Chapter 11. Playtesting Your Game

The playtesting moment in the iterative cycle is where you find out the truth about your game’s design. It’s when the questions posed in the prototype are answered, often in ways that are unexpected. Just like there are many types of prototypes, there are many types of playtests, each based on getting your game closer to what you are hoping it will express.

If prototypes ask questions, then playtests provide the answers. Sometimes the team members ask and answer the question themselves. Sometimes playtesters from outside the team provide the answers. Sometimes playtests are super short, but other times they unfold over days, weeks, even months. It all depends on what questions are being asked through the prototype ...

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