Do Not Miss These While Testing a Game!

The world of gaming starting from PCs and Consoles to online, mobile, as well as offline games, has become the fastest-growing industry. In this rapidly evolving industry, the demand for the highest gaming quality is of utmost importance.

One thing that makes any game interesting and engaging is its unique challenges. But, it is a huge problem when it comes to software testing. No one wants that.

Mitigating the challenges in game testing ensures robust gameplay and offers the best experience for users. Read below to know the essential steps that must not forget to find game testing mistakes.

5 Things You Must Not Miss While Testing a Game

Glitches in games are common. The key is regular monitoring of bugs to eradicate them and prevent rendering issues and many more. These are the following things that you must check for game testing.

#1 Testing Across Different Platforms

Finding a suitable game engine plays a crucial role in ensuring the failure and success of the game. But, it is a difficult task as it involves checking hardware specifications such as GPU, CPU, and RAM, along with storage capabilities.

Along with that, testing among different platforms requires monitoring game performance among mid-end, low-end, and high-end devices to ensure consistency. Different platforms require specific language and localization support which is verified through game testing.

Have a look at the following points to take care of while testing a game among different platforms.

• Verify the user interface design, gameplay, and menu to tailor the capabilities of each platform.
• Optimize and measure crucial factors such as load times, frame rate, and memory usage.
• You must ensure that the game must run smoothly without any frame drop or extended loading times on every platform.

#2 Social Integration

If you are a real gaming enthusiast, then you must remember that Facebook introduced its games back in 2013. But, look at the current situation of the gaming industry. Games have become so advanced that come in an inbuilt feature of social integration to show off our achievements to the world.

Social media serves as an important way to build a close-knit community with fellow gamers. Also, social media integration emphasizes on branding to attract new and loyal customers.

So, now you know testing social media integration for games is extremely important for testing a game.

• Test the game with online multiplayer functionality to allow players to connect and play from across the world.
• Check the leaderboard which displays the scores and achievements of players.
• Thorough testing is important to ensure stable connections, matchmaking, and balanced gameplay.
• You must also test social sharing features which should appear correctly on every social media platform.

#3 Evaluation of RNG (Random Number Generator)

Randomness in web and mobile games plays a major role in enhancing the gaming experience. A random number generator is used for generating random outcomes to maintain balance. Thus, game testing is performed to analyze the correct distribution of results and patterns.

RNG utilizes seed values to start random sequencing. Thus, game testing for RNG ensures that results are always unpredictable. Also, it prevents certain situations where players may feel cheated due to unfair outcomes.

• Documentation of RNG algorithms, testing methodologies, and initialization process helps in resolving issues post-launch.
• RNG testing involves thorough verification of seeds of RNG algorithms producing the same outcomes on different platforms and devices.
• It majorly impacts the gameplay outcomes such as item drops, enemy actions, and others. So, testing should align with the game design and difficulty level.

#4 Evaluating the Game Rules

Testing the game rules implies that core mechanics are working as expected. It involves thorough checking of different variables such as combat mechanics, character movement, AI behavior, and progression systems.

Thus it is crucial to identify the imbalances and unintended interactions causing frustration for players. Thus, game testing should involve regular evaluation of rules to enhance the overall gaming experience.

Testing should include whether every game rule and mechanics are equally accessible to players with disabilities. Sound effects, visual cues, and other interface elements should work seamlessly without any hindrance.

These are the following points you mustn’t miss while game testing.

• Unrealistic behavior or physics glitches should be identified and corrected through testing.
• Evaluate how players are using, acquiring, and managing the resources without any exploits.
• Ensure that beginners or new players can easily understand the mechanics with the help of tutorials.

#5 Withstanding Heavy Load

Game testing helps in identifying server crashes and potential bottlenecks which may occur during heavy activity. Thus, performing load testing requires assessing networking infrastructure, servers, backend systems, etc.

It ensures that players don’t face frustrating experiences such as disconnection, lag, and long matchmaking times. Also, load testing requires regular assessment to maintain consistency.

For microtransactions or in-app purchases in games, you must evaluate if the game handles financial transactions simultaneously. In this way, you can prevent several issues such as failed transactions or double-charging.

• Utilize proper monitoring and data analysis tools to identify patterns and anomalies.
• Test the features of in-game chat, friend interactions, messaging, etc. for seamless communication.
• After conducting load testing, you must analyze the collected data and optimize the game’s performance.

Important Game Testing Tools to Elevate Your Game Testing Approach

Utilizing the right set of tools is the key to enhance and accelerate the testing process. Let’s look at the best tools which help in enhancing efficiency and valuable insights.

• TestComplete- TestComplete is an automation tool that supports testing in different platforms for mobile and desktop apps. This tool offers a user-friendly interface and scripting support to execute test scripts.
• Unity Test Runner- This is an amazing tool if you are designing a game for the Unity engine. It allows you to build and run automated tests directly in its Unity editor. You can perform integration testing, unit testing, and regression testing.
• Selenium-It is designed for web application testing, but you can utilize it for testing web-based games. Also, Selenium helps in automating interaction with users and identifying UI bugs.
• Applitools- It is a visual testing tool that compares the snapshots of the game for different devices, platforms, resolutions, and devices. You can use Applitools for identifying inconsistencies and visual glitches.
• Playtest Cloud- It provides a robust platform to perform remote game testing. QA professionals can record gameplay to analyze the user experience and player behavior.
• Jenkins- It is a CI/CD tool that is efficient in automating the testing, building, and deploying of the game. Jenkins ensures that any new changes in features don’t create new errors.
• TestFairy- You can implement TestFairy for testing mobile games. It provides video recordings of playtesting sessions with logs, crash reports, and user feedback for mobile testing.

Different Types of Testing You Must Perform for Game Testing

Game testing comprises a wide range of testing approaches to ensure smooth functionality, UI/UX, and quality. Thus, we have listed some essential testing types.

• Compatibility Testing- You must test the game across different devices, platforms, operating, browsers, etc, to ensure consistent user experience.
• Functional Testing- This is efficient testing to verify various game functions such as design and mechanics. It includes testing different gameplay mechanics, controls, interactions, rules, objectives, etc.
• Security Testing- Test the vulnerabilities and security risks to ensure data encryption. Also, it verifies that the game prevents data theft and exploits.
• Visual and Audio Testing- Elevate sound effects, audio quality, music, and other visual elements to achieve accuracy in synchronization.
• Load Testing– The functionality of save and load is highly crucial for every game. You must check that the achievements are properly saved and can also be restored without any issues.
• AI Behavior Testing- The game testing process should also involve verifying the behavior of AI characters and enemies. Monitor their movements to confirm that they perform logical and appropriate actions.

Important Tips to Keep in Mind While Testing a Game

Testing a game requires implementing technical expertise with creative ability. It also requires testers to think from a player’s perspective. These are the essential tips that you must keep in mind to avoid game-testing mistakes.

• Have a Thorough Understanding of the Game- QA experts must learn every aspect of the game’s objectives, mechanics, and rules. It gives a clear idea to take the necessary steps to find glitches and errors.
• Covering Every Scenario- Test various scenarios of the games including unintended interactions. Doing this will uncover several issues which may arise later.
• Testing in Real Conditions- Various games have online components, so you must test this particular feature under different network conditions.
• Emphasize User Interface- Check the user interface elements to verify menus, buttons, and other elements work correctly.
• Documentation of Every Step- You must keep a detailed record of every minor and major testing activity. It should also include bugs found and outcomes. Having clear documentation will help your team to address issues promptly in the future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, game testing requires systematic evaluation of different aspects of the game. The main aim of testers and developers is to eliminate glitches and deliver a flawless and engaging game to launch in the market.

Therefore, integrating the above aspects in your game testing process also develops a strong understanding of expectations. That’s why you must hire a top game testing company in India to keep pushing the boundaries to achieve an incredible gameplay experience.