Mythilo

Playtest feedback questions

The questions worth asking after a playtest, how to ask them and how to tell advice from information.

Playtest feedback questions

Players are good at telling you what they felt and where they got stuck. They are bad at telling you how to fix it. So ask about experience, watch behaviour and make the design decisions yourself.

Playtest feedback questions: part 1

  • Decide what you want to learn. “Is the tutorial clear?” is a test. “Does anyone like it?” is not.
  • Watch if you can, and stay quiet. Where people hesitate tells you more than what they write afterward.
  • Ask the same questions every time. You can only compare sessions when the questions match.
  • Keep it short. A form that takes five minutes gets answered; one that takes twenty doesn’t.

Playtest feedback questions: part 2

  • # Playtest feedback form
  • ## About you
  • 1. How often do you play games like this? (Rarely / Sometimes / Often)
  • 2. Which games do you play most?
  • ## First impressions
  • 3. In your own words, what is this game about?
  • 4. What did you think you were supposed to do first?
  • 5. Was there a moment you felt lost? Where?
  • ## The experience
  • 6. How would you describe the game to a friend, in one sentence?
  • 7. What was the best moment?
  • 8. What was the most frustrating moment?
  • 9. Was there a moment you wanted to stop playing? Why?
  • ## Clarity
  • 10. Was anything unclear or confusing? (controls, goals, menus, rules)
  • 11. Did anything not work the way you expected?
  • ## Difficulty and pace
  • 12. How hard was it? (Too easy / About right / Too hard)
  • 13. Did it ever feel too slow or too fast?
  • ## Overall
  • 14. How likely are you to play again? (1 to 5)
  • 15. What one thing would you change?
  • 16. Anything else?
  • ## Bugs
  • 17. Did you see anything broken? What happened, and what were you doing just before?

Playtest feedback questions: part 3

  • Look for the same thing from several people. One comment is an opinion; three is a pattern.
  • Fix the problem, not the suggestion. If players ask for a map, the real problem is that they get lost. A map is only one way to solve it.
  • Sort bugs by how much they hurt. A crash that loses progress comes before a typo.
  • Tell testers what you changed. People who see their feedback acted on keep giving it.