Designer Notes ItM #10 - Playtesting

Today I want to talk about the most important part of board game design: playtesting. You might have a wonderful idea for a board game in your head, but when real people (including you) play it, you might realize it doesn't work. You will realize there improvements you can make. Other people may find broken systems you didn't think about. Some people might just plain not like your game, and that's valua

ble to you to understand and see why. For me there are three critical aspects to playtesting: guiding the experience, taking notes, and getting constructive feedback.

Pic 1. Playtesting at Essen 2023

There are two types of playtesting. Guided playtesting where the designer is present and blind playtesting where the players must read the rules and play the game. Both are vital to your success. When I first got into game design, a friend asked me if "I like explaining board games." Thankfully my answer was yes, because I learned I would be explaining the same game 100s of times. So when I sit down for a playtest, often I am explaining the rules to all players. Then during the game I keep an eye on how well players understand the rules during gameplay. It's very important to write notes on what players don't understand as you intended.

While you're guiding the player experience, be careful about helping too much. You want to know how they interpret the nomenclature, the graphics and icons, and the rules. If misunderstandings repeat, then you need to change how you define and explain. Keep an eye out for how engaged players are as well. If you see the fun isn't coming, consider stopping the game early and moving to feedback. One early "mistake" I made a lot earlier was to play the game with the players. I like the game I'm developing and want to play it too. The thing is, it's more important to pay attention to player's decisions and understanding. My notes improved drastically after I made this change. Plus, if you are at a convention with multiple days of people checking out your game, you need to conserve your energy.

Following up on this I'll expand on blind playtesting. I think this is move valuable the closer your design is to finished, but I can't say when you should start. You must have a completed rule book and hopefully be making no more sweeping changes. After your game is complete, people need to be able to learn and enjoy your game without you present. So allowing people to do this without you and give feedback is invaluable for the final product. I've found blind playtesters from friends, as well as via online platforms, like Fiverr (expect to pay for this). Furthermore, you can find groups online where they exchange playtesting. Generally, people are investing their time to playtest your game, so it matters to give something back. Maybe buy them a drink or something.

Yes, I'm still going to hit the topics of note-taking and feedback, but there's something that comes to mind that's really important, especially if you intend to self-publish. You should be politely asking for emails and having them sign up for a mailing list. This is the most valuable way to connect with your audience, build a community, and eventually sell your game. Don't forget about this!

So, on to the second topic: note taking. For a game designer, this really is a big deal. I've gone to expensive conventions where I receive tons of valuable feedback, only to forget what I heard a week later. Take notes! I personally use a system of symbols to keep myself a little organized. If I take a general note, I use a bullet point. If I write down a question or problem, I keep track with an upside down triangle. Finally, if there is a change I intend to make or a thing I want to do, I write a star. Many times, there will be a problem, and you write down what the solution to do is. Like "increase this card resource from 2 to 3". But don't forget to write down the problem too. It helps to understand why you wanted to make this change as well as you may find a different solution you like better. Remember, write down the problem!

Finally the third topic: feedback. Through practice I learned what works for me and what I shouldn't do. One major suggestion I have is printing feedback sheets ahead of time. This is best if you are going to a convention where you will have several playtests. It helps with time (the next group is coming and wants to play). It also helps to provide a little structure for your playtesters. Sometimes, without prompts, people might offer advice for how to improve the art or graphic design. That's why you should be asking the questions! You should know what aspect you need to work on. "How did you experience the theme during the game?" "What part was most difficult to understand?" "What part was the most fun for you?" I usually start off with asking how they liked the game overall. It's important to understand, not everyone will love your game and that's OK. Focus your energy on people who kind of like it to love it. Understand why and what you need to change to improve their experience.

I enjoyed writing this content and I hope that you found something useful and interesting too! For Into the Mountain I am currently at version 4.4 and need to do some serious playtesting. If you want to play the game online, check it out: TTS. See you in the next one.

Cheers, Kevin