Test your Patience

Abstract Even with good design practices, great art, and the technical framework to back it all up, a game isn’t successful until real players enjoy it. Testing is an integral part of creating a good game, so much so that entire research disciplines have sprung up around it. This chapter gives readers a brief introduction to the ethos of games user research, methods for observing and questioning players, and designing effective testing strategies. It discusses the goals of game evaluation in terms of understanding player motivations, behaviour, and reactions to gameplay. Additionally, it covers several different evaluation designs to support rapid design iteration, comparing alternative designs, and gauging usability, among other common development goals.