In 2018 to 2020, I worked for Location Games on its flagship project Run an Empire - an iOS and Android app that gamifies running. Played by over a million users, the game turns exercise into an adventure.
In Run an Empire players’ running, walking and cycling routes become their kingdom. They can progress through the ‘ages’, rule over subjects, battle for castles, and generate resources.
During my time at Run an Empire I was responsible for the user experience of the game, working closely with game designers, business analysts, product managers, developers, and artists.
My work included designing and maintaining the design system that underpinned the app, prototyping and testing new features, using analytics tools to iterate on features, and producing the game’s best performing Facebook Ads.
I established the company's user research approach, and facilitated playtests, interviews and workshops to understand users and their needs. I took a leading role in project management, chaired project retrospectives, crits and joined interview panels to hire new members of the team.
Since it launched globally, Run an Empire has been played by over a million users, and has featured in Business Insider, Forbes, The Guardian and Apple App Store. More importantly, it has helped many users to get active. It even inspired me to run the 2018 London Marathon.
