3 Tips to make sure your game is not set for failure.

You’ve been developing your game by yourself for months, maybe even years. You are exhausted, but you are proud of what you achieved. However you want to make sure that what you created is fun for all. You don’t want to be making the new Gollum without even knowing it. 

So how do you do that? 

There is a very simple way: Ask the players. 

And how to ask them? Do a playtest. 

Playtests can be scary, expensive depending on how you want to proceed. But with the proper preparation they don’t have to be. 

1.   Define the scope. 

Playtests can take place at various points in the game development cycle. 

It may be early when you want to validate a proof of concept. 

It may be later to check the game balance. 

It may be before a public presentation. 

Make sure the testers know that and focus on what matters to you.  

Combine this with efficient debugging to avoid putting out fires instead of gathering pertinent and actionable feedback. 

2. Be open to feedback. 

This may sound obvious, but even if your game is like your child, and nobody wants to hear that their kid is ugly, try to be open to feedback. 

Keep an open mind and try to translate into game features. If a tester says : Game is stupid I got stuck on a wall, read it as : There are some collision issues breaking the gameplay flow. 

Depending on your choice of playtests, it may be raw, unconstructed, all over the place. That’s why the last point is essential. 

3. Choose your sources and methods. 

There are several ways to run a playtest. You can go for open, free tests, use specialized services, or even reach out to me!

If you’re a small team or solo developer, extensive testing may be out of reach. You can catch some bugs yourself, but you’ll still need an external eye to check your systems, options, and, most importantly, whether the core gameplay is actually fun.

Some professional services can be expensive, and publishing a free demo doesn’t guarantee useful feedback. The key is to set clear expectations: know what you want to learn from the playtest, and plan your method accordingly.

When all is said and done, you want the players to like your game and buy it. Playtests are a powerful tool for that. Plan carefully and choose the right method. It will set you on the right track.

As usual, if you think that can be useful for you but can’t really afford it, you are wrong! Reach out and we’ll make it work.