Playtesting Tips For Designers

User observation and feedback is one of the most important steps in the iterative design process. Designers should be frequently running play tests of their games with many players, including strangers, to identify problems and see what works or doesn’t.

Running Games

• Be clear about the theme, game style, and stage of development of your game.
  Example: “This is a 90min sci-fi strategy game where you’ll work cooperatively to restart the heart of a dying star. I pitch to a publisher next month and want to make some final tweaks.”
• Set and articulate playtest goals to your playtesters.
  Example goals: testing usability of new player aids, trying out character powers, validating a core mechanic, tweaking a specific game strategy, experimenting with a new system.
• Mention the target audience for your game, but accept testers from any audience.
  Example audiences: a casual party game that my grandma can play, low-key game night at a friend’s apartment, gamers who like long campaign games, fans of Dungeons & Dragons
• Adjust your teaching to the level of experience and style of your players.
• Be polite and patient with your playtesters.
• Be respectful of everyone’s time (only test what is helpful, you don’t need to finish every game).
• Feel free to make revisions and rule changes on the spot.
• Set any play test rules or guidelines for your testers. For example, you may want players to stay focused on the game flow and not interrupt with feedback.

Observing Games and Taking Notes

Why Observe?
• You get stronger playtest data from games you do not play in, and instead facilitate and observe.
• Not playing gives you more time and energy during the session to focus on learning from testers.
• Your play demonstrates game flow and paths through the game systems, biasing player behavior.
• The experience of your game happens DURING PLAY. If you are only recording notes at the end of a game session and when asking feedback questions, you are missing the majority of the data.

Recording and Note Taking:
Take notes! Human memory is fallible and prone to many biases. Take notes to ensure you have something to review later (and the act of note taking helps you remember).

If you would like to record audio or video, you must have informed consent from all participants. This includes informing them of how the recording will be used.

What to Record:
The information you’ll want to record varies greatly depending on game style and current state of your prototype. Some things you might record include:
• Teaching time.
• Game time (end of teaching to end of game).
• Round/Phase Timing (or time until a specific milestone is reached).
• Frequency of certain actions being taken or certain results of uncertain actions.
• Player engagement and vocalized comments. Writing exact quotes might be great to reference later.
• Note the parts of the game players are most excited about engaging with. Playtesting isn’t just for fixing things that are broken, but finding the best things about your game and pushing them forward.
• Player confusion. Note questions people ask. Players grow in learning and understanding during the course of the game — so watching behavior here is key versus just asking at the end.
• Watch for turn lengths and decision times that are out of line with the rest of play.

Feedback Sessions 

After the game, you may want to do a feedback session. This is a chance for you to clarify your observations and identify specific issues. Invite and encourage feedback. Don’t get defensive or argue with testers, rather focus on listening and try to understand testers’ feelings.

Moderating:
Often, your role in a feedback session is that of a moderator: guiding and shaping a conversation that builds between the participants, rather than getting individual 1 by 1 answers to each question.

Make sure that you are actively engaging and questioning each participant if doing a group session — it’s your responsibility to ensure all voices are heard, not just the loudest ones. If one tester talks over another, you should make sure to re-focus on the quieter party. If the conversation gets off track, it’s your responsibility to re-focus the feedback session.

Some general questions to prompt discussion are
• Was anything confusing?
• How did you feel about game length (the total amount of time the game took)?
• How did you feel about game pacing (how long each part of the game felt)
• What did you find frustrating?
• What aspects did you find particularly satisfying?
• What times were you most engaged or excited?
• When were you the most bored?
• What gameplay felt unfair or unbalanced?
• Is there anything you would change?
• Is there anything you wanted to do in the game, but couldn’t?
• How would you find replaying this game for the 5th time? 10th time?
• Are there any games this game reminds you of, even if it’s just some part of it?
• Are there any additional comments you have?

Generally players are good at identifying problems and their feelings, but are not equipped to provide possible solutions. It is often best to keep discussion focused on the experience players had during the session, as opposed to spiraling off into hypotheticals and redesign in the middle of feedback.

Make sure to thank players for their time!