Over the last 15 days, I’ve been active on Reddit, reading, answering, and discussing questions from indie developers. No matter the genre, narrative games, strategy AIs, cozy sims, idle games, the same theme kept surfacing again and again: playtest, take notes, watch reactions, iterate.
In fact, I first touched on this idea last year in Step 6 of my article “How To Create a Game Project in 2024”, where I highlighted playtesting as a critical but often overlooked step in development. Since then, I’ve seen it come up so often in conversations with game devs that it deserves its own spotlight.
Because if there’s one skill that separates indie games that click from those that get abandoned, it’s not engine mastery, marketing, or even writing the perfect GDD. It’s playtesting.
Playtesting isn’t just the last step before launch, it’s a step that needs to live from beginning to end of the game development cycle, no matter the size of the game.
Why Playtesting Matters More Than Paper
A big vision or a detailed Game Design Document (GDD) can help you start, but it doesn’t define your game. The real direction emerges when players interact with your systems.
Think of it as:
Prototype → Playtest → Iterate (or Trash)
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Build the smallest version of a mechanic (hours, not weeks).
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Put it in front of someone as soon as possible.
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If it clicks, refine it. If it doesn’t, scrap it and try again.
This cycle keeps you honest. Instead of polishing an idea that only works in your head, you get immediate proof of what’s fun, and what isn’t.
Watch, Don’t Tell
One of the hardest habits to break as a developer is the urge to explain. When you watch someone playtest your game:
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Stay silent. Don’t rescue them when they’re confused.
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Observe carefully. Take notes on where they struggle, when they smile, and when they frown.
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Look for nonverbal cues. Body language and facial expressions often reveal more than what players say out loud.
The goal isn’t to teach them your game—it’s to see if the design teaches itself.
Filter Feedback, Don’t Obey It
Not all feedback is created equal. If you let one person’s opinion drive your whole design, you’ll end up with a messy, inconsistent game.
Instead, look for patterns across testers:
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If multiple players ignore a mechanic, maybe it doesn’t belong.
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If several people get stuck in the same place, that’s a sign the design needs clarity.
Your job is to filter the feedback. Trends reveal the truth; outliers don’t.
Trim the Fat, Focus the Fun
Every game has features that seemed brilliant in your head but fall flat in play. Playtesting shines a spotlight on those weak links.
If players consistently overlook or skip mechanics, it’s often better to cut them than to keep forcing them. Feedback helps you trim the clutter and focus your game around the experiences that players actually enjoy.
Practical Tips for Better Playtests
Here are a few battle-tested strategies you can apply right away:
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Take detailed notes. Record not just what players say, but when it happens.
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Track emotions. Excitement, confusion, and frustration often speak louder than words.
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Iterate fast. Fix one issue, retest, and repeat. Don’t waste weeks polishing between cycles.
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Build tutorials from playtests. Players will show you exactly where onboarding fails.
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Use neutral testers. Friends and family are biased—find players who have no stake in your project.
Why Indie Devs Overlook Playtesting
Many indie developers skip or delay playtesting because:
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They fear showing “unfinished” work.
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They believe their vision is clear enough.
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They assume QA comes at the end.
But skipping playtests is the fastest way to overbuild, add unnecessary features, and lose sight of what makes your game fun.
Playtesting is the antidote to scope creep—it forces you to build only what players actually care about.
Conclusion: Your Game Isn’t on Paper
Your game isn’t what’s in your GDD. It isn’t even what’s in your code. Your game is what happens when someone else picks up the controller.
That’s why the most important philosophy you can adopt as an indie dev is simple:
👉 Test small.
👉 Test often.
👉 Shut up, take notes, and let patterns guide you.
Playtesting isn’t just a box to check before release, it’s a practice that should live at every stage of development, from the first prototype to the final polish. No matter the size of your game, playtesting is what keeps your vision honest, your scope realistic, and your mechanics fun.
Take the Next Step: Free Game Dev Starter Kit
If you’re ready to put these ideas into practice, I’ve put together a free resource for indie developers: the Game Dev Starter Kit.
Inside, you’ll find three tools designed to help you move from theory into action:
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🧠 Brainstorming Framework – Organize and refine your game ideas.
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🎮 Playtest Guide – Step-by-step advice on running better playtests.
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👤 Player Profile Template – Understand your audience and design with them in mind.
👉 Download the Game Dev Starter Kit
It’s a simple, practical way to start improving your playtesting process today.
Further Reading
If you want to dive deeper into the philosophy behind iteration and feedback, I recommend Jesse Schell’s The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses. In particular, Lens #28: Good Games Are Created through Playtesting is a must-read for anyone serious about making better games.
Frequently Asked Questions about Playtesting
When should indie developers start playtesting?
The best time is as soon as you have something playable, even if it’s just a rough prototype. The earlier you start playtesting, the faster you’ll discover whether your core mechanics are fun.
What’s the difference between playtesting and QA?
Playtesting is about testing the design, seeing if mechanics, pacing, and player experience work as intended. QA is about finding bugs and technical issues. Both matter, but playtesting should guide your design long before QA enters the picture.
How do you find unbiased playtesters?
Friends and family are rarely neutral—they know you and may soften their feedback. Look for testers in online communities, local game dev meetups, or platforms like PlaytestCloud that provide players with no prior connection to your game.
How often should you run playtests?
Ideally, after every iteration of your prototype. That means you’re running small, focused playtests often—sometimes weekly. The key is to fix one issue at a time, retest, and keep cycling.
What should you look for in playtesting feedback?
Don’t just listen to what players say, watch how they behave. Confusion, frustration, or excitement are often more useful signals than verbal feedback. Patterns across multiple testers reveal your game’s true strengths and weaknesses.
