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Playtesting At The Right Time: Making Decisions to Refine or Retire a Game

Discover how our in-person, multi-session playtesting, combined with expert-led pre and post-user research, provided the studio with a data-driven solution for their game development.

Lysto
Sep 19, 2024
4 min read
Game Studios

Key Takeaways

1. The Value of Expert Playtesting: Playtesting with the target gamers unlocked valuable insights into gameplay, teamwork, and player behavior.
2. In-Person Moderation Captures Real Reactions: Developers fine-tuned gameplay based on authentic player responses and emotional cues, gaining practical and data-driven insights.
3. Multi-Session Playtests Deliver Deep Insights: Structured sessions offered a full view of gameplay dynamics and teamwork.

The Context

An India-based esports and mobile gaming platform had a crucial question: Is their casual cooperative shooter ready for release? Designed for single-thumb gameplay, they needed to know if it was truly engaging or if it was time for a reset.
Lysto stepped in with a dual solution:
1. Multi-session playtesting, in-person and
2. Using Expert Gamer Researchers in both the design study and moderation.
This enabled the studio to make a decision on the future of their prototype - invest hours and funds to refine the game, or if it's best to retire the project altogether. They were able to figure out the best path at this crossroads by basing it on actual player feedback and data.
Single-thumb gameplay is where players use one thumb for actions like movement or shooting, designed for simplicity and accessibility, especially in casual mobile games.

The Challenge
Should The Game be Refined or Retired?

The mission was clear — help decide the game’s next steps by letting gamers play the prototype and answer three key questions:
(a) Is the core gameplay fun?
(b) Do players work well together to achieve the game’s goal?
(c) Is this cooperative format truly entertaining?

The Approach
Structured Multi-Session Playtesting With The Right Mix of Gamers

The Gamers & Type of Playtest: Lysto set up a multi-session playtest with 30 action, shooter and survival fans (aged 18-25), divided into 10 groups of three for three gameplay rounds.
A multi-session playtest involves players completing multiple sessions in a day, mimicking long-term gameplay, with breaks in between. This was chosen over a longitudinal playtest (one session per day) for faster insights and quicker iterations.
Playtest Execution: Lysto expert researchers led in-person sessions, moderating gameplay and collecting feedback (pre and post) through group discussions.
User Research: Lysto managed and guided research methods, usability and operations, allowing devs to focus on interviews and player engagement.
What we focused on:
1. Gameplay Fun: Monitored feedback on controls, weapons, and overall enjoyment.
2. Teamwork: Analyzed communication and strategy, with insights collected post-round.
3. Entertainment: Evaluated enjoyment and key elements like controls and weapons.

The Final Result

This playtest went beyond bugs, focusing on what players loved (and didn’t). Player recommendations that helped the studio:
Controls
•Observation: Both thumbs used under pressure; vision was limited to sight enemies
•Feedback: Smoother controls, less lag, and clearer features like autofire.
In-game Weapons:
•Observation: Unclear weapon functions; hard-to-track bullets on a grey background.
•Feedback: Suggested improved visual cues for clearer weapon use.
Cooperation:
•Observation: Teamwork was key and enjoyable; playing with friends was beneficial.
•Feedback: Recommended better communication tools and cooperation rewards.
Lysto’s insights on engagement, teamwork, and fun helped the client refine their game and plan next steps. If you haven’t tried Lysto yet, now’s the time. Whether it’s growing your game or rewarding players, Lysto has you covered. Click here to get in touch with us!

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