Playtester
About this Role
Playtesters are the first line of experience, the guinea pigs who dive headfirst into the digital world to sniff out bugs, glitches, and frustrations. They are the crucial critics, meticulously exploring every corner, pushing buttons, and breaking things, all in the name of a smoother, more enjoyable game. Their feedback is the lifeblood of development, guiding designers and programmers to refine mechanics, polish interfaces, and eliminate any roadblocks that could impede the player's journey.
Salary Resources
Key Responsibilities
- Explore the game extensively, meticulously identifying and documenting bugs, glitches, and technical issues.
- Provide detailed and constructive feedback on gameplay mechanics, balance, user interface, and overall game experience.
- Simulate different player types and playstyles, uncovering potential issues and ensuring accessibility for diverse audiences.
- Thoroughly test and evaluate all aspects of game content, from story missions to side quests and minigames.
- Uncover narrative inconsistencies, illogical story beats, and potential plot holes.
- Test text localization, identify translation errors, and ensure cultural appropriateness for global audiences.
- Analyze game difficulty across various levels and skill sets, providing feedback for balanced and engaging gameplay.
- Test game performance on different platforms and configurations, identifying performance bottlenecks and optimization opportunities.
- Test game features for accessibility, ensuring usability for players with disabilities.
Learning Resources
- Into Games’ Junior QA Tester Database
- Writing A Playtest Report: Tips and Tricks for Creating a Strong Post-Playtest Report
- Best Practices: Five Tips for Better Playtesting
- Choose the Right Playtest Method
- VR Playtest Best Practices Featuring Schell Games
- The 3 stages of playtesting — Internal, Local, and Blind
- How to Be a Better Playtester
Recommended Books
- Modern Game Testing: Learn how to test games like a pro, optimize testing effort, and skyrocket your QA career by Nikolina Finska
- Games, Design and Play: A detailed approach to iterative game design by Colleen Macklin and John Sharp
- Players Making Decisions: Game Design Essentials and the Art of Understanding Your Players by Zack Hiwiller
- Mobile Playtesting Playbook: Make Better Games by Testing Early and Often by Gareth Lloyd
- Game Testing: All in One by Charles P. Schultz and Robert Denton Bryant
- Modern Game Testing: A Pragmatic Guide to Test Planning and Strategy by Chris Howell
- Land a Job as a Video Game Tester by Jason W. Bay
- The Complete Software Tester: Concepts, Skills, and Strategies for High-Quality Testing by Kristin Jackvony
Tools to Learn
You don't need to learn all of these — they are some of the more common tools for this role.
Game EnginesDiscordOBS StudioShareXJiraBugzillaTeamViewerAnyDeskTrelloAsanaFRAPSNVIDIA GeForce ExperienceWiresharkCheat EngineProcess Explorer