MagazinJanuary 5, 20251 min read

Building a Game-Like Portfolio

Why I decided to make my portfolio feel like a retro handheld game, and the technical challenges involved.

DesignNext.jsUX

Design / January 5, 2025

The goal

I wanted a portfolio that feels tactile and playful, not another sterile grid of cards. The Game Boy vibe fits the narrative: you explore, unlock, and discover.

Layout constraints

The frame, grid, and pixel hints all impose strict spacing rules. That constraint actually helped. It forced me to reduce the layout to the essentials.

Interaction model

The menu behaves like a classic UI list. I treat focus states like a cursor. The idea is to keep navigation predictable and fast.

A tiny code sample

type Screen = "start" | "home" | "about" | "projects" | "blog" | "contact"
 
const navigateTo = (screen: Screen) => {
  setCurrentScreen(screen)
}

Visual texture

The light paper grain keeps the UI readable while still feeling analog.