mastering prototyping: how to quickly playtest your game ideas | ron rejwan
TRANSCRIPT
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By Ron Rejwan
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JELLIES BASED IN FOUNDED
HALF OF MY FACE
WE ARE JELLY BUTTON
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Here are a few examples…
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Reasons
DefineBest Practices
Playtest
GamePrototypin
g
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Test your core gameplay ASAPWill people enjoy this new idea? Is it fun?
Does my target audience want to play this game?
Remember: Innovative != GoodInnovation is great, but new mechanics don’t guarantee
a good game!
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Your initial time estimate will (usually) be way offA prototype may give you a better idea of the time &
resources it will take to make a full blown game
Lots of work requiredProgrammers, artists, modellers, game designers, QA,
etc..
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Find technological problems and blockers from the
get-go
Is it technically possible to do what you’re trying to
achieve?Predict possible additional costs from the start
Server costs, data transfer, development time, etc..
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A game prototype is a physical or digital productwith the bare minimum features you must have, in order to test that your core game idea is fun and feasible,in as little time & expenses as possible.
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Test your core gameplay for funIs an endless frogger for mobile a fun idea?
Technological proof of conceptCan mobile devices run my universe simulation game?
Find design issues early onWill people enjoy playing a voice controlled Candy Crush
clone?
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Abstract game idea A survival game where you play as the zombie
Unrealistic scope for your available resourcesAn MMORPG developed by a 1 man team
Off topicDaily bonus, settings menu, character customization, etc
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Write a very short game design document (GDD)With the exact scope that you want to implement
Assign a set time and prioritize your tasksMust have, should have, could have
Set a playtest dateThis will make you much more committed to finishing
it on time
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Is this feature really necessary? Does it feedback directly to my core game idea?
Do focus on what you want to find outMechanics, controls, gameplay, etc..
Don’t focus on sound, UI, content or graphicsUnless it relates directly to your core idea
Avoid premature optimizationKeep it simple, stupid!
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Resist the temptation to write stuff just because it’s funGoogle for existing solutions (code, sounds, graphics, etc)Buy ready placeholder assets Unity asset store, Mixamo, etc..
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It doesn’t have to be prettyYou are testing how fun your core idea is
Clash Royale’s early playable prototype from 2013
A lot of failure is to be expected (and it’s OK)It should be disposable, don’t waste your time
Maintain a prototyping utility bagReuse generic components throughout your prototypes
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Your prototype is going to be very roughExplain this to your play testers, there is no tutorial
There are temporary graphicsCircles = aliens, squares = pirates
You are not testing for technical bugs!Remind this to your playtesters
They need to understand that they are testing the game
idea
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You get to see a play tester’s first impression only onceBe quiet, observe them play and write everything downDon’t defend your gameListen to what they may or may not like, you want to
gain information from it; not an ego boost
Giving to play your prototype can be nerve wreckingIt’s unfinished, you wanted to add a lot more features,
it’s not too pretty; and worst of all, people just don’t get
it… prepare yourself
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Most people don’t know how to describe their feelingsIt’s your job to dig and try to understand what they are
actually saying
Try to break down questions to each atomic mechanicDid you like the controls? How easy was playing the
warrior? Did you enjoy playing with your friend online?
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If the idea isn’t goodLearn from it and move on to the next idea
If the idea is goodTake the feedback you received and quickly iterate on
your to get feedback again - do this until you decide to
either drop or go with the idea
You have to love the ideaIf you don’t believe in the idea; don’t do it.
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Postmortems - Reflect on what went well and what went wrongGo back to it before you start the next prototype, learn from the
processExtract any reusable code for your “prototype utility library”Take some time for this, it will pay back in the future
Creativity can be very hard!It can take you a day, a month, a year; or even an entire
lifetime to come up with a great game idea that you, and
your players will love