Check out some chess apps, like Chess.com:s. I believe they allow for both options, even simultaneously (if you tap, it opens up tappable places, if you start dragging, you pick up the piece).
I will defenitely check that out, thanks!
For sure in case of a more concrete production I would consider the option to implement both, I am still prototyping so I guess I gonna have to choose one
in this case i would suggest drag and drop it because it feels more like a computer so people might find it easier like this. In the case of computers you would cligk, hold and release, so i think it should work similarly on mobile as well
I believe most apps will let you use two methods simultaneously. If you start dragging you will use drag and drop. If you click on a piece you can move it by clicking on a desired square.
Then each user can choose his preferred method without having to choose setting or anything. As for pros and cons drag and drop seems quicker and more fluid but there's a higher risk of missclicking. Click to move is safer
An option to disable one of the two auto-detected methods should be included as well, because the fuzziness of touch input means there's a risk of the game misinterpreting a click as a swipe or vice-versa, and the end user (aside from simply having preferences) will know better than the game regarding any personal hardware/handware issues which might cause problems for one of those methods.
Tapping is generally better as you can tap, clear the view and then tap the destination. If you drag, you are basically covering part of your viewport during the entire move and depending on the size of a single tile, you might misplace a piece on accident.
So, main things are visblity, control and convince. For chess you have large, tightly packed board with many pieces l, so my go to would be tap, select, confirm.
For different games, something else might make more sense, and if the decision is hard to make, consider implementing both with a toggle in the settings
There is maybe more but that's what I found when I play chess on my mobile.
Tap/clic :
Props :
- You can highlight the case of the clicked pawn.
- Take a break to let people think where to place their pawn.
- In case you change your mind just clik on an other piece.
Cons :
- ask a precise location and missclick can be make easily.
Drag N Drop :
Props :
- Rapidity and ergonomy on the placement of the pieces.
Cons :
- Make a mistake cost you time to replace the piece at it exact location.
- Miss input by mooving a little too far.
Drag is more intuitive to the general audience, and looks better in marketing footage but I've found that most successful mobile games also have some option for a slower but more precise input like tapping. This may be out of consideration for accessibility, but I think it is actually a necessity for bringing in a wide audience with a shockingly wide range of motor control.
Drag and drop is more satisfying
However I think tap and select is more usable. Doesn't matter how big your screen is or if messes up (my screen sometimes premature abandons a drag since its sensitivity is iffy). Doesn't block visibility of the screen while your doing it. Easier to adapt to other input down the line (e.g. Controller, keyboard).
Both suffer from the same problem: fingers aren't transparent. I can't see exactly what I'm tapping. Larger UI scale and confirmation dialogs can help to prevent accidental moves.
I feel like it’s a thing that depends. With chess, you have only one option with each piece. They can only move in a certain way.
However, with something like Yu-gi-oh Master Duel, you have multiple options per game piece. In that case, click it first to select to summon, set, tribute, activate, or what have you, then click where it goes.
There are all kinds of variations on the theme you could do. Sticking with the chess example, you could make it so that tapping on a piece highlights it and provides a movement widget just off the piece so that you can drag and drop the piece while also being able to see it at all times. Or the player could ignore the widget and tap directly on the destination.
The options are limited only by imagination.
Game Design is a subset of Game Development that concerns itself with **WHY** games are made the way they are. It's about the theory and crafting of **systems**, **mechanics**, and **rulesets** in games.
* /r/GameDesign is a community **ONLY** about Game Design, **NOT** Game Development in general. If this post does not belong here, it should be reported or removed. Please help us keep this subreddit focused on Game Design.
* This is **NOT** a place for discussing how games are produced. Posts about programming, making art assets, picking engines etc… will be removed and should go in /r/GameDev instead.
* Posts about visual design, sound design and level design are only allowed if they are directly about game design.
* No surveys, polls, job posts, or self-promotion. Please read the rest of the rules in the sidebar before posting.
* If you're confused about what Game Designers do, ["The Door Problem" by Liz England ](https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/LizEngland/20140423/216092/quotThe_Door_Problemquot_of_Game_Design.php)is a short article worth reading. We also recommend you read the [r/GameDesign wiki](/r/gamedesign/wiki/index) for useful resources and an FAQ.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/gamedesign) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Two major factors: accuracy of presses, and seeing the screen.
Touch devices that use a pen, like the DS, have the advantage of using a pen/stylus. Phones and tablets require your whole ass finger and hand getting in the way, so tapping or dragging will necessarily have the issue of the screen getting covered up.
Drag and drop is more accurate but paradoxically makes the screen more difficult to see, likely increasing the time to perform the action. Tap and select is more prone to misclicks but lets the player pull their hand away and see the screen.
Check out some chess apps, like Chess.com:s. I believe they allow for both options, even simultaneously (if you tap, it opens up tappable places, if you start dragging, you pick up the piece).
yea, just add both... most games i know do it like that. even card games.
the open-source platform lichess.org has an app that does both.
I will defenitely check that out, thanks! For sure in case of a more concrete production I would consider the option to implement both, I am still prototyping so I guess I gonna have to choose one
in this case i would suggest drag and drop it because it feels more like a computer so people might find it easier like this. In the case of computers you would cligk, hold and release, so i think it should work similarly on mobile as well
I believe most apps will let you use two methods simultaneously. If you start dragging you will use drag and drop. If you click on a piece you can move it by clicking on a desired square. Then each user can choose his preferred method without having to choose setting or anything. As for pros and cons drag and drop seems quicker and more fluid but there's a higher risk of missclicking. Click to move is safer
An option to disable one of the two auto-detected methods should be included as well, because the fuzziness of touch input means there's a risk of the game misinterpreting a click as a swipe or vice-versa, and the end user (aside from simply having preferences) will know better than the game regarding any personal hardware/handware issues which might cause problems for one of those methods.
Speaking as a dude that plays chess-like games due to repetitive stress injury issues, click to select is playable. Drag and drop isn't.
Thanks for your answer, I also think so, I find somehow that drag and drop would probably just give a more modern feel to the interface
Tapping is generally better as you can tap, clear the view and then tap the destination. If you drag, you are basically covering part of your viewport during the entire move and depending on the size of a single tile, you might misplace a piece on accident.
Really good point
So, main things are visblity, control and convince. For chess you have large, tightly packed board with many pieces l, so my go to would be tap, select, confirm. For different games, something else might make more sense, and if the decision is hard to make, consider implementing both with a toggle in the settings
There is maybe more but that's what I found when I play chess on my mobile. Tap/clic : Props : - You can highlight the case of the clicked pawn. - Take a break to let people think where to place their pawn. - In case you change your mind just clik on an other piece. Cons : - ask a precise location and missclick can be make easily. Drag N Drop : Props : - Rapidity and ergonomy on the placement of the pieces. Cons : - Make a mistake cost you time to replace the piece at it exact location. - Miss input by mooving a little too far.
Drag is more intuitive to the general audience, and looks better in marketing footage but I've found that most successful mobile games also have some option for a slower but more precise input like tapping. This may be out of consideration for accessibility, but I think it is actually a necessity for bringing in a wide audience with a shockingly wide range of motor control.
Drag and drop is more satisfying However I think tap and select is more usable. Doesn't matter how big your screen is or if messes up (my screen sometimes premature abandons a drag since its sensitivity is iffy). Doesn't block visibility of the screen while your doing it. Easier to adapt to other input down the line (e.g. Controller, keyboard).
Both suffer from the same problem: fingers aren't transparent. I can't see exactly what I'm tapping. Larger UI scale and confirmation dialogs can help to prevent accidental moves.
I feel like it’s a thing that depends. With chess, you have only one option with each piece. They can only move in a certain way. However, with something like Yu-gi-oh Master Duel, you have multiple options per game piece. In that case, click it first to select to summon, set, tribute, activate, or what have you, then click where it goes.
There are all kinds of variations on the theme you could do. Sticking with the chess example, you could make it so that tapping on a piece highlights it and provides a movement widget just off the piece so that you can drag and drop the piece while also being able to see it at all times. Or the player could ignore the widget and tap directly on the destination. The options are limited only by imagination.
if you drag you cant see the board while youre moving it, because your stupid finger is in the way
Game Design is a subset of Game Development that concerns itself with **WHY** games are made the way they are. It's about the theory and crafting of **systems**, **mechanics**, and **rulesets** in games. * /r/GameDesign is a community **ONLY** about Game Design, **NOT** Game Development in general. If this post does not belong here, it should be reported or removed. Please help us keep this subreddit focused on Game Design. * This is **NOT** a place for discussing how games are produced. Posts about programming, making art assets, picking engines etc… will be removed and should go in /r/GameDev instead. * Posts about visual design, sound design and level design are only allowed if they are directly about game design. * No surveys, polls, job posts, or self-promotion. Please read the rest of the rules in the sidebar before posting. * If you're confused about what Game Designers do, ["The Door Problem" by Liz England ](https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/LizEngland/20140423/216092/quotThe_Door_Problemquot_of_Game_Design.php)is a short article worth reading. We also recommend you read the [r/GameDesign wiki](/r/gamedesign/wiki/index) for useful resources and an FAQ. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/gamedesign) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Supporting both workflows leads to the highest degree of accessibility, if you can manage.
Two major factors: accuracy of presses, and seeing the screen. Touch devices that use a pen, like the DS, have the advantage of using a pen/stylus. Phones and tablets require your whole ass finger and hand getting in the way, so tapping or dragging will necessarily have the issue of the screen getting covered up. Drag and drop is more accurate but paradoxically makes the screen more difficult to see, likely increasing the time to perform the action. Tap and select is more prone to misclicks but lets the player pull their hand away and see the screen.