One of my games, Pond Farr, will soon need to be blind playtested. Does anyone have any suggestions as to the best way to format the playtesting response form. What is the most vital information to gather? Is there a standardized playtesting form (if not maybe there should be)? Any input would be appreciated :)
playtesting forms
Thu, 01/20/2011 - 23:09
Fri, 01/21/2011 - 10:34
#1
Some Questions
Here are some questions I like to ask people after a playtest:
1. Did you feel the game was too long?
2. Did you feel you needed more/less players to enjoy the game more?
3. What was your favorite part?
4. What was your least favorite part?
5. Did this remind you of any other game on the market?
6. How did the theme fit?
Then, depending on the level of experience my playtesters have, I might ask more indepth questions related to the specific game:
1. Were there enough cards in the "X" deck to allow variability?
2. Could you see the game getting stale after 20 plays?
3. (Questions about specific mechanics)
I normally ask these more indepth questions with more experienced gamers and those who have played the prototype a few times through.
Fri, 01/21/2011 - 14:59
#3
It depends on your
It depends on your playtesters. Some will only fill out number answers and shy away from any "open ended" answers. A good practice could be to used ratings for things like:
Game Length:
1. Way too short
2. Slightly too short
3. Just Right
4. a touch too long
5. Far too long!
And open-ended answers for things like:
Does this remind you of any other games on the market?
Just some thoughts. I know a lot of people who would shy away from open-ended questions, so a form with both could be the way to go. Be sure to post what you come up with, I'm sure a lot of people here would be interested in seeing it.
Fri, 01/21/2011 - 16:28
#4
Form online
I made a Playtest Feedback Form a few years ago, based on ideas compiled here on this site. It can be found here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4093/Playtest%20Feedback%20Form.pdf
Use and enjoy!
Fri, 01/21/2011 - 16:59
#5
Thanks! This is a big help.
Thanks! This is a big help. Much appreciated.
Fri, 01/21/2011 - 17:29
#6
drktron wrote:Pond
Pond Farr
...umm, I'm not going to ask about the mechanics for this one, but presumably it takes place underwater, and you can only play once every seven years.
Fri, 01/21/2011 - 17:55
#7
Haha. I wondered if anyone
Haha. I wondered if anyone got the reference. Its actually a deck-building game of salmon racing upriver and not about vulcan procreation.
Sat, 01/22/2011 - 02:29
#8
Google Forms
Google has a very convenient form interface. Here is an example of a form I constructed for a recent game:
https://spreadsheets0.google.com/viewform?hl=en&hl=en&formkey=dGhaaERQaj...
Sun, 01/23/2011 - 18:21
#9
Thanks. This looks like a
Thanks. This looks like a useful tool. Do most playtesters prefer this method of feedback over a written form?
Sun, 01/23/2011 - 19:10
#10
iPad
Good business expense. ;)
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 22:29
#11
No , I don't use feedback
No , I don't use feedback forms, neither for asking responses to my games, nor do I usually use them to provide feedback on games, I rather address specific points that need change directly. But that's just me.
Oh, and send along the rules, we can give them a look...
Thanks for your reponse. Those are good questions. So you prefer to use more open ended questions rather than ratings scales or agree/disagree etc. Or would it be better to use both? I want to gather good information but I don't want it to be too timeconsuming for the testers.