Game Testing

Game Testing — QA, Playtesting & Quality

Build a testing strategy that catches bugs, validates fun, and ensures quality across platforms — from unit tests to large-scale playtests.

Inputs

• Game design document (use /game-design-document for reference)
• Target platforms and hardware matrix
• Team size and QA resources
• Current development phase (prototype, alpha, beta, release)

Step 1: Testing Strategy by Phase

Step 2: Testing Types for Games

Functional Testing

TEST CATEGORIES:
  ├── Core mechanics — Does every player action work correctly?
  ├── Game flow — Can you complete the game start to finish?
  ├── UI/Menus — Do all screens navigate correctly?
  ├── Save/Load — Does saving and loading preserve all state?
  ├── Edge cases — What happens at boundaries? (0 HP, max inventory, etc.)
  ├── State transitions — Menu → gameplay → pause → resume → quit
  └── Localization — Does translated text fit? Are strings correct?

Playtest Types

Playtest Session Template

## Playtest Session: [Date]
**Build:** [version]
**Tester:** [name/ID]
**Duration:** [minutes]
**Focus area:** [what to observe]

### Pre-Test
- [ ] Build deployed and stable
- [ ] Recording software running (screen + face if possible)
- [ ] Tester has signed NDA (if needed)
- [ ] No instructions given (blind test) OR specific task provided

### Observation Log
| Timestamp | Observation | Category | Severity |
|-----------|-------------|----------|----------|
| 0:30 | Didn't notice tutorial prompt | UX | Medium |
| 2:15 | Laughed at physics interaction | Fun | Positive |
| 4:00 | Died and didn't understand why | Clarity | High |

### Post-Test Questions
1. What was the most fun part?
2. What was the most frustrating part?
3. Was anything confusing?
4. Would you play more? Why/why not?
5. What would you change?

### Key Takeaways
[3-5 actionable findings]

Step 3: Bug Tracking

Bug Report Template

## Bug: [Short descriptive title]
**ID:** BUG-[number]
**Severity:** [Critical / High / Medium / Low / Cosmetic]
**Priority:** [P0-Blocker / P1-High / P2-Medium / P3-Low]
**Platform:** [PC / Console / Mobile / All]
**Build:** [version]
**Reporter:** [name]
**Date:** [date]

### Reproduction Steps
1. [Precise step 1]
2. [Precise step 2]
3. [Precise step 3]

### Expected Result
[What should happen]

### Actual Result
[What actually happens]

### Reproduction Rate
[Always / Often / Sometimes / Rare / Once]

### Evidence
[Screenshot, video, log file]

### Environment
- OS: [version]
- GPU: [model]
- RAM: [amount]
- Resolution: [WxH]
- Settings: [quality preset]

Severity Definitions

Step 4: Performance Testing

Performance Metrics

FRAME RATE:
  Target: [30/60/120 FPS]
  Minimum: [never below X FPS]
  Measurement: Average, 1% low, 0.1% low
  Tool: Built-in profiler, RenderDoc, PIX, Instruments

MEMORY:
  Budget: [MB/GB by platform]
  Monitor: Peak usage, leak detection over 1-hour session
  Alert: >80% of budget

LOAD TIMES:
  Initial load: <[X] seconds
  Level transition: <[X] seconds
  Fast travel / respawn: <[X] seconds

NETWORK (multiplayer):
  Tick rate: [Hz]
  Bandwidth per player: <[X] KB/s
  Latency tolerance: <[X] ms

Performance Test Scenarios

Step 5: Compatibility Testing

Platform Matrix

## PC Testing Matrix

| GPU Family | Min Spec | Recommended | High-End |
|-----------|---------|-------------|---------|
| NVIDIA | GTX 1060 | RTX 3060 | RTX 4080 |
| AMD | RX 580 | RX 6700 XT | RX 7900 XT |
| Intel | Arc A380 | Arc A770 | — |

| OS | Versions to Test |
|----|-----------------|
| Windows | 10 (21H2+), 11 |
| Linux | Ubuntu 22.04, SteamOS |
| macOS | Ventura, Sonoma (if applicable) |

| Input | Devices to Test |
|-------|----------------|
| Keyboard + Mouse | Standard, ultrawide support |
| Controller | Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro |
| Steam Deck | Handheld mode, docked |

Certification Checklists

STEAM:
  □ Launches from Steam correctly
  □ Steam overlay works
  □ Cloud saves function
  □ Achievements trigger
  □ Controller support (if advertised)
  □ Steam Deck compatibility (if targeting)

CONSOLE (general):
  □ First-party controller support
  □ Platform-specific UI icons
  □ Suspend/resume works
  □ Trophy/achievement integration
  □ Rating board compliance (ESRB, PEGI)
  □ No crashes during soak test (4+ hours)
  □ Meets platform TRC/TCR requirements

Step 6: Regression Testing

Regression Suite Structure

SMOKE TEST (5 minutes — run every build):
  □ Game launches without crash
  □ New game starts and reaches gameplay
  □ Core mechanic functions (move, interact, combat)
  □ Save and load works
  □ Can pause and resume

CORE REGRESSION (30 minutes — run daily):
  □ All smoke tests +
  □ Complete tutorial/first level
  □ Inventory system functions
  □ All menu screens accessible
  □ Audio plays correctly
  □ No visual glitches in key areas

FULL REGRESSION (2-4 hours — run weekly/per milestone):
  □ All core regression +
  □ Complete full game path
  □ Test all difficulty settings
  □ Test all input methods
  □ Performance benchmarks pass
  □ Localization check (all languages)
  □ Edge case battery (0 items, max items, boundary values)

Automated Testing for Games

UNIT TESTS:
  - Game logic calculations (damage formulas, drop rates)
  - State machine transitions
  - Pathfinding algorithms
  - Save/load serialization

INTEGRATION TESTS:
  - System interactions (combat + inventory + progression)
  - UI flow navigation
  - Network message handling

AUTOMATED GAMEPLAY:
  - Bot plays through levels (catches crashes, softlocks)
  - Random input fuzzing (monkey testing)
  - Overnight soak tests
  - Performance capture during automated runs

Output

Save to artifacts/game-design/[project-name]-test-plan.md

Guidelines

• Test on target hardware — your dev machine is not representative
• The best bug report includes exact reproduction steps and a video
• Playtest early, playtest often — don't wait until the game "looks good"
• Automate what's repetitive, human-test what requires judgment
• Track bug counts over time — rising counts in late development is a red flag
• Cross-reference /mechanics-design to ensure all mechanics are covered
• Cross-reference /game-balancing for balance-specific testing
• Use /game-analytics to track post-launch quality metrics