Persona Party Card Packs Update

Purchasing an add-on card pack should be an experience, not a transaction.

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Inspiration

We were inspired by the nostalgic thrill of opening card packs as children, whether Pokémon, sports collectibles, or otherwise. That satisfying and rewarding ritual of build-up, anticipation, and payoff is a timeless dopamine hit. We set out to recreate that satisfying, almost ASMR-like experience in Horizon, fusing tactile interaction with the polish of digital unboxing moments from games like FIFA Ultimate Team and NBA 2K. These moments have become shareable rituals for many, as is demonstrated by the popularity of card unboxing videos on YouTube, and we wanted to tap into this.

What it does

This update introduces an immersive, interactive, and highly satisfying unboxing experience when players earn add-on card packs in Persona Party: our Cards-Against-Humanity-meets-roleplay Horizon World. As opposed to before the update, players don't just receive cards, they unlock them in a mini-journey. The process heightens anticipation, engages multiple senses, and delivers a premium “moment” designed to drive emotional payoff.

Timing these moments right by connecting them to triggers such as the first time launching the world, or the 10th game played, not only provides users with a very, very satisfying and unique unlock experience, but also introduces them to the concept of add-on packs, which they can purchase in the store, and therefore encourages IAPs while also driving retention (as they will continue to attain these unlock moments by playing more games). The dopamine hit the user receives is something they can keep coming back for.

Here is how it works:

  1. The earned pack pops up in 3D.
  2. The player taps on the pack, which causes it to wiggle with anticipation.
  3. A satisfying “zip” opens the pack in a puff of coloured smoke.
  4. Cards emerge and float in a semicircle around the player, backs facing out. Each card’s back reflects its rarity.
  5. One by one, the player taps to flip each card - a quick spin, then slow, tension-filled reveal. This is the point at which the player finally finds out what card they got from the pack.
  6. The cards then fly away and into the player's pocket for use in the next game.
  7. All of these steps are paired with their own custom sound effects to make each moment more satisfying.

How we built it

We began with a comprehensive flowchart covering dev logic, art asset sequencing, and sound design needs. Early on, we faced a choice: use animated UI or build this as a 3D experience. We decided to make a 3D animation on the basis that it would be possible to create a more interactive, more tangible, and richer immersive experience that optimized for our primary goal: creating a satisfying moment.

Challenges we ran into

  • The lack of an animation controller makes creating animations quite challenging. Recording animations manually increased the likelihood of errors, and we had to re-record them multiple times.
  • Being able to create particle systems from scratch would have been a great advantage. If Horizon offered a particle system similar to Unity’s, rather than being limited to the built-in options, it would be possible to achieve impactful visual results more easily.
  • The lack of Script related communication possibilities creates different challenges like using entities very tightly coupling each other. Component based communication in direct script classes might introduce flexibility and consistency along persistent entities in environment.
  • Though many things can be managed by script controllers, tween-like scripted animation systems may reduce complexity.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're really proud of having created a moment that feels premium and differentiated from all the other stores out there. The animation design which combines colors, particles and sounds to make the packs and the moment itself feel rare and special, was able to capture a lot of emotion, taking the player on a roller coaster of an unlock journey in just under 20 seconds. The visual appeal of the cards and the card packs makes the player want to collect them and show them off to others, and we were able to use interaction to increase the players' connection to the moment, which itself becomes a ritual worth recording and sharing with others. Finally, it's worth noting that a lot of effort went into good sound design, which is the undersung hero in this whole process.

What we learned

We learned the importance of designing for emotional arc in micro-interactions. A well-paced, multi-sensory animation can have surprising impact on user engagement.

Technically, we deepened our understanding of Horizon’s limitations and where custom tooling (such as modular animation scripts) could fill the gaps. We also reinforced how crucial it is to prototype interaction before committing to art pipelines.

What's next for Persona Party Card Packs Update

Our next step is to integrate this animation into the in-game store flow. Currently, the store gizmo doesn't expose player position data at the moment of purchase, which is required for triggering the spatial animation correctly.

We plan to develop a custom storefront that supports this, allowing purchased packs to trigger the same rich animation as earned ones.

Note to Judges

Please note that I have applied for 4 subcategories. While our top 3 are "Most Satisfying Unlock Moment", "Most Satisfying Progression Rewards" and "Best Video Moment", the reason I didn't emphasize "Funniest World" as a primary subcategory is because the world did not become funny after the update. Rather, the world was always designed to be funny - so I wasn't sure if I should include it or not. I have selected it as a fourth subcategory just in case.

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