Loading Screen UX

The design of the mandatory wait period between game states, managing perceived wait time, providing value, and maintaining engagement through tips, visuals, or minigames.

In games, this means

Research shows that loading screen tips, ambient animations, and progress bars all reduce perceived wait time even when actual load time is identical. Namco patented loading-screen minigames in 1995 (now expired). The worst loading screens: a static logo, no progress indicator, and no sense of how long remains. The best: interactive, informative, and brand-consistent.