Playtesting

Playtesting Level Design & Data Collection

• Types of Testing Data Needed:

• Game/playtester thoughts
• Player information:
  • Traditional demographics (age/gender)
  • Modern approach: psychographics

    Focus on player interests “How much they play/like specific genres” Better informs design feedback

• Data Collection Methods:

• Coursera forums
• Friends/family testing
• Forms (like Google Forms):
  • Avoid yes/no questions
  • Use:

    Numeric scales Open-ended replies “Offers more detailed information”

• Data Analysis:

• Use charts to visualize:
  • Compare variables
  • Weight data based on psychographics
• Watch for outliers:
  • Data points very different from norm
  • May need to ignore to prevent skewing
  • “More data collected = easier to spot outliers”

• Course-Specific Testing:

• Limited by asynchronous nature
• No gameplay yet, but can:
  • Test navigation
  • Hide objects for discovery
  • Return later with blueprints
• “Hit minimum tester amount”

Playtesting focuses on gathering meaningful data through psychographics rather than traditional demographics. Collection methods should encourage detailed responses, with analysis focusing on patterns while accounting for player preferences and potential outliers.