GuEsstimate / an estimation mobile game
Guesstimate is a game that makes estimation fun! Players compete to get closest to the correct answer on questions that are difficult to know precisely. In Guesstimate, it's not what you know, but how well you can estimate that leads to victory.
process.
identifying the problem
The concept for Guesstimate emerged after I watched a TV game show and thought about how fun it would be to play something similar with friends. A quick search on the App Store revealed that this type of game was surprisingly missing from mobile game libraries. While there were plenty of trivia and word games, very few focused on the fun of estimating answers in a social setting.
solution & plan
My primary vision was to create a game app that genuinely brings people together and encouraging face-to-face interaction rather than isolating players behind their screens. To achieve this, I focused on these core decisions:
- Prioritize a clean, content-focused interface to keep gameplay clear and distraction-free
- Keep rules extremely simple, enabling players to understand and start playing within seconds
- Design the gameplay to adapt to different group dynamics and scale smoothly from small family gatherings to larger party settings
high fidelity wireframes
onboarding
Guesstimate features a flexible onboarding flow designed to accommodate various user preferences.
Players can create an account, log in with an existing account, or select "Play as Guest" for immediate access, without registration requirements.
Players with the app already installed can bypass the traditional login flow entirely by scanning a QR code or clicking an invitation link received from friends, placing them directly into an active game session. This approach prioritizes gameplay accessibility.
two game options
I noticed people play differently depending on their situation, so I designed two ways to play Guesstimate.
The players can choose "Single Device" when sitting together and passing one phone around, or they have the option to choose "Multiple Devices", when everyone prefers their own screen.
host mode with smart chat
Host mode is a standout feature that transforms the gameplay experience and allows one player to take the role of the game host/presenter. This host dramatically reveals questions and answers, creating an entertaining experience.
The host mode has also an integrated Smart Chat, which gives hosts the ability to provide clarifying information and share fun facts about the questions.
non creator-non host
Players don’t need to create a game or host themselves, but they can simply join a game.
In case two players want to host the same game, an easy voting system is implemented, where everyone chooses their preferred host, instead of forcing an automatic decision.
This creates a moment of excitement as players wait to see who will lead the session, transforming a potential conflict into a fun social interaction.
what I've learned.
I learned to create color styles, components and variants, rather than designing screens in isolation
A valuable skill that I’ve acquired was creating interactive prototypes. That transformed how I communicate my ideas
I developed my ability to map different user flows, while maintaining coherence across the experience