The Journey of Crafting a Liminal Space Game

From Game Jam to Steam Release

What began as a three-day game jam has quickly grown into something bigger. In just two weeks, we have transformed an experimental prototype into the foundation of The Office Rooms, a project we are preparing for Steam Next Fest this October.

For us at UX is Fine, this is not about releasing a game in the traditional sense. It is an experiment in iterative development, a way to show how we approach UX, UI, prototyping, and design research when we work with partners. By building in public, we are opening a candid window into the same creative, iterative, and structured process that helps our clients ship better games.

Building the Foundation

The original jam centered on a simple AI drone chase mechanic. We quickly pivoted toward a more atmospheric walking-simulator experience that leans into liminal spaces and unease. Procedural generation now powers endless office layouts, and anomalies, surreal rooms that disrupt the logic of the world, provide moments of surprise and mystery.

Refining the Experience

We are using this prototype as a candid window into the same process we bring to client teams: building quickly, testing ideas, layering in systems, and refining UX to create clarity for players.

One important shift was moving away from a “find the keycard” mechanic. Instead, anomalies are now centered on desks where players can choose to contain the anomaly or explore further, emphasizing curiosity and agency over linear progression.

Teleportation logic bridges mundane office floors with bizarre anomaly rooms. Alongside that, the UI has been refined with animation, sound, and an eerie PC-interface aesthetic. Accessibility and localization systems are already in place, giving us tools to iterate quickly while staying player focused.

We are also experimenting with AI support in a way that aligns with our UX research practices. These tools help us build mind maps around the identity of liminal spaces, analyze community sentiment on existing titles to guide decisions, and generate coherent lore extracts and voiceover that strengthen the narrative and world-building.

Streamlining Production

Our pipeline allows us to move from concept to playable content in hours instead of days. We start with a screenshot from an asset pack, run it through AI for previs, use AI assisted shader generation, and integrate it into Unreal’s procedural systems. This keeps iteration fast and lets us explore more design ideas.

What’s Next

The project currently includes 15 rooms and 3 of the 6 planned endings. Over the next few weeks, we will finish the remaining content, polish quality across the board, and playtest with users through a demo build. Feedback from private beta keys will shape the next iteration.

For us, this project is less about the final release and more about demonstrating our process. Building quickly, testing ideas, refining UX, and sharing openly is the same approach we bring to our partners’ projects, now on display in real time.

If you would like to see the progress in action, join us for updates on YouTube and wishlist The Office Rooms on Steam.