Playtesting can make or break your game.

Playtesting can make or break your game.

Here’s a simple 10-step checklist:

𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀
• What are you testing? Mechanics, pacing, difficulty, UI?
• Set clear goals and decide how you’ll measure success.

𝟮. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
• Use a stable build or prototype.
• Provide clear instructions or a tutorial.
• Remove distractions and get tools ready (feedback forms, screen recorders, analytics).

𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
• Include your target audience, plus some outsiders and experts.
• Mix skill levels (kids, casual players, hardcore gamers).
• Set expectations and communicate session details.

𝟰. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲
• Focused tests to dive deep into specific features.
• Blind tests to observe natural behavior.
• Exploit tests to see how easily things can break.

𝟱. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀
• Don’t guide or coach, just brief them.
• Let players fail to find real issues.
• Ask for honest, specific feedback.
• Set clear session duration and boundaries.

𝟲. 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻
• Watch for confusion, frustration, delight.
• Only intervene if they’re totally stuck.
• Ask open-ended questions like:
“What were you trying to do here?”
“What did you find confusing?”

𝟳. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸
• Do interviews or surveys after the session.
• Track hard data (retry counts, completion time, stuck points).
• Compare what they say to what they did.

𝟴. 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀
• Look for repeated issues or themes.
• Prioritize the most critical fixes.
• Align changes with your game’s vision.

𝟵. 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻
• Fix the biggest pain points first.
• Retest to catch anything new.
• Bring in both new and returning testers.

𝟭𝟬. 𝗟𝗼𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴
• Track every change in a shared doc.
• Compare feedback across builds.
• Note what worked and what didn’t.
• Keep it all for future learning.

Playtesting isn’t just a phase.
It’s a mindset.
Make it part of your process from day one.