Interactive Puzzle Game Design
Event announcements are usually one-way messages, but what’s the fun in that? To build anticipation for Google I/O 2025, we partnered with Google to turn the date reveal into an unexpected, interactive puzzle game.
To beat ‘Prism Shift,’ players had to reflect, split, and guide beams of light to illuminate hidden beacons across an evolving map. The end goal: illuminate the final prism and unlock the I/O reveal.
Prism Shift at a Glance
- Built an immersive light-based puzzle with strategic prism placement, spatial thinking, and trial-and-error experimentation
- Blended game design, narrative strategy, and emerging tech to transform a static announcement into a global moment of play
- Grounded core mechanics in quantum-inspired logic, rewarding creativity with multiple solution
- Integrated Gemini AI as riddle-based side quests, unlocking bonus levels and iconic Google Easter eggs
Results
Transformed a static announcement into a global moment of play, delivering 12+ hours of gameplay that turned heads, lit up timelines, and deepened how audiences connected with the I/O brand.
#1
Rated best Google I/O puzzle by Android Police
12+
Hours of gameplay that turned heads
7
Dynamic worlds
Iterative game design
We started with rapid paper prototypes, testing concepts in Figma before landing on the light-based gameplay mechanic. From there, we iterated fast, refining every layer of interaction, puzzle logic, and visual feedback to keep users engaged and make learning the mechanics feel natural, not forced.
Inspired by
quantum mechanics
The physics behind Prism Shift are rooted in quantum logic, using prisms and mirrors to manipulate light like qubits. It was a nod to science and a playground of discovery. Every level featured multiple solutions, rewarding creativity and experimentation over one “right way” to win. And of course, it was a lot of fun.
Gemini integration:
A side quest with soul
To showcase Google’s Gemini AI, we added a new dimension of gameplay. In each level, Gemini placed a secret tile on the board—hidden behind a riddle. Players who cracked the code unlocked bonus levels shaped like iconic Google characters. It turned a smart puzzle into a layered, AI-powered experience that was fresh, engaging and distinctly Google.
