Episode 52 Playtesting for Success
Playtesting for Success
Hi and welcome to Experience Points by University XP. On Experience Points we explore different ways we can learn from games. I’m your host Dave Eng from games-based learning by University XP. Find out more at www.universityxp.com
On today’s episode we’ll cover how to “Play Test for Success.”
Play testing is one of those functions of game design that designers struggle with. It’s often as difficult a function as the design process itself. Particularly if you very close with your design and are sensitive to any changes.
While that connection may be good for some mediums; game design is not one of them. That’s because games are meant to be played by the players. Because of that, we need to make sure that our games impart the kind of player experience that we want our players to have.
We need to play test in order to do that. Play testing is a cornerstone of responsible design and of professional practice. Playtesting ensures that the player experience is truthful; our concept is sound; our game play is applicable; and our games accessible.
This episode will review the role of play testing games. It will cover what a play test is as well as reasons why designers should play test their games. This episode will also cover some player limitations of play testing as well as how to keep designer bias in check.
Objectives of play testing and stages of play testing will also be covered and discussed. Advice is provided on collecting information during a play test as well as where to play test. The episode ends with how you can use play testing to grow as a designer as well as how to serve as a good play tester yourself.
A play test is an exercise of engaging with an unfinished game. It’s done in order to get feedback from the design and serves as a critical aspect of the game design process.
Play testing can take many different shapes and forms. But ultimately, play testing is used to prove the concept of the game for its intended audience: the players.
Play testing can include discussing game structure, theory, and theme; providing a working prototype; a finished “near-final” draft; and anything in between. With the growth of gaming audiences; play testing can take on many different shapes and forms. It is intended to serve the designer in order to create what they want for their audience: the gamers.
Other than proving the formal structure of games; play testing also serves additional purposes. One of them is quality control for multiple aspects of the game. Those include the player experience; balance; theme; content; and accessibility to name a few.
In addition, play testing also provides designers with validations for their designs. Are these designs something that will work for their players? Are these games something that are honest, effective, and engaging? Play testing helps to answer these questions.
Unfortunately many new designers are hesitant to play test their games for many reasons. Some of them stem from privacy of designs; to unwillingness to share; to embarrassment and everything in between.
However, in order to grow as a designer and to validate your ideas, play testing will serve as a necessary – but challenging - next step in your practice.
That doesn’t mean that play testing doesn’t’ have limitations. Some limitations come from the players themselves; while others come from the designers’ own bias.
Players often approach games and the play tests with preconceived notions about how games are designed to play and operate. That is okay: we all come to games with preconceived notions of what we want them to be based on our past experiences.
A good example are table top players who have largely played games about managing resources. If those players have played games where managing resources also includes trading, then their experiences will largely be informed by the inclusion of a trading mechanic in their resource management games.
So, their experience could be tainted if your resource management game doesn’t have any trading mechanic. But, the limitations don’t end with the players. Designers can be biased as well. When working in a medium for too long it becomes very difficult to objectively examine the game from the player’s perspective.
Writers face the same challenges when they become too close their work. They need other writers, editors, and proofreaders to review their content before revisiting it themselves.
This mentality can often end up with designers keeping aspects of games they are enamored with, but ultimately don’t work for their players. Sometimes you have to “kill your darlings” in order to get your game to the next level. After all, it’s the players’ experience that will dictate the kind of effect that your game will have in the community.
In addition, game designers can take too much of a leading role during play testing by dictating too much of the action. They may not let the individuals players take on roles and compete as they wish. This often biases the information that can be accurately gained from a play test.
Often this extends into designers sharing too much background on their game design with players before they actually play it. Instead, designers should preface their play tests with basic information.
Players will play for a given amount of time during a play test and then be asked a series of questions. Making sure that the bulk of questions and answers remains after the play test is important for making sure that momentum is kept up during game play. Deeper conversations during the game will inevitably bias play testers perceptions.
Also, making sure that designers remain as unobtrusive as possible during the play test is critical. This is done in order to maximize the amount of interactions that players can have with the game.
The designer won’t always be there when the game is played, so it’s worth it to determine what that experience will be like without their input or guidance.
Play testing objectives are always set by the designers; but at the highest level, a play test provides an overview of the player experience. Especially how players react to the game’s theme and how mechanics affect their interaction with it.
That means that play testing is much like a usability test to see how players read and react to the game. This allows play testers to provide feedback on what they think about the game.
Play testing takes all different shapes and forms. But a focused play test is led with the designer identifying what they want from the players. That could specifically focus on theme, mechanics, fun, or any other aspect of the game.
However, certain aspects are harder to test for than others. Fun is one of the hardest things to play test in a game. But that shouldn’t discourage designers from engaging in this very critical stage of the game design process.
Play testing can also be a simple process of players playing the game and then asking players what they thought about it.
That means that play testing requires players give designers honest and open feedback. While all feedback should be accepted; it doesn’t always need to be interpreted or applied in the way intended by the player.
Rather, feedback is applied and interpreted by the designer via the means they see fit. Often in line with the game’s treatment or game design document and according to the specific stage of the play test.
Not all play tests are considered equal. And they shouldn’t have to be. Different designers; with different designs; and in different stages of their game development require different stages and types of play tests.
Though, designers should err on conducting casual play tests early on. This will help them determine if the core loop of their game works and if players will continue playing.
But in reality, it’s never too early to conduct play testing. This can be done by playing with game concepts or a very rough prototype. The focus here is to determine what is working - and what is not - as soon as possible.
This early testing also provides designers with a tool to validate an idea, mechanic, or theme for the future design of the game. In addition, early play testing gives the designer good data that could be used later on in the design. Particularly when it comes to finding out what players found most “fun.”
With early playtesting covered it’s time to delve into different stages that designers can use during their play test. Not all play tests will be the same. Some of them will concentrate on just the player’s; others with a mechanic; and still others with the theme.
A common misunderstanding is that every game needs major play testing at all times. That can be tiring and not very useful. So instead, rely on the major phases of play testing before focusing on different stages and how to use them.
Let’s start with the self test. The self test is a time for the designer to take their concept, game, or prototype and begin playing it themselves. If it is a designed as a solo game, then this step is relatively easy.
The designer can also play the role of other play testers for any games that require more than one player. This can be more easily done with orthogames than others. But this stage is important in order to determine if the game - at its very basic level – is playable.
This is the play testing phase that most people see. A designer brings a prototype to a group; explains how it’s played; and what kind of feedback they are looking for. Then they all begin a play session.
This is when the designer asks for detailed feedback about the game: including what was fun, what should definitely be kept, and what should definitely be removed.
Play testing with other gamers, designers, friends, and colleagues is where designers will gain most of the insightful information that will influence their path moving forward.
Now let’s address blind playtesting. Blind play testing is often the hardest and most difficult hurdle for designers. That’s because they can no longer play an active role in the play test process.
At this stage, the designer is NOT part of the play test at all. Players are only given the game and instructions. Players are meant to play the game in the manner that it will be consumed. This represents the ultimate test for a game and the stage right before it is published or launched for crowd funding.
Now let’s address play test phases. Phases include a very broad overview of the state of a particular design. Play test stages refer to the specific outcome that the designer hopes to achieve through their play test.
Concept testing is a stage that can be applied early on in the process. This is a means for the designer to discuss and test “concepts” for the game that are in development.
Concept testing could include talking about the theme, collection of mechanics, player goals, player experience, or specific rules or structures. Concept testing is often used to determine if a particular design would be fun and engaging for players.
Scattershot testing isn’t the same as concept or traditional play testing. In scatter shot testing, the designer looks to highlight the “fun” or “ah-ha” moments of players where there has been a significant moment in the player experience.
It’s here where the designer begins to ask the questions “why did that happen?” and “what were the steps leading up to that moment?” Often those moments and those stages can be the defining characteristics of the game design.
Experience testing is about determining what the players are experiencing as they play. This is a stage that is focused mostly on HOW the players are playing and what they are feeling rather than WHAT they are doing. This is a stage that focuses entirely on the player experience and what emotions and feelings they have as they play your game.
Stress testing is one of those stages that receives much focus with many modern euro game designs. Stress testing includes testing a mechanic, action, or strategy of players in order to determine if it’s imbalanced or adversely affects the game.
Stress testing focuses more on the mechanical and moving parts of the game rather than the experiential components of game play.
Accessibility testing is one of those stages that often gets forgotten or left to the very end of the process. But, accessibility testing is something that should be included more often in early prototype iterations. In accessibility testing, designers determine if players perceive their game as accessible.
This could include many things such as symbols, icons, and colors. These are aspects that will affect the player experience but, may not be entirely evident from the designer’s perspective if they fail to think about accessibility during the design process.
Play testing is a serious and important part of game design. But so is making sure that the process is a useful one. That means that collecting information throughout the play test is crucial. This can take many forms including recording some objective concepts such as documenting players’ shared feedback about “what they thought.”
It’s at this stage when designers shouldn’t editorialize. They should collect all information from their play testers first. It’s often easier to capitalize on criticism of the game design rather than having your players telling you “it’s good.”
This is particularly useful when players tell you about their “favorite” parts of your game or the “one thing that they would definitely keep.” Those are often the most fun or engaging parts of your design that are working best for your players.
While it’s important to write down these sentiments as players are playing your games, it’s also good practice to record other things about your players. Those can include facial gestures and other body language.
Often, these can be great ways to determine what players are feeling instead of them articulating it later during the question and answer part of your play test.
In addition, it’s also good practice to encourage your players to “think out loud” as they play your game. This will help you determine the options and paths that players are taking as they make choices in your game. These choices could reveal other aspects of your players’ behavior that you didn’t previously anticipate.
While it’s also good to ask questions at the end of your playtesting session, you don’t always have to follow that path. Often, breaking the cycle of play after about 20 minutes of testing can help stir some interesting conversation and feedback from your playtesters. You can then resume the play test with that information and make further changes or tweaks as you deem necessary.
Finally, log all of your comments, feedback, and information from your players in a dedicated play testing journal that details the development of your game.
This is something that should be kept separate from your other designs and something that should accompany your game’s prototype as you continue to design, develop, and play test it. This play testing journal is your record of what changes you’ve made, why you’ve made them, and the effect those changes have had on the player experience.
Knowing how to run a play test is one thing. But, knowing where to play test is something else. One of the best ways to start is to ask your family, friends, and local gaming group. These are often people that already know you and are willing to give you their time and some feedback on your game.
You can also turn towards your friendly local gaming store – otherwise known as an FLGS - where you can work with the store’s management to setup a play test session.
You can also approach their patrons directly to determine if they want to play test your game. Always ask the store’s management to determine if and how they would like to work with you as a designer to play test your games.
Finally, you can always turn to play testing specific events and conventions like Metatopia where the focus is to play test many designers’ games. Other options include Protospiel and Unpub where you can find other like minded designers and playtesters.
Of course, getting feedback from your game design is important, but so is growing as a designer. That is another reason why playtesting is important for professional development. Because playtesting is professional development that can be applied in multiple ways.
The first is networking. Meeting and working with other designers will help you grow, develop your contacts, and connect with others who are facing the same difficulties and challenges as yourself.
Another, is designing within constraints. Often designing games comes with their own sets of constraints that you probably weren’t aware of. One of the first constraints that I dealt with as a designer was never having designed a table top game before.
But, it was something that I overcame with practice, networking, and many mistakes. It can sometimes be a hard road to travel. However, with practice and dedication, you can learn to move past this challenge and towards other design constraints like using only specific mechanics or components or designing for a very specific audience.
Finally, play testing other designers’ games gives you some insight on other peoples’ thought processes, techniques, and solutions for solving their common challenges. This exposure to new techniques provides you with an overview of how you might adapt and use them for your own practice.
Of course play testing other designers’ games also makes you a play tester. While play testing and designing are often two different roles, you must become adept at one while you become better at the other. With that in mind, here are some tips for becoming a good play tester.
First, choose to play test games that fits your own gaming preferences and style. If you like social deduction games, then look to play test other social deduction games. If you like really crunchy number games, then seek out designers that also design those games. Often, a happy play tester is a better play tester.
An excellent play tester will also get better at learning the rules of a new game quickly. But you don’t have to worry about all of the details of the game from the beginning. You can rest assured that at some point, these rules and structures will change. The designer is in charge of leading the play test and can fill in information as it arises.
While you may not know ALL of the rules of the game that you’re playtesting, you should keep in mind to play test the game as it’s meant to be played – not the way you think it should be played.
This goes the same for playtesting the game for what it is and not what you want it to be. Maintaing the spirit of the game is one that all players should strive to uphold. Whether with a published game or a prototype.
You should also ask questions as you’re playing the game – but save the discussion for the designer until after the play test is over or until there is a specific time set aside for that deep discussion.
It’s important to avoid interrupting the flow of the game with specific insight or suggestions until it’s called for. If you feel that you won’t remember what you want to say after a length of time then you should feel free to take notes.
Finally, do provide feedback to the designer that’s clear, direct, and honest. Sometimes novice playtesters won’t know how to articulate what they want to communicate to designers. Experienced designers can take very diverse feedback and use it to improve their designs.
Realize this conversation is a two way street that exists for the benefit of play testers and designers alike. Also, don’t judge the components – these are prototypes after all!
This episode reviewed the role of play testing games. It covered what a play test is as well as reasons why designers should play test their games. This episode also covered some player limitations of play testing as well as how to keep designer bias in check.
Objectives of play testing and stages of play testing were also covered and discussed. Advice was provided on how to collect information during a play test as well as where to play test. The episode ended with how you can use play testing to grow as a designer as well as how to serve as a good play tester yourself.
I hope you found this episode useful. If you’d like to learn more, then a great place to start is with my free course on gamification. You can sign up for it at www.universityxp.com/gamification You can also get a full transcript of this episode including links to references in the description or show notes. Thanks for joining me!
Again, I’m your host Dave Eng from games-based learning by University XP. On Experience Points we explore different ways we can learn from games. If you liked this episode please consider commenting, sharing, and subscribing.
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