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title: Menu systems (main menu, pause, inventory, settings, store) applies_to: [game-ui, menus, navigation] version: 1.0.0 last_updated: 2026-05 stability: stable

Menu systems

Menus in games are full-screen interfaces players navigate to (not glanced at like HUD). Different rules: density, depth, visual hierarchy.

Read game-ui-fundamentals.md first.

Menu When
Main menu Game launch; before play
Pause menu During gameplay; suspended state
Inventory Open via key; manage items
Character / stats Manage character build
Settings Audio / video / control / a11y options
Store Buy items / unlock content
Social / friends Online play
Leaderboards Compare with others
Achievements Unlocked progress
Tutorial / help Learn mechanics

Each has conventions players expect.

The first thing players see. Sets tone.

Common items

┌──────────────────────────┐
│                          │
│    [GAME LOGO]           │
│                          │
│                          │
│      ▶ Continue          │   ← if save exists
│        New Game          │
│        Load Game         │
│        Multiplayer       │   (if applicable)
│        Store             │   (if applicable)
│        Settings          │
│        Credits           │
│        Quit              │
│                          │
│                          │
│  [news / version info]   │
└──────────────────────────┘

Hierarchy

  • Continue / Play is the most-used; top.
  • New Game is rare (most sessions resume); below.
  • Settings is necessary but not primary.
  • Quit at bottom (lowest priority on desktop / console; sometimes hidden on mobile).

For mobile / always-online games: "Quit" is rarely shown (just close app); main menu often skipped entirely (auto-progress to lobby / character select).

Background

  • Cinematic: animated background, ambient music. Premium feel.
  • Static: single beautiful frame. Cheaper.
  • Live render: in-game character on idle animation.
  • Procedural: shifts each session.

For Korean MMOs: often shows the player's character with all gear visible (motivates investment).

Pause menu

┌──────────────────────────┐
│                          │
│   PAUSED                 │
│                          │
│    Resume                │
│    Restart               │
│    Settings              │
│    Quit to main menu     │
│                          │
└──────────────────────────┘

Or modern variant — show pause options + map / progress / inventory tabs:

┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Resume] [Map] [Inventory] [Settings]│
│                                      │
│           [active tab content]       │
│                                      │
└──────────────────────────────────────┘

Pause menu rules: - Pause is a single key (Esc / Start / Menu button). - Confirmation for destructive actions (Quit → "Are you sure? Unsaved progress will be lost.") - In multiplayer: doesn't actually pause game; instead opens menu while game continues. Show this clearly.

Inventory

The most-iterated game menu. Many design patterns:

Grid

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│  [Item slot grid 8×6 ]      │
│  [Tabs: Weapons | Armor | ] │
└─────────────────────────────┘

Most common. Drag-and-drop on PC; tap on mobile.

List

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│  ▶ [icon] Iron Sword  +5 ATK│
│    [icon] Wooden Bow  +3 ATK│
│    [icon] Leather Armor +2  │
│  ...                        │
└─────────────────────────────┘

For fewer items / mobile / simpler UX.

Tetris (Resident Evil 4 / Escape from Tarkov)

Items have shapes; rotate / pack into limited grid. Adds gameplay; expensive UI.

Stacked panel (Korean MMO style)

Multi-tab inventory: - Main bag (primary stash). - Crafting materials tab. - Quest items tab. - Consumables tab. - Currency tab. - Premium / paid items tab.

Each tab is its own grid. Tab switching is fast; common Korean MMO UX.

Item detail

Hover (PC) or tap (mobile) shows full item info:

┌──────────────────────┐
│ [item icon, large]   │
│                      │
│ Iron Sword           │
│ Common Weapon        │
│                      │
│ + 5 Attack           │
│ + 1 Crit Chance      │
│ Durability: 40/40    │
│                      │
│ "A simple iron blade │
│  forged in ..."      │
│                      │
│ [Equip] [Drop] [Sell]│
└──────────────────────┘

For comparison (equip new vs current): show side-by-side.

Inventory rules

  • Sort options: by type, by rarity, by recently acquired.
  • Search / filter: as inventory grows.
  • Auto-equip / loadout: save preset configurations.
  • Stack identical items (potions × 5).
  • Limit stack size (gameplay constraint, often 99 or 999).
  • Highlight new items (unviewed badge).

For Korean MMOs: inventory is large (often 100+ slots). Sorting + filtering critical.

Settings menu

Sections (common):

Section Settings
Video / Display Resolution, refresh, FOV, V-Sync, fullscreen mode, brightness, gamma
Audio Master volume, music, SFX, voice chat, dialogue, subtitle volume
Controls Remap keys / buttons, sensitivity, invert axis, deadzone
Gameplay Difficulty, HUD options, tutorial toggles, language
Network Region, NAT, ping limit
Accessibility Subtitles, color-blind, screen reader, motion reduction, contrast
Account Username, profile, link to social
Credits / About Game info, version, legal

Settings UX

  • Apply / Cancel: changes preview but require confirm.
  • Reset to defaults: per-section button.
  • Search: large settings menus benefit from search ("subtitle" → finds it).
  • Tooltips / explanations: especially for technical settings (anti-aliasing levels).

Korean MMO settings

Korean MMOs often have hundreds of settings: - HUD scale per element. - Combat number visibility. - Specific notification toggles. - Performance presets. - Multiple input mappings (PC + controller + mobile-controller hybrid).

Search becomes essential.

Store / shop

For games with monetization:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  [Tabs: Featured | Bundles | Cosmetics ] │
│                                          │
│  [Featured promotion banner]             │
│                                          │
│  [Item card] [Item card] [Item card]     │
│  [Item card] [Item card] [Item card]     │
│                                          │
│  [Currency: 💎 1240]    [Buy gems]       │
└──────────────────────────────────────────┘

Store UX: - Hero promotion at top. - Currency balance always visible. - Buy currency path always 1-2 taps from anywhere in store. - Item card shows: image, name, price (in real currency or premium currency). - Limited time banners with countdown. - Confirmation before purchase (especially expensive items).

Korean gacha store

Korean mobile gacha specifics: - 확률 표시 (probability disclosure) — REQUIRED by 게임산업진흥에관한법률 (Game Industry Promotion Act). - 누적 보상 (pity / cumulative rewards) — UI showing how many more pulls until guaranteed item. - 이벤트 타이머 — limited-time banners with prominent countdown. - 첫 결제 보상 (first-purchase bonuses). - VIP / 출석 — daily login + VIP tier rewards.

See korean-gaming-conventions.md for regulatory details.

Quest / mission menu

┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Tabs: Active | Available | Done ]   │
│                                      │
│ ▶ Defeat the dragon                  │
│   Talk to elder afterward            │
│   ─────────────                       │
│   Reward: 500 gold, Sword            │
│   [Track] [Abandon]                   │
│                                      │
│   Find 5 rare herbs                  │
│   3/5 collected                      │
│ ...                                  │
└──────────────────────────────────────┘

Tracking: one quest can be "tracked" — its waypoint and HUD reminder show.

For story-heavy games: chronological / chapter-organized; player can replay completed.

Character / stats

┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Character render]                   │
│ Level 24                             │
│ ───────────                           │
│ HP    1450    INT  120               │
│ MP    540     WIS  85                │
│ STR   145     LUK  20                │
│                                      │
│ [Equipment slots]                    │
│ Weapon: [Iron Sword]                 │
│ Helmet: [empty]                      │
│ ...                                  │
│                                      │
│ [Skill tree]                         │
└──────────────────────────────────────┘

For RPGs / MMOs: very dense. Often multi-tab (Stats / Equipment / Skills / Talents / Loadouts).

Tutorial / help

Modern games avoid traditional tutorial menus; integrate teaching into gameplay. But some still have: - First-run tutorial — initial sequence. - Help / how-to-play — reference accessed from main menu. - Tooltips — hover-triggered hints. - Codex / journal — lore + game systems explained.

Allow skip.

PC mouse + keyboard

  • Click to navigate.
  • Tab / arrows for keyboard.
  • Esc to back / close.
  • Enter to confirm.

Console (controller)

  • D-pad / left stick to navigate.
  • A / X to confirm.
  • B / O to back / cancel.
  • Y / △ for context action (often).
  • Triggers / shoulders for tab switching.
  • Back button toggles overlay (map, inventory).

Show button prompts at all times: bottom of screen "[A] Confirm [B] Back".

Mobile (touch)

  • Tap to select / activate.
  • Long-press for context menu.
  • Swipe between tabs.
  • Pinch to zoom (if applicable, like world maps).
  • Bottom-bar always thumb-reachable.

Transitions between menus

Smooth transitions reduce jarring: - Cross-fade (200-300ms). - Slide (left / right for tab nav, up / down for hierarchy). - Zoom (entering submenu = zoom in). - Stack (modals over current screen, dim background).

Don't transition longer than 400ms — feels slow when navigating quickly.

Some events demand attention even outside menus: - Achievement popup — center of screen, dismissable. - Reward unlock — celebratory, dismissable after viewing. - Login bonus — daily, requires acknowledgment. - Network disconnection — full overlay until reconnected or accepted. - Update available — patch notes / download prompt.

Allow dismissing; don't trap player.

Korean MMO menu density

Korean MMOs tend to have many concurrent sub-windows on screen:

[chat]  [main game]  [quest list]
        [inventory]      [skill]
[mini-map]    [party]    [auction]

Players reposition / dock / hide. Customization is heavy. Western players can find this overwhelming; Korean players accept.

Don't

  • Don't make settings menus 200 items deep without search.
  • Don't put "Quit" before "Continue" in main menu.
  • Don't skip confirmation on destructive actions.
  • Don't disable "skip cinematic" — let players skip after first watch.
  • Don't make inventories that take 30 seconds to navigate.
  • Don't hide critical settings (subtitle toggle, color-blind) deep in menus.
  • Don't break the back button (Esc, B button) — should always work.
  • Don't auto-pop store on every launch.

Cross-reference