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Playtesting

This guide provides a detailed overview of playtesting in game design, stressing its importance as a key activity for obtaining insights into player experiences. It covers selection of playtesters, preparation for sessions, observation techniques, and analysis of feedback. You'll learn how to identify what works and what doesn’t in your game, making it easier to improve both short and long-term aspects. Additionally, the guide outlines effective recruitment strategies and highlights critical steps in running a playtest session, ensuring that you gather valuable data to enhance your game.

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Playtesting

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  1. Playtesting Tiffany Barnes tbarnes2@uncc.edu ITCS4230

  2. Assignment • Read Chapter 8 of • Game Design Workshop: Designing, Prototyping, and Playtesting Games • By Tracy Fullerton, Chris Swain, Steve Hoffman • http://www.tar.hu/gamedesign/ ITCS4230

  3. Playtest/Final report • Select playtesters: friends/classmates, not on team • 5+ required; plan the playtest (see rest of slides) • Observe playing your game • What is harder/easier than expected • Interview them after • What was fun about the game • What could be improved: short & long term • Improve the game based on comments! • Read and follow directions on:http://www.cs.uncc.edu/~tbarnes2/GameDesign/project.html ITCS4230

  4. What is Playtesting? • The “most important” activity in game design • It is NOT: • Just “play the game and gather feedback” • might not reveal real issues with the game • Design review with team • Need real players • QA and debugging • Focus group • Usability Testing ITCS4230

  5. What is Playtesting? • It is • Getting insight into how players experience game • Informal/qualitative  structured/quantitative • Somewhere along this continuum • Answers questions • Is the game functioning the way you want? • Internally complete? • Balanced? • Fun? ITCS4230

  6. When do we Playtest? • Iterative • Less fundamental changes as process progresses • “Let’s wait till we have a beta product…Players will get the best experience” • NO! ITCS4230

  7. Steps in Playtesting • Selection • Recruiting • Preparation • Controls • Analysis ITCS4230

  8. Recruiting and Selection • Self testing • Reveal glaring problems • Then testing with friends • Not objective • Then test with strangers • Selection is important • Target demographics • …but widest selection possible (AOE II case study) ITCS4230

  9. Age of Empires II Case Study Graph of player Errors over time ITCS4230

  10. Running a playtest session • Don’t talk too much • Use a script • Let the user make mistakes/figure things out • “It’s the game that’s broken, not you” • Think Aloud • This practice has players talking constantly while playing • Can be distracting, but can give some good insight • Interview/survey • Beware of leading questions ITCS4230

  11. Running a playtest session • Don’t be defensive • Beware…testers will want to please you] • Really! • Groups generate ideas • Individuals evaluate • Can use groups, individuals, or combination ITCS4230

  12. The Play Matrix • Core aspects of all interactive experiences • Stimulates discussion • Have tester analyze gameplay using matrix • Should your game be moved in the matrix? ITCS4230

  13. Play Matrix ITCS4230

  14. Running a playtest session • Note taking critical • Video or audio recording • Interview • Game specific questions needed • Don’t wear out your participant ITCS4230

  15. Playtest data • Objective or subjective • Quantitative or qualitative? • What can you measure? • Develop clearly defined questions to answer with data • Test control situations • New feature, special event, common technique, the end of the game ITCS4230

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