explores two key areas where Helldivers 2 could improve its user experience: the organization of stratagems and the design of their icons. These issues, though seemingly minor, can significantly impact player satisfaction, especially as the game expands its content.
In Helldivers 2, stratagems—deployable tools like airstrikes, supply drops, or automated turrets—are central to gameplay. Players customize their loadouts before missions, selecting from a growing list of options. Currently the stratagems are organized into 3 categories (Offensive, Supply, Defensive), shown in Figure 1. As the number of stratagems increases, the process of choosing the right ones becomes unwieldy.
This is a classic example of the Hick-Hyman Law, which states that the time it takes to decide increases with the number and complexity of choices. When players face an unstructured, lengthy list of stratagems, they may feel overwhelmed, leading to frustration. The solution lies in a redesign of the information architecture.
The defensive category is fine for now with 12 items to consider, but if this list expands to 15 or more than regrouping will need to be explored. The offensive group of 16 items should be split easily into 2 consisting of stratagems that are orbital or aerial in nature, which is already suggested in the icon designs.
Regrouping the supply stratagems is particularly challenging because their functions overlap in complex ways. Some stratagems deliver weapons, others provide backpacks, and some combine both. Additionally, their usage varies: while certain stratagems rely on bullets, others deploy lasers or missiles, making it difficult to define clear, mutually exclusive categories. This lack of obvious grouping underscores the need for user research, such as card sorting, where players can organize stratagems based on their own mental models. Insights from such exercises could reveal natural groupings or preferences that might not be apparent to designers, ensuring the new categorization aligns with player expectations and usability needs.
Icons play a crucial role in Helldivers 2’s fast-paced missions. Players rely on visual cues to identify and deploy stratagems quickly. However, the current icon design falls short, with symbols that are too similar or ambiguous, making it difficult for players to differentiate between. Consider a couple examples below.
Example 1: Shown are two different rocket launcher weapons, that behave very differently, but the only visual differences between the icons are the missile design (extra line versus and dot), and subtle differences in the weapon outline.
Example 2: Shown are two different orbital barrages, where the only visual differences between the icons are the missile design (slightly thicker weight), and slight diagonal arrangement of the bombs.
This undermines one of the primary benefits of icons: their ability to convey information quickly and intuitively. Poor icon design can lead to mistakes, such as selecting the wrong stratagem, leading to user frustration.
Thankfully the use of labels reduces the opportunity to make mistakes, but reading takes time and slows the users. Expert gamers will be able to remember which stratagems they have selected, and the corresponding codes to enter while playing (the sequence of arrows below the label), but novice users will struggle.
To improve the icons in figure 2:
Helldivers 2 is a masterpiece of cooperative gaming; however, its success brings challenges. Addressing the usability issues with stratagem organization and icon design isn’t just about improving the current experience—it’s about future-proofing the game. As the content expands, refining these aspects will ensure Helldivers 2 continues to stand out not just as a great game, but as an exemplary user experience.
The battle for democracy may be fictional, but the battle for user satisfaction is very real — and one worth fighting.
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