playtester
Pre-release bug finder
A playtester is someone who tests video games, board games, or other games before release, looking for bugs, balance issues, or confusing mechanics.
Playtesting sits between development and launch—catching problems that designers miss because they're too close to their own work.
We need playtesters who've never seen the game before.
First functional specimen
- alphaFirst Greek letter
- betaGreek alphabet's second letter
- iterationRepeated procedural pass
- debuggingError removal from programs
pre-release · tweaking · balancing · playthrough · pilot · build · milestone · NDA
Formal evaluation of worth
- criteriaStandards for judgment
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
- analysisMethodical study of parts
- reviewCritical written assessment
scoring · rating · benchmarking · validation · metrics · usability · reliability · performance
State of being submerged
- engagementCommitment to wed or attend
- interactionReciprocal action between parties
- satisfactionState of fulfilled desires
- enjoymentState of relishing something
flow · responsiveness · narrative · challenge · accessibility · intuitiveness · pacing · replayability
Minor system fault
- balanceSteadiness or amount owed
- mechanicsScience of motion
- controlsOperates or regulates
- hitboxInvisible contact detection boundary
clipping · tutorial · lag · latency · graphics · audio · reproducibility · exploit
Comfort in distress
- controllerDevice directing a system
- multiplayerInvolving multiple participants
- speedrunOptimized rapid game completion
- MMORPGMultiplayer internet adventure game
RPG · FPS · simulation · sandbox · platformer · indie · AAA · co-op
prototype
First functional specimen
debugging · pre-release · tweaking · balancing · playthrough · pilot · build · milestone · NDA · embargo
assessment
Formal evaluation of worth
- criteriaStandards for judgment
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
- analysisMethodical study of parts
review · scoring · rating · benchmarking · validation · metrics · usability · reliability · performance · inspection
immersion
State of being submerged
- engagementCommitment to wed or attend
- interactionReciprocal action between parties
- satisfactionState of fulfilled desires
enjoyment · flow · responsiveness · narrative · challenge · accessibility · intuitiveness · pacing · replayability · onboarding
glitch
Minor system fault
hitbox · clipping · tutorial · lag · latency · graphics · audio · reproducibility · exploit · softlock
console
Comfort in distress
- controllerDevice directing a system
- multiplayerInvolving multiple participants
- speedrunOptimized rapid game completion
MMORPG · RPG · FPS · simulation · sandbox · platformer · indie · AAA · co-op · singleplayer
- game jobsgame designer, game developer, game artist, game writer, producer
- online contributorscontributor, editor, moderator, uploader, submitter
playtestergame developer
Creator of video entertainment
game designer · developer · programmer · software engineer · lead designer
play, tester, test, plays, played, playing, player, players, playful