Playability research

Why playtesting?

Playtesting makes your (serious) game, portal or prototype better. It exposes strong and weak spots. This gives focus while developing, tailoring the game to what your players like, need and understand. In the end, your game will meet its goals like high sales, education or exposure.

Read in Bright.nl how our playtests made Guerrilla Games' Killzone 3 a better game (in Dutch).

Our approach in six steps

  1. Determining the test goals: What do we want to know?
  2. Choosing a method and set-up: How do we test your game?
  3. From our database we pick players from your target audience.
  4. In test sessions at our gamelab, we observe behavior. Feel free to watch!
  5. We present our findings: What went well, what should improve?
  6. Finally, we give clear and concrete reccommendations how to improve your game.

Eye tracking shows what players see and, more importantly, what they miss. Very useful when testing for things like menu structure, HUD, navigation.

Our approach in more detail

Together we determine the test goals. What do we want to know? What needs special attention? Some of our main focus points include:

  • Gameplay: Balancing, understanding of rules, wayfinding, multiplayer, AI, level design, etc...
  • Usability: Intuitivity of controls, menus, payflows, HUD, button mapping, accessibility, etc...
  • Player experience: Engagement, flow, first and overall impression, emotional involvement.
  • Effectiveness: Does the game meet its goals? Does the concept land? Do players learn what they need?

Next, we pick the right test set-up. This is always tailored to your needs and wishes. Our bestsellers:

  • Playtest: The target audience interacts with the game, prototype or portal. We observe and analyze behavior.
  • Iterative testing: Multiple tests aimed at quickly improving your game.
  • Expert review: Our specialists play and analyze the game from a fresh perspective, keeping the possibilities and demands from your target audience in mind.

valsplat playability lab

 

Then, we recruit players who fit the profile from your target audience. Our database has over 6000 people, from children to the elderly.

When playtesting we offer the following facilities:

  • Gamelab: Natural gaming environment for up to eight players.
  • Follow the test live from the comfort of our observation room. 
  • Eye tracking: See where your players look, what they miss.
  • Biometrics: Player experience is clarified by gauging heart rate, posture  and expression.
  • Experienced researchers: Our team has tested hundreds of products, thousands of users.
  • Video capture of all gameplay.
  • Excellent lunch and good coffee ;-)

After the test you'll get the following deliverables:

  • Issuelist with all findings: strong and weak points. 
  • Clear and concrete reccommendations with sketches and redesigns on how to improve. 
  • Workshop in which we present our findings and brainstorm on ways for improvement.
  • All gameplay on video.

valsplat playability lab
Facial expression, posture and heart rate indicate the player experience.

Our clients and projects include:

  • Guerrilla Games - Killzone 3. Read in Bright magazine about the iterative playtests
    (in Dutch)
  • SPIL games
  • Ronimo Games - Swords 'n Soldiers. Read about the playtest on gamasutra.com
  • Burnin' Rubber 3
  • Dutch Government
  • Various facebook and Hyves games

Want to know more?
Feel free to call valsplat: +31 20 330 54 54 or send us an email.