Game Testing

Reading
Source: pixabay

Hi!

For this blog post I'm going to write about the two readings that I've read for today. The first reading titled "Testing" was all about testing. Specifically, play testing in game design. Play testing is an important part of game design because it allows game designers to share their creations to gain certain feedback from others about the game and with that feedback they can move forward and improve their game further.

The article writes about the difference play testing has if done with other game designers and gamers. If done right, play testing carried out on your target audience is even more meaningful and helpful then carrying it out on other designers because you get to experience firsthand how your game will be taken and played by the very kinds of people who will be there to play the final version.

That said, there a a few different types of play testing and these include

1. Bug testing - The purpose of this testing is to find bugs and errors in the game's behaviour relative to its design. 
2. Focus testing - This type of testing involves bringing together players that are part of the target audience's demographic in order to determine how well the game serves its needs.
3. Usability testing - Usability testing is similar to focus testing but this time players are given specific tasks to accomplish in an attempt to see whether they understand how to control the game. 
4. Balance testing - Balance training allows developers to identify any imbalance in games to make sure problems that make the game unfair are fixed.
5. Fun testing - The purpose of fun testing is to allow designers to locate the different aspects that work well and are fun to leave them the same and not only to look out on things that don't work and change them.

The second reading I've read titled "Giving Criticism The Good The Bad and The Ugly" written by The Closet Entrepreneur. Like the titles states the article focuses around criticism. The article mentions 'constructive criticism' and how this type of criticism offers valid feedback that is both positive and negative. This feedback can lend much needed assistance to individuals and the issues that they can avoid and improve on in their work. 

The most important thing when giving constructive criticism to others is to focus on being valid and unbiased.

Thanks for reading.