Why Creativity Is Important for Game Testing

Software testing is hardly ever a static or strict discipline. Quality assurance engineers are encouraged to think outside the typical user flow in order to identify issues. In the world of game software quality assurance, this is especially true.

Game systems are complex

Game software will have many moving parts to it, no matter the type of game you’re creating. It will have various systems that interact and build off of each other.

While it is important to test the critical path that you will expect your users to follow, due to the complexity of most game systems, it is imperative for the test team to test outside the box.

Users will do things you never expected

Testers need to push the limits of game systems. Why? Because users also test the limits of gaming systems. Think about all of the YouTube videos we now see of gamers uncovering hidden bugs. As such, with game testing, you can’t rely only on test scripts or test plans. Instead, you need to rely on your quality assurance team’s understanding of your software and their creativity.

This kind of out-of-the-box testing will frequently uncover defects that often only get found once your product goes live. When you release a video game, your user base almost always ends up doing things you never intended. This can cause issues that range from balance and pacing problems, or even crashes that can reflect poorly on the quality and reputation of your product.

Here at Beta Breakers, many of our quality assurance engineers have a background working on games, including mobile apps, console games, and PC desktop games. We are very familiar with this style of testing and would be happy to discuss with you how we can apply this experience to your product!