What you may have noticed from the main menu example previously is that some of the friction points might be present in the game, for example awkward navigation, whereas other points of friction might be present in the player’s mind, for example decision making. It is for this reason that to detect all the possible usability issues in your game, we need to find those issues that are present in the game and also those that are present inside the mind of the player.

To detect any usability issues that might exist in your game, we can closely observe what the player does in the game during a usability playtest. For example, if the player appears to have difficulty navigating between menus and confirming choices, then we might make a note that an issue appears to exist.

To detect any friction points that might exist inside in the player’s mind, we need to interview the player after they have played the game. It’s only by interviewing that we might uncover whether the player had difficulties with navigation (awkward controls) or selection (deciding which option they wanted), and whether they perceived feedback from the game.

This shows the importance of playtesting with your target audience, and in particular being able to interview them. Looking at gameplay might tell us where there appears to be a usability issue, but it won’t tell us why it occurred. It’s only by interviewing will we uncover the player’s thought process behind an issue, and it’s this information that is most likely to lead to an improved design.

Key takeaway

To detect all usability issues we need to identify issues in the game and in the player’s mind.

To do this we need to both observe and interview the player.

Understanding the ‘why’ behind an issue can help lead to an improved design.

Next: 7. Usability Throughout the Player Experience