A common lens to view playtesting through is that it’s a tool for generating insights on a game’s current design, i.e. is the game being experienced as we hoped it would. However, insights by themselves do not generate change.

The lens, or frame, in this book is that playtesting is a team alignment tool that fuels forward momentum. If the team process the insights and align on what needs to be done, then change is more likely to occur.

Playtest insights + team alignment = momentum to change

For this reason the playtesting process outlined in this book starts and ends with team alignment - the team should align on what is to be assessed in the upcoming usability playtest, and they should align on what changes should occur based on the insights.

Team alignment will also feature when we discuss sensemaking - making sense of the playtest findings. Reaching team alignment on what actually happened in the playtest will drive organisational learning, helping to increase team effectiveness.

The view taken in this book then, is that while playtesting is often seen as a tool for assessing a game’s design, I feel this view ignores the other advantage - increasing team effectiveness through alignment and knowledge sharing.

Team alignment + knowledge sharing = enhancing team effectiveness

As such, we’ll be taking a wider view of playtesting here, looking beyond user research to factor in concepts from organisational psychology so that we can get the most from playtesting - enhancing your game, and also the team.

Key Takeaway

Playtesting generates insights into your game’s current design, but insights alone are not sufficient to drive change. The team needs to align on what these insights mean for your game, and it’s this team alignment that fuels change.

In addition, by taking an organisational psychology view on playtesting we will show how alignment, sensemaking, and organisational learning can enhance the team.

Next: 3. The Audience