An Introduction to Game Testing

Hey there! This post is part of a game testing project I am working on. There’s a lot more to it than what is covered in this post so check out the full project here.

“Game testing. One of the few occupations that allows you to play video games. It’s too good to be true right?”

Easy there partner. While game testing is a lot of fun and allows inside access to new and exciting adventures, it’s still a very important part of development. So it should be taken seriously.

Game testers are like bounty hunters in a sense. Their job is to sniff out flaws or “bugs” in a game’s code. They don’t usually have any access to the code itself, but when there’s a problem with it, they’re the first to find out.

Since code is the fabric of a game’s reality, game testers have to make sure it functions correctly and report it to the programmers when it doesn’t. So for all of you who want to get started in this role, here’s a crash course of the kind of mindset you need to adopt.

Thinking like a programmer

First off, it’s important to note what a programmer has to deal with. Spoiler alert: it’s a big part of why your job exists in the first place. Writing code is fun, but is also time-consuming and runs the risk of making programmers throw their computers out the window.

With stressful workloads and tight deadlines, sometimes a messy but functional feature is the best they can manage. That’s where you come in. Even if the code is neat and well-written, bugs can fall through the cracks.

Think of yourself as a safety net. Programmers will usually try to think ahead and prevent any issues from popping up in the future when writing the initial code. But they can’t always account for everything. That’s why you’ll have to catch what slips past them.

The actual “test” part

Now that you understand what a programmer has to go through it’s time to get to work. As I mentioned before, programmers will try to get the code right the first time around. “Try” being the key word there. They have a lot to think about when implementing new features. Particularly what scenarios they will be put in. You must take on this same mentality.

When testing any new feature, try to consider the other elements within the game. Can they interact? If they do, does one interfere with the other? What happens if it does? Thinking this way will help you more effectively break the game.

The more complex a game is, the more there is to test for. Luckily, you (probably) won’t be doing it alone. Game testers frequently meet with the lead game tester to talk strategy and come up with test plans. So don’t worry about getting overwhelmed.

Squashing the bugs

Alright so you found the bug. What now? Well you can’t alert people through word of mouth so you’ll have to write up a report. Bug reporting software varies from company to company. The important thing to remember is to make your bug reports detailed, yet easy to read and understand.

Remember what I said about programmers working under tight deadlines? Imagine how frustrating it is for them when they read your reports and have to email you for more info. So when writing a bug report, be more detailed than you think you need to be. Even if one of your steps seems painfully obvious like, “Select File 3,” include it anyway. It’s better to have a reliable roadmap than a quick one.

Bug reports can differ in their layouts but most of them contain the following:

1. A summary line
2. The actual result (a description of the bug)
3. The expected result (what was actually supposed to happen when you performed the given action)
4. The steps to reproduce (a list of detailed steps to recreate the bug)
5. The severity (how badly does the bug affect the overall game)
6. The priority (how soon does the bug need to be dealt with or how likely is it to be encountered by a player)

While it’s important to be detailed, don’t beat around the bush either. In game development, time is money. So save as much of it as you can. It’s your part of your job after all.

Off you go!

Now that you have a basic understanding of the job you’re ready to get started! Experience will teach you the rest. If you want to test the waters a bit, you can use platforms such as G.Round to get some practice. You can also look for gaming companies like Kwalee that offer game testing programs. Good luck in your game testing endeavors, and have fun!