Starting out with playtesting can seem daunting, especially for developers who are new to it. However, it’s one of the most important steps in ensuring your game is enjoyable, functional, and market-ready. In fact, it’s hard to imagine any professional game developer skipping this step. According to research by Game Cloud, 70% of developers use player feedback to improve their games during development. That statistic alone speaks volumes.

But there's no reason to be overwhelmed at this task. Once you get started you will find playtesting… dare we say enjoyable? This guide will walk you through how to get started with playtesting to give you a foundation for your first playtesting session.

What is Playtesting?

Playtesting is the process of having real players interact with your game to gather crucial feedback. It's not just about gauging enjoyment—it's about understanding the player's experience, identifying bugs, and assessing whether design choices are intuitive. Feedback from users provides actionable insights that can fine-tune game mechanics, improve user interfaces, and elevate overall player satisfaction.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Before you dive into playtesting, it's essential to outline your research goals. What do you want to learn from this playtest? Are you testing for usability, game balance, or fun? For instance, usability tests can reveal whether players understand how to navigate menus, while appreciation tests determine if the game is enjoyable .

Step 2: Choose the Right Players

The success of playtesting depends heavily on choosing the right participants. When selecting testers, focus on your target audience. For instance, if you’re developing a game aimed at casual mobile gamers, make sure your testers reflect that demographic​. According to the Games User Research 2023 Playtest Survey, nearly 50% of game developers run playtests with fewer than 10 participants, often due to budget constraints or convenience. However, even small-scale playtests provide valuable insights that help refine game features. 

More advanced games user researchers make sure to balance between re-inviting past testers and onboarding new players to avoid bias and get fresh perspectives. But as you are new and just starting out you can start by letting Lysto define the players for you. 

Step 3: Select the Type of Playtest

Once you have your participants, decide on the type of playtest that best suits your goals:

1. Remote unmoderated testing: Remote tests are becoming more popular. It allows testers to play in their natural environments, leading to potentially more authentic feedback .

2. Moderated testing: A moderated playtest lets you guide players and ask follow-up questions as they navigate the game. In contrast, unmoderated sessions allow players to play freely, which is helpful when you want a more natural experience.

Step 4: Structuring the Playtest

The structure of your playtest depends on the type of data you’re looking to collect. For first-time playtesters, there are two primary structures:

• Natural playtesting: This allows players to explore the game on their own, which is particularly helpful for testing the onboarding experience and general enjoyment. It mimics how real players would engage with the game on day one .

• Task-based playtesting: In this structure, you give players specific tasks to complete. These can be self-directed or fully guided tasks that help you examine how well players understand game mechanics, solve problems, or navigate challenges .

Step 5: Analyze the Data

Data from playtests can be overwhelming, but analyzing it is crucial for extracting meaningful insights. There are two primary types of data to consider:

• Qualitative feedback: Gathered from player interviews, surveys, or Playtest observations, this type of data helps understand how players feel about the game and why certain features work or don’t work.

• Quantitative feedback: This is numerical data, often collected via telemetry, that shows how players behave. It can reveal patterns such as where players typically quit the game or how long they take to complete certain levels.

A well-rounded analysis will combine both types of feedback to give a clearer picture of how the game performs across different areas.

Step 6: Reporting the Results

Once your analysis is complete, it's time to report the findings. A concise and well-organized report helps designers and developers implement changes effectively. Break down the report into sections such as:

• User interface: How intuitive is the user interface?

• Gameplay mechanics: Are the controls responsive and enjoyable?

• Onboarding experience: How easily do new players grasp the game ?

Where appropriate, include video clips or GIF’s from the playtest to illustrate specific points. These can be valuable for showing key moments of confusion or excitement during gameplay.

Step 7: Iteration and Improvement

The end of your first playtest doesn’t mean the process is over. Playtesting is an iterative cycle. After gathering your initial insights, make necessary adjustments to the game and run additional tests. Over time, this cycle of testing, analyzing, and improving will ensure that your game is polished, engaging, and ready for launch. 

Conclusion

Starting out with playtesting can feel complex, but it doesn’t have to be. By breaking down the process into manageable steps—defining goals, selecting the right players, choosing the appropriate type of playtest, and analyzing feedback—you can create a powerful testing strategy that improves your game. Whether you’re a small indie developer or a larger studio, playtesting is a vital tool in game development that helps transform good games into great ones.

Now that you’ve explored the basics, it’s time to dive into your first playtest and gather the insights you need to make your game a success! Contact us at Lysto and we are happy to build you a custom playtesting plan for your needs.