Playtest

A playtest is the process by which a game designer tests a new game for bugs and design flaws before bringing it to market. Playtests can be run "open", "closed", "beta", or otherwise, and are very common with computer games, board games and role-playing games, where they have become an established part of the quality control process.

An open playtest could be considered open to anyone who wishes to join, or it may refer to game designers recruiting testers from outside. Prospective testers usually must complete a survey or simply provide their contact information in order to be considered for participation. A closed playtest is an internal testing process not available to the public. Beta testing normally refers to the final stages of testing just prior to going to market with a product, and is often run semi-open with a limited form of the game in order to find any last-minute problems. With all forms of playtesting it is not unusual for participants to be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement, in order to protect the game designer's copyrights.

The word 'playtest' is also commonly used in unofficial situations where a game is being tested by a group of players for their own private use, or to denote a situation where some new strategy is being tested.

In the video game industry, playtesting refers specifically to the process of exposing a game in development (or some specific parts of it) to its intended audience, to identify potential design flaws and gather feedback. Playtests are also used to help ensure that a product will be commercially viable upon release, by providing a way for consumers to play the game and provide their opinions. Playtesting should not be confused with Quality Assurance (QA) testing, which is the process in which professional testers look for and report specific software bugs to be fixed by the development team.

The Boston Globe described playtesting as "what everyone says is the least favorite part of the game-building operation". Steve Meretzky of Infocom said that "the first part of debugging is exciting; it's the first feedback. Somebody is actually playing your game. But by the end, you get sick of the little problems. You have spent three months inventing the game, and now you have to spend just as much time cleaning it up". The requirements for a person to be considered for participation in a playtest vary. Some playtests are open to anyone who cares to volunteer, while others specifically target professional gamers and journalists. Some playtests also try to evaluate the game's appeal to players with different levels of experience by selecting players with varying exposure to the game's genre.

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