Chapter 6: Testing your level

The last and last part of creating your level. It is time to test it. When you start testing you find out if your players get what you are trying to communicate with your level. Whether this is a feeling, an experience or a believe. If the players don't see it then there is something wrong with your level.

However, before we can actually start the test you need to come prepared. And I don't mean build your level and put the build on a pc. No, we need to know what kind of information you want to get from the test. Perhaps you created a puzzle in your level and you want to know if the player got frustrated or not. Maybe you hid some objectives like treasures in your map and you want to know if they can find it. Knowing upfront what information you need to take from your test will make the test go more smoothly and the result will also be better. It will help improve your level a lot.

Of course the question is what kind of questions do you need to ask. You don't want yes or no questions. Players will try to stay friendly and will easily say yes. You don't want that. You want them to be honest and tell you if your level sucks if it does. This would help you more than a friendly answer. So make sure you ask them open questions. Questions where they need to answer more than just a yes or no. A lot of these questions can start with how. Ask them what they liked about the level and what they disliked. I always ask one question at every test that works really well. It goes like this.

If you had a magic wand with which you could change anything in the map. What would you change?

This questions gives great feedback from the player with what they are missing and feel like should be in the game. Now of course you don't have to follow their advice. Maybe it doesn't fit your game, but it can be of help too. It is eventually up to you to decide what you will do with the feedback and how you will change the level.

I hope u enjoyed reading through my guide and that it helped you on your own level!

Here are some photos from one of my play tests on the project I am working on which I showed in the very first chapter.