Two-button meme showing the difficult decision between 'Retro Stuff' and 'Modern Usage' when designing nostalgic software

Challenges When Designing Retro Software

The Challenge Developing and publishing Leon’s Mahjong was, and continues to be, a challenge in many aspects. But there was one particular challenge I didn’t see coming: how much “retro” to incorporate into the retro software we create? The more faithful it is to its original versions from 20 or 30 years ago, the more it clashes with current user experience practices and modern devices. The Mahjong solitaire that Leon’s Mahjong is based on dates back to the late 80s. Back then, there were no mobile devices with touchscreens, computer screens only existed in 4:3 aspect ratio, and color palettes were generally restricted. ...

October 4, 2025 · 7 min · Lucas Dima