From Zero to Hero in Capturing Playtest Feedback Early

From Zero to Hero in Capturing Playtest Feedback Early

Meet Alex. Alex is an indie dev, solo-slinging code and pixel art to bring their dream game to life. Alex is ready to unleash their creation and get some feedback… but the first 10 playtests are a chaotic whirlwind.

They’re not alone.

Early playtests are crucial, but often mishandled. You pour your heart into a game, and then watch someone fumble with it for an hour. It’s tough not to jump in and explain everything. But that’s exactly what you shouldn’t do.

These initial playtests can shape (or break) your game’s core loop. Let’s walk through how Alex turned their playtesting nightmares into actionable insights.

Playtest #1-3: The Question Marks

Alex’s first few playtests were… unproductive. They asked broad questions like, “Did you like it?” and got vague answers like, “Yeah, it was fun.”

Problem: Unfocused questions yield unfocused feedback.

Solution: Target specific aspects. Instead of "What did you think?", try “How clear was the tutorial for crafting items?” or “Did you feel a sense of reward when defeating the boss?”

Alex started creating specific playtest scenarios. “Play until you reach the first boss. Craft at least one potion.” This gave testers a clear goal and Alex focused areas to observe.

Pitfall Alert: Avoid leading questions. “Did you think the combat was too easy?” biases the response. Just observe and note what players struggle with.

Playtest #4-6: The Defensive Dev

Playtesters were confused by the inventory system. Alex jumped in, explaining the intricate logic behind it. Playtesters were confused by the crafting system, and Alex explained again.

Problem: Defensiveness shuts down honest feedback.

Solution: Zip it. Seriously. Resist the urge to explain your design choices. Observe why people are struggling. Let their actions speak louder than your words.

Alex started using the “silent observer” technique. They simply watched, took notes, and only answered direct, specific questions. This revealed that the visual cues for crafting ingredients were unclear, a problem Alex hadn’t even considered.

Pitfall Alert: Don’t argue with feedback. Even if you disagree, acknowledge it. The player’s experience is valid, regardless of your intent.

Playtest #7-9: Identifying the Core Loop Problems

Alex started to see patterns. Players consistently struggled with resource management and often got stuck in the same area.

Problem: Identifying core loop issues amidst the noise.

Solution: Focus on the player’s journey. Map out the intended core loop: Gather resources -> Craft item -> Explore -> Battle -> Repeat. Watch how players deviate from this path.

Alex created a simple feedback framework: "What was fun?", "What was frustrating?", "What was confusing?". This helped categorize feedback and pinpoint recurring problems.

Prioritize ruthlessly. Fix the issues that break the core loop first. Minor balancing tweaks can wait.

Pitfall Alert: Don’t get bogged down in minor bugs. Focus on core mechanics. A broken core loop will kill your game faster than a misplaced texture.

Playtest #10: The Breakthrough

By the tenth playtest, Alex wasn’t just collecting feedback, they were actively learning. They understood the core issues, had a system for prioritizing fixes, and were seeing real improvements in player engagement.

The initial vagueness was gone, replaced with targeted questions and a clear understanding of the game’s strengths and weaknesses.

Documenting the Journey: The Dev Journal

Alex realized something crucial: all this hard-won knowledge was scattered across sticky notes and hastily scribbled documents. Vital information was being lost in the shuffle. That’s when they discovered the power of a dedicated game dev journal.

A game dev journal is more than just a diary; it’s a central hub for your game’s evolution. It’s where you track your progress, brainstorm ideas, document playtest feedback, and analyze your design decisions. It’s a living document that grows with your game.

Why keep a dev journal?

• Organized Chaos: Game development is inherently chaotic. A journal provides structure and helps you manage the complexity.
• Progress Tracking: Seeing your progress visually is incredibly motivating. It helps you stay on track and avoid getting discouraged.
• Idea Capture: Those brilliant flashes of inspiration often vanish as quickly as they appear. A journal provides a dedicated space to capture them before they’re gone.
• Feedback Analysis: Systematically record and analyze playtest feedback. Identify trends, prioritize fixes, and track the impact of your changes.
• Design Documentation: Explain your design decisions, the reasoning behind them, and the challenges you faced. This is invaluable for future reference and potential collaboration.
• Mental Health Boost: Reflecting on your progress and acknowledging your accomplishments can significantly improve your mental well-being during the often-grueling development process.

Consistency is key. Even short, daily entries can make a huge difference.

Pitfall Alert: Don’t overthink it. A dev journal is a tool for you. It doesn’t need to be perfectly organized or meticulously detailed. The goal is to capture your thoughts and progress in a way that’s useful to you.

Tracking your game development progress shouldn’t be a chore. It should be a natural extension of your creative process. It helps you see how far you’ve come, learn from your mistakes, and stay motivated throughout the journey. Many indie developers use game development logs to stay focused and make sure they have the most important information at the tips of their fingers!

Alex now uses a dev journal to plan playtests, record observations, and track the impact of changes. Now, their early playtests feel less like a painful interrogation and more like a collaborative effort to build the best possible game.

Ready to level up your game dev process and ditch the scattered notes? Try our easy to use dev journal and start turning your playtest feedback into actionable insights.