The Basics of Game Testing

The gaming industry is among the fastest-growing industries in the world.  According to Newzoo’s Games Market Reports and Forecasts, the projected growth for 2024 was 187.7 billion. Of them, 49% are mobile games, 28% are console games, and 23% are PC games. 

With numbers like these, it is obvious that it is important to deliver a quality product. The pressure comes not only from the business side but also from the players themselves. The players want to ensure the game they purchased is worth their while. This is where game testing enters stage. Game testing can be challenging to say the least, as games come in different genres and varieties, bringing different challenges.

In this article, we will cover the basics of game testing, some of the most popular types of games and gaming platforms, as well as the scope of work of game testers. We’ll explore what areas get tested, such as graphics, sound, and others, plus some testing types that can be used to test games.

What are some types of games?

Games come in a wide variety of genres, including first-person shooters, third-person action/RPGs, isometric RPGs/CRPGs, point-and-click adventure games, platformers, open-world sandbox games, puzzles, real-time strategy (RTS) games, MOBAs, battle royale games, fighting games, and many more. 

They also vary greatly in scope and length, ranging from smaller indie games with just a couple of hours of gameplay to expansive single-player experiences lasting 60+ hours, as well as multiplayer online games with ever-evolving worlds and content.

Additionally, consider the medium—whether the games are designed for virtual reality, augmented reality (AR/VR), or more traditional formats. Then there are the platforms to account for: PC, console, or mobile. These factors alone significantly increase the complexity of testing, as the approach must be tailored to the unique requirements of each platform and its specific environments.

What do game testers do?

Game testers ensure the quality of the product and tackle the complex variety of games, as mentioned above.

In general, as you may have heard from many sources, game testers are often gamers themselves. However, game testing is much more than just playing a game. It shares many similarities with other types of software testing. While players engage with games for fun, game testers take a methodical and structured approach to ensure the game's functionality, performance, and overall quality. 

Game testers need strong analytical and communication skills, as well as relevant experience and competency in their field. A keen eye for detail is essential, as they must thoroughly investigate and explore every aspect of a game. They should also be prepared to perform repetitive tasks and provide clear, concise documentation of their findings. Additionally, game testers must have a solid understanding of software development and be familiar with various hardware configurations.

As such, testers play a key role in assessing the quality of the developed game and have to: 

• Help plan for testing 
• Help in preparing the testing environment
• Perform the testing 
• Report errors, defects, or bugs 
• Present the results of the testing

They are required to test various versions of the game, play through and evaluate different areas and modes, document bug reports and test results in a management system, participate in testing tasks across multiple platforms, and perform other related activities. 

You may be interested in: How to Create Your First 3D Game in Godot 4.3: A Beginner-Friendly Tutorial.

When do testers become involved in the project?

The short answer would be: in the early stages of, and throughout the game development and design process. Let’s go through the phases.

Concept phase

The earliest phase, commonly referred to as the concept stage, is when the initial game documentation is created. During this stage, the vision for the game begins to take shape, including its genre, core concepts, gameplay mechanics, story, and other foundational elements. Even at this early point, testers can contribute meaningfully. They can help develop the test strategy, identify appropriate testing techniques, and consider the types of testing required. Additionally, the team can start identifying potential risk areas that may need attention later in development.

Pre-production phase

As development progresses, a working prototype of the game is created. This phase is often referred to as the pre-production stage. In some companies, pre-alpha builds are developed during this stage. The prototype serves as an early version of the game, showcasing only a portion of the gameplay and functionality. Key core mechanics are introduced and tested, often with the entire team participating in the process. During this time, work on the Game Design Document (GDD) continues, while testers focus on defining the test strategy, writing the test plan, and setting up the test environment. 

Production phase

As development progresses, teams create Alpha builds, followed by Beta builds. This stage involves the most extensive and rigorous testing. According to the ISTQB CT-GaMe Syllabus, this is considered a production phase divided into stages for the Alpha and Beta builds. However, the exact approach may vary depending on the company and project.

Alpha build testing
The bulk of the testing is done by the testers in the project. There are exceptions where the testing can be extended to the public, also. This is where the test plans, test executions, and test cases are implemented and run on a regular basis. Many of the functional and non-functional testing is performed here, as well as regression testing. 

Beta build testing
Later on during the Beta stage, the testing is expanded from the testers to the general public. That is why very often you will hear, that an open beta testing call is made for anyone from the public to participate. Testers do continue testing during this phase but by expanding it to the players the team can receive much-valued feedback from the general consumer.

Post-launch phase

After the game is released, testing continues during the post-launch phase. This is particularly important when new content, such as expansions, DLCs, patches, or updates, is developed. Online multiplayer games require regular maintenance, especially as new content is introduced. Testing activities typically continue for as long as the game servers remain active and operational.

Key areas of interest in game testing 

When it comes to what parts of the video game testers are focusing on, they are testing almost all areas of the game. In this blog, we’ll focus on four key areas of the game, ones that affect the game experience, and as such are of particular interest to testers.

Game mechanics

Game mechanics form the foundation of any game; they are the backbone of gameplay. These mechanics define the interactions between the player and the system, which in turn determine how the game state evolves. Mechanics shape the player's experience and influence many aspects of the game. For instance, they dictate how players move, engage in combat, interact with objects in the environment, purchase in-game items, earn points or scores, and how the in-game economy operates. Every aspect of gameplay is tied to these mechanics.

This is why testers must focus heavily on this area during testing. Game mechanics are often the primary reason a game builds and retains a dedicated following, especially its core mechanics—those most frequently used by players. Testers look for issues such as unresponsive interactions with objects, incorrect point calculations, or unexpected loss of player health without an apparent cause.

Level design

During level design, developers create and structure the game world and its various gameplay locations. This includes designing objects, structures, and the overall layout of the environment. Simply put, the game level is the virtual world where gameplay takes place. It serves as the space where players engage in adventures, solve puzzles, investigate mysteries, and interact with non-player characters (NPCs) or other players.

The design of a game level significantly impacts core mechanics, storyline flow, and the balance of the player's experience. Testers focus on identifying bugs related to object placement, characters getting stuck in terrain, or areas that are inaccessible to players.

Graphics

Graphical elements encompass the 2D and 3D aspects of a game, including character models, movements, visual effects (such as magic-casting visuals), animations, and scene and object lighting. They also include the design of game menus. Graphics play a crucial role in shaping the gaming experience, influencing the mood, atmosphere, and even the storyline crafted by the developers. Testers focus on identifying issues like missing textures, incorrect lighting, or problems with object collisions.

Sound design and sound effects

The sound in a game includes a wide range of elements: music, ambient noises, environmental sounds, character actions (like walking), interactions with objects, speech, and combat sound effects. These sounds significantly impact the overall gaming experience. In some cases, they are integral to the gameplay or even the main focus of the game itself, as seen in Beat Saber. Testers actively identify issues such as incorrect sound effects, imbalanced volume levels during specific actions, or missing voice dialogue in conversations.

In addition to these elements, other aspects of the game also require attention. These include game options and menus, such as settings and the skills menu, as well as various controllers—ranging from a keyboard and mouse for PC games to a DualShock controller for PlayStation, or even a racing wheel with pedals. Since games vary in complexity and scope, additional testing areas can be identified and thoroughly examined.

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Types of testing used to test games

The previous sections highlight the complexity and diversity involved in testing various aspects of video games. Due to the wide range of game types, different techniques and approaches are often employed by testing teams. However, there are still common areas across projects that require focused attention during the testing process. Below are a few testing techniques that testers can use.

1. Functional testing

This is a type of black-box testing. Like other types of software testing, functional testing ensures that the software operates as intended according to the specifications. In game testing, this approach is commonly used to evaluate the game's mechanics, particularly the core mechanics.

This includes testing various elements, such as combat mechanics and in-game item purchases. It also covers graphical and sound components—for example, verifying that the correct visual effects and sound are triggered when executing a magical skill. Additionally, functional testing examines different game menus and their navigation, such as the main menu, character menu, items menu, and the skills and magic menus.

2. Performance and non-functional testing

This type of testing evaluates the performance of the overall system or game, focusing on how it functions under various conditions. Stress and load testing are key components of this process.

For example, in a multiplayer game, it's crucial to assess how the system (servers) handles a large number of active players. Does significant lag occur? The load times of objects (assets) within the environment are also tested, such as when moving through a city. FPS (frames per second) is another important metric—will FPS drop significantly when a player uses higher visual settings or when too many players are logged in? Additionally, loading screen times are tested, including the duration of transitions between indoor and outdoor environments.

3. Ad-hoc testing 

Ad-hoc testing typically requires less documentation, and in some cases, there may be no documentation at all to guide the testing process. This approach gives testers the freedom to explore without following a predefined charter. It is a popular testing method among teams because testers can experience the game as players do but with a focus on identifying bugs and defects. Here, their experience, instincts, and knowledge of the game come into play, allowing them to uncover less obvious issues.

Testers' experience helps them focus on sensitive areas of the game, particularly if these areas have had issues in the past. For example, they may check whether damage is correctly applied during combat when using a combination of skills or test movement mechanics like climbing, running, and swimming. They may also assess sound effects, such as those for swimming or diving beneath the surface.

4. Exploratory testing 

Exploratory testing is a type of experience-based testing similar to ad-hoc testing. While it is typically lightly documented, it is more structured and organized. Testers often use a test charter or checklist to outline the main areas of focus for the session, the expected duration, and higher-risk areas (such as core mechanics). This approach is ideal for experienced testers, as it provides the freedom to explore the game while offering guidelines to help focus on key areas of interest.

5. Regression testing

Regression testing is crucial in software development. Whenever a new feature, patch, update, or bug fix is introduced, or even when significant new content is added, it’s essential to perform regression testing. This process involves re-checking the parts of the game that haven’t been affected by the new changes to ensure no additional defects have come up. It’s especially important for games that are frequently updated, such as multiplayer online games. This type of testing builds confidence in the quality of the product.

6. Smoke testing

Smoke testing is typically performed when a new game build is available. It checks the most basic and critical functionalities to ensure they are working correctly. This initial check confirms that the new build is stable enough for more detailed testing. When a new build is released, smoke testing verifies actions such as the correct installation of the build, the game's ability to start without crashing, the player's ability to start a new game, and the creation of new characters. More in-depth testing of mechanics and functionalities can follow later. 

7. Localization testing 

Localization testing is performed when a game supports multiple languages and regions. Different regions may require culturally appropriate phrases or terminology. After the translation is completed, it’s essential to verify its proper implementation. This includes checking whether the language has been applied consistently throughout the game or if any sections remain untranslated. Additionally, location testing ensures that in-game text and menus don’t overlap with the UI.

8. Compliance testing

Developers must adhere to specific standards throughout the development process. While these standards are primarily technical, they may also include other requirements. This is particularly true for larger game companies, which often have detailed guidelines for both the development process and the final product. Developers and publishers must strictly follow these standards. For example, Sony requires compliance with its Technical Requirements Checklist (TRC) when releasing and developing games for the PlayStation brand. Similarly, Microsoft enforces Technical Certification Requirements (TCR) for Xbox games. For Nintendo platforms, game builds must undergo Lotcheck approval before release.

During development, testers have access to these documents to ensure that the game’s development and design align with the required standards.

9. Compatibility testing 

Games are typically released across multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. This means they will run on different hardware configurations, with varying monitor resolutions, and be played with various controllers. Compatibility testing must cover all these configurations and platforms to ensure quality and a consistent user experience. Teams need access to the proper hardware and software, such as Windows devices, PlayStation and Xbox test kits and dev kits, DualShock controllers, VR headsets (e.g., HTC Vive), and both the latest and older versions of iOS for mobile games.

10. Usability testing

Usability testing focuses on the experience of end users—in this case, the players—while they interact with the game. This type of testing evaluates the ease of navigation and intuitiveness of UI elements and menus. Testers assess whether the gameplay is engaging, the story progression flows smoothly, and the tutorials are clear and easy to understand. The goal is to ensure that players can easily navigate through the game and enjoy a seamless, user-friendly experience.

11. Accessibility testing 

Another important aspect to consider, connected to usability, is accessibility testing, which has become a distinct discipline in the video game industry. Developers can implement a variety of improvements to make games more accessible, and testers play a crucial role in ensuring these features work effectively. For example, colorblind mode can be introduced, offering different hues for the game’s HUD, and menus, and even applying various filters to accommodate different types of color vision deficiencies.

Additionally, including captions for story elements allows players to follow the narrative, with options for adjustments such as text size, color, and background transparency. Simplifying controls is another significant aspect, which can be achieved through technologies like the Xbox Adaptive Controller, designed to make gaming more accessible for players with mobility impairments.

Conclusion

Game testing is a complex, yet highly organized and structured process. With so many different game genres and types, each requiring unique approaches and techniques, testing must be tailored to the specific needs of the project. While we've highlighted some of these techniques above, the list is far from exhaustive. Depending on the scope of the game, testing teams may use a variety of methods or focus on just one or two, depending on their priorities.

For larger projects, testers may be divided into smaller, specialized teams, each focusing on a different aspect of the game. For example, one team might handle compliance testing, while another focuses on functionality. Performance testing may even be outsourced to a specialized team with expertise in that area.

Regardless of the approach, successful testing relies on a well-structured, experienced team that understands both the game’s components and the design and development process. By providing thorough and effective testing, testers directly contribute to the game's quality, which in turn enhances the overall standard of the gaming industry.

Ready to take your game to the next level? Contact us today to learn how our game testing services can help make your players’ experience unforgettable!