[5] Ways to Avoid Misleading Feedback in Game Dev

5 Ways to Avoid Misleading Feedback in Game Dev

Imagine this: you’re weeks deep in development, finally ready for playtesting. You eagerly watch someone play your game, but their feedback is…confusing. “It felt clunky,” they say, but can’t explain why. This vague feedback, while well-intentioned, can lead you down the wrong path. It’s critical for indie devs to gather actionable feedback. Here’s how to do it.

1. Define Specific Goals for Feedback Sessions

Don’t just ask, “What do you think?” Before a playtest, identify exactly what you want to learn. Are you testing the tutorial’s clarity? The combat’s feel? The puzzle difficulty?

Vague goals lead to vague feedback. Instead of "Is the game fun?", ask "Does the player understand how to upgrade their weapon by the end of the first level?".

A clear goal lets you frame questions that elicit useful answers. You can then focus your observation during the playtest.

2. Focus on Observed Behavior, Not Just Opinions

People often struggle to articulate why they feel a certain way. Opinions are subjective and easily influenced. Observed behavior is objective data.

Instead of asking "Did you like the level design?", watch where players get lost. Note which enemies they struggle with. Observe their strategies.

For example, if players consistently try to jump over a gap that’s too wide, that’s a design flaw, regardless of what they say about the level.

Pay attention to non-verbal cues like facial expressions and body language. These often reveal more than words.

3. A/B Test Different Approaches

If you’re unsure which of two designs is better, don’t rely on gut feeling or a single playtester’s opinion. Create two versions (A and B) and test them separately.

For example, are you deciding between two control schemes? Have half your playtesters use scheme A, and the other half use scheme B. Then, compare their performance and feedback.

A/B testing minimizes bias. It reveals which option performs better in practice, providing data-driven insights.

4. Carefully Select and Diversify Playtesters

Your friends and family might not be the best playtesters. They’re often biased towards being positive, even if it’s not helpful.

Seek out playtesters who represent your target audience. Include players with varying skill levels and gaming preferences.

A diverse group of playtesters will provide a wider range of perspectives. This will expose potential problems you might have missed.

Remember to gather demographic information from your playtesters to better segment and understand the feedback.

5. Systematically Document and Analyze Feedback

Relying on memory is a recipe for disaster. You’ll forget key details, introduce bias, and struggle to track progress.

Use a structured system to document your playtest observations. Record the date, playtester demographics, test goals, and all relevant observations.

Transcribe playtester comments verbatim. This preserves nuance that might be lost in paraphrasing.

Analyze the data to identify patterns and trends. What problems are recurring across multiple playtests? What solutions seem promising?

Effectively documenting your playtesting process is a crucial step to improving your game and ensuring its success. Consider logging your playtest observations, design decisions, and iterations in a game development journal. This allows you to look back and see how your game has evolved, understand the reasoning behind past choices, and avoid repeating mistakes.

Keeping a well-maintained game dev journal will allow you to track your game development progress, stay consistent with devlogs, and organize your creative process. If you’re looking for a tool to help you with this, check out our game development journaling tool to start logging your playtest observations and iterating on your design decisions today.