The document discusses user playtesting for games. It recommends asking five questions before each playtest: Why is the test being conducted, who should be recruited as playtesters, where should testing take place, what is being looked for from the test, and how should the test be structured and data collected. Effective playtesting involves finding the right testers to evaluate specific aspects of a game, like whether different groups play differently or if certain levels are too long. The goals of each test and how the results will be gathered and analyzed should also be considered carefully to improve the game based on user feedback.

1. User/Playtesting
Teun Lucassen

2. Play = User

3. Testing types
Focus Groups QA
Usability Playtesting

4. Not fun!

5. 5 Questions
Why? Who? Where? What? How?

6. 1. Why?
Each playtest starts with a question…
- Do men and women play my game differently?
- Do players understand how to play?
- Do players feel the game is fair?
- Are there any dominant strategies or loopholes?
- Is level 3 too long?
“Is my game fun?” is not enough!

7. 2. Who?
- Developers
- Pro: Right there, no NDA’s
- Con: Too close to the game
- Friends
- Pro: Highly available, input after test
- Con: Don’t want to hurt your feelings, try harder
- Expert Gamers
- Pro: Have played many similar games
- Con: Specific taste for difficult games
- Tissue Testers
- Pro: “Fresh meat”, never seen game before
- Con: Only first-time impressions
Usefulness
Accessibility

8. 3. Where?
1. In your studio
 Pro: Everything is there
 Con: Not comfortable for playtester
2. In a playtesting lab
 Pro: Has everything you need
 Con: Expensive
3. At some public venue
 Pro: Cheap, many testers
 Con: Hard to find the right testers

9. 3. Where?
4. At the playtester’s home
 Pro: Natural habitat
 Con: Limited possibilities
5. On the Internet
 Pro: Lots of people. Many different configurations
 Con: Limited insights, hard to keep your game a secret

10. 4. What?
Things you are looking for (from Why? )
Things you don’t know you are looking for

11. 5. How?
 Should you even be there?
 What do you tell them up front?
 Where do you look?

12. 5. How?
 Will I disturb the player mid-game?
 What data should you collect during play?
 Time spent
 Average score
 Strategies
 What data will I collect after the play session?
 Surveys
 Interviews

13. In summary
Before each playtest, ask yourself five questions:
1. Why?
2. Who?
3. Where?
4. What?
5. How?

14. Questions?

15. Two more things…

16. So, about the presentation
• 10 minute presentation on Thursday, end of the lecture
• Other staff will be invited for feedback
• Convince them why your idea was a good idea based on:
• The idea itself
• Persona’s
• Feasibility study
• Scenario’s and toptasks
• Prototype
• Businessmodel
• User testing
• Marketing

17. And so, about your grades
Hand in your ‘portfolio’, consisting of:
• The idea itself
• Persona’s
• Feasibility study
• Scenario’s and toptasks
• Prototype
• Businessmodel
• User testing
• Marketing
(which is basically the result of each lecture)
Deadline: July 7th