Flanders Game Hub organised a Playtesting day under the supervision of Games User Research expert Steve Bromley
Flanders Game Hub organised a Playtest day for its partner studios so they could gather useful feedback on their upcoming games. Our Games User Research expert Steve Bromley was present to oversee the tests by the PXL Gaming Business students as well as fellow developers.
Playtesting games is essential for gathering valuable feedback on gameplay mechanics, user experience, and player engagement!
With experts like SteveBromley guiding the process, developers can leverage this feedback to refine and iterate on their games, ensuring they resonate with their target audience and deliver an enjoyable gaming experience.
Our studios prepped for this day by creating demos or vertical slices of their games as well as preparing carefully crafted study plans so they could make the most out the playtest day.
A word from Steve Bromley, our Games User Research Expert
Playtesting is essential for game developers to ensure their games are enjoyable and understandable. I was extremely glad to be a part of this afternoon organised by Flanders Game Hub, which created the opportunity for Flemish game studios to see how genuine players interacted with their games and ideas, build confidence in the ideas, and provide inspiration for iteration.
In chats with each studio, I was impressed by their dedication to finding genuine unbiased playtest data and answering high priority development questions - and saw first-hand the impact of this undeniably valuable activity for Flanders Game Hub's teams.
Here is what our studios had to say:
Godefroid from Oisoi Studios:
I will probably state the obvious but the fresh and unbiased playtesters not only allowed us to either confirm things we know need improvement, but also highlighted some areas that we had never thought could be a problem. We went out of the afternoon full of notes, feedback, data, and that will give us tremendous matter to prioritize what we’ll release next!
On the other hand, as the app has been out for 2 years, we tend to see everything that does NOT work with it. It was refreshing, and sometimes equally surprising, to see people react positively to some elements that we, as creators, do not see anymore. It was a great reminder of how much we love what we do, what we have made, and what it can bring to our users!
Charles from Headfirst Studios:
The playtesting event has been of tremendous help to us with regard to many critical aspects of our game development. It boosted game design by allowing us to test assumptions we made(spurring a very creative week of architectural innovations until now), but above all, it energised my team into delivering a prototype that we could stand behind.
In a nutshell, the positive spillovers of this event started 6-8 weeks ago when it was announced, and they will keep compounding for weeks (if not months) to come. My team and couldn't bemore grateful to the whole FGH crew for the organization of this productivesession. It came at a perfect time in our development process.
Robert from Edge of Dusk:
We have discovered the discrepancy between the game in our head and the game on the screen. To use the analogy of a sculpture; you are chiseling with your nose practically touching the stone. Every stroke you carve, you think you're getting closer to creating a beautiful horse. It then takes someone standing three feet away who tells you that your statue is starting to look more like a duck, to make you realize you have to change some things.
Thomas Boone from Eye Blink Twice:
Now that I have not only learned but also practiced the playtest ways of Steve Bromley, I feel more confident and prepared to get the most valuable and useful feedback in future playtest sessions yet to come!
A word from Brecht Vanmaele, on behalf of PXL Gaming Business
For PXL, the interaction with an organization such as Flanders Game Hub is of course very interesting. Through our Gaming Business track, we want to give our students an insight into the gaming sector, what kind of parties play a role in it and how they could contribute to it.
Our students getting invited to take part in an activity such as this playtesting event, was a wonderful opportunity for them to enter into direct dialogue with Flemish game studios. Experiences like this are difficult to have in a classroom, but very valuable.
Our students were very enthusiastic about the studios, the creativity of the games and even the different platforms. Several of them had never worn a VR/MR headset before. We took away plenty of new insights, experiences and connections.
A closing word from Michiel on behalf of Flanders Game Hub
I realize that for many game development studios, having their game played by someone for the first time can be a particularly nerve-wracking experience. It is common to hear developers say that the 'prototype is not ready yet' or that 'we will have a first playable build sometime next year.' However, the reality is that playtesting early and frequently is crucial if you want your game to succeed.
Early playtesting allows developers to identify fundamental issues in the game's core loop before too much has been invested into production. You don’t need fancy visuals, 20 upgrades and 10 hours of replayability to experience if the core game loop and mechanics will be fun.
Moreover, consistent playtesting does more than just highlight problems—it’s an invaluable tool for iterative design, where feedback is used to refine and enhance the game. By involving players early in the development process, you not only gain insights that can significantly improve the gameplay experience but also start building a community. This community can evolve into a loyal fanbase, eagerly anticipating the game’s release and spreading word-of-mouth awareness.
By organizing regular playtesting meetups, we establish an open and collaborative environment where there’s room for honest criticism and feedback. Additionally, these gatherings can serve as networking events, creating valuable connections between game studios that could lead to future collaborations or opportunities.
In essence, early and frequent playtesting is not just about debugging and troubleshooting—it's a strategic approach to game development. It enables developers to align their vision with player expectations, creating games that are not only technically sound but also engaging and community-driven. This holistic view of development, focusing on technical excellence as well as community engagement and feedback integration, is what ultimately sets apart successful games in today’s competitive market.
