User testing

Video Games

Throughout the semester we've discussed things like positive and negative feedback, progression and emergence, goals, rewards and obstacles and other aspects of designing game mechanics. Now it's time to put these principles in action and collect information based on a user's experience of our games.

User testing is an essential aspect of game design. Unlike other artistic disciplines, interaction is an essential component of game design, so we can't call our games finished until we test how people interact with them. Games are meant to be played, so we need to understand what works and what doesn't to make sure our work is playable.

What to test for

• Difference between bugs and playability
• First time user experience
• User's likes and dislikes
• When does the user stop or give up?
• Is there a motivation to "finish" or keep playing the game?
• Understanding controls, input output system.
• Reaction to visual and sound elements.
• Overall impressions of meaning or conceptual aspects.

Principles of testing

• Expect your users to have little or no familiarity with gaming.
• Your users might not understand something but that doesn't mean that they're wrong or stupid. When designing a game you can't always account for every level or skill or interest, but the user is never wrong about their description of an experience.
• Seek both qualitative and quantitative responses. Some aspects of the game may be easier to rate while others may be easier to describe verbally.
• List everything that you could test about your game.
• From that list, determine the top 5 or so most important components that your game needs to be successful. If your game relies heavily on visuals, seek specific information about the interpretation and reaction to the visuals. If your game relies on strategy, ask the user to describe the strategy the user to play.
• Frame your questions to get honest answers. Instead of saying, "What was your favorite level?", ask "Which level did you like the most?"
• Include both specific and ambiguous questions to get a range of feedback, but avoid asking the user to invent a new game. You don't want to ask what they would change or add to the game, you want feedback on the game you created.

Create a feedback form

• Use google forms to create a simple feedback form for you testers to fill out. Don't overwhelm them with questions, it shouldn't take longer to fill out the form than it did to play the game.
• Include questions that have multiple choice or rating scales as well as written responses.
• Collect responses and then tally the results. Notice if there are any trends or commons answers.
• Sample Form