02 / 06 · Backlot Club · Theme park · Phygital

Connecting digital quests to real places

Company: Forward Studio × Universal Studios · 2025
Responsibilities: Experience strategy, systems design, content design, guest journey

Overview

Backlot Club is a game layer across Universal Studios theme parks: quests, check-ins and leaderboards tied to real places, so where you go in the park shapes how you play.

As an experience designer, I designed the core system, from quests and leaderboards to collectible sets and the reward schedule. Working closely with UI/UX designers and artists, we designed Backlot Club to flex across events, lands and IPs, so Universal could launch new quests without rebuilding the experience.

Results

Launched at Halloween Horror Nights 2025, in Orlando and Hollywood
Expanded to new rides and Fan Fest IPs on the same system
Card sets resold for $3,200 on eBay
Fans filmed their own guides to the hunt (9K views)

backlot.club ↗Full story →

Hands holding a phone showing the Backlot Club welcome screen

Sketch of a ride queue: guests check in at a kiosk, play trivia on their phones while waiting in line and earn a collectible at the ride entrance — Concept sketch · behavior mapping

In-park check-in kiosk — In-park check-in tower

Halloween Horror Nights trading card — Physical card reward

Quest, check-in and collectible screens — Quests, check-ins + collectibles