Playtest 3
Beta Playtest

Today's playtesting session is for your beta release. Hopefully we have figured out the bugs with playtest on the Discord server, because in this playtest we are going to kick it up a notch.

Once again,it is incredibly important that everyone have a working release for beta. The TAs will be checking well before class and will contact you if everything is not in working order. We will post these games on the Discord server so that everyone can play them.

Preparation

In preparation for this workshop, you should write a 5-10 minute test plan, as discused in the online lecture on player testing. We do not want an in-depth user study experiement. All we want is a script that outlines what the person manning your game station should be doing. This plan should include the following elements:

• Your artifacts (what are you testing?)
• A brief welcome script (what do you say to the player?)
• A task or two (what should the player do?)
• A few of questions to ask of the player

Here are some resources to help you with this format.

Testing The Design With Users

This is a chapter from an online text about the basic principals of user testing

Cognitive Walkthrough

This wikipedia entry describes a basic tenant of user testing.

Lab Format

In the past, conducting user-test script involved you explaining your game to someone in front of you, and then they sat down and played the game. That is obviously not going to happen this time.

Instead you need to get volunteers to stream their game over Discord. Use the same procedures you had last time to manage people and get volunteers. Once the person shares their screen and starts the game, then you can start up the welcome script. Orient them to the game and given them the tasks to do.

Once again the people playing the game should use the think-aloud method while they play. Say everything that comes to your mind while you play, no matter how random. Imagine you are a Twitch streamer giving commentary on a new game. Since you are not in the room, and we cannot see your faces, this is the only way we are going to be able to tell what you think about the game.