So you’ve completed your game and squashed all your bugs. At least you think so. Hard to be sure, though, so it’s probably time to find some beta users to test out your game. Beta testers are a great resource, as the combination of several people playing your game, all of whom have different ideas and ways of playing, will give you a lot of feedback and point out areas where you might need to make fixes. Finding beta testers might seem tricky, as you can only ask your friends, roommates, or family so many times. Posting on your personal Facebook profile doesn’t seem to be helping. It’s time to get serious and find some real beta testers. Here are some ideas on how to find beta testers for your game.
One of the quickest and easiest ways to find beta testers is to use social media to find players where gamers like to hang out. Places like Reddit are very popular with gamers, and there are even subreddits, especially for beta testing. A word of advice, make sure you read the rules of each subreddit before you post about your game. It also helps to join the community before asking for help. Twitter is also a good resource; you can look for beta testing specific hashtags like #Betatesting #Betatesters or #Indiedev. Those will lead you to testers or more information about beta testing that will help you find people willing to test your game
Some free sites offer beta testing from their user base. Places like Alpha Beta Gamer also write posts about games, and getting a mention there can result in a flood of testers trying out your game. Other such sites include BetaList, and Roast My Game (a site that offers honest (sometimes brutal) feedback.
If you have the budget, you can also use paysites to find users to test your games. Some sites offer free basic services and charge for more extensive testing. Beta Family and Playtest Cloud are both sites that can bring beta testers to your game for thorough testing. The amount of revenue available also governs how much risk studios can afford to take. While a AAA company might be willing to spend a few months trying out a new concept to see if it works, the indie company is less likely to do so, as they need to get their project to market sooner.
While the differences between the two types of studios are often quite apparent, highly successful indie companies are blurring the lines for many people. The difference isn’t always in the quality of the games they create. You often can’t tell whether a game was made by a AAA or indie studio from the game itself. Let’s take a look at the differences between AAA and indie game studios.
Thorough beta testing is the best way to ensure your game is bug-free and that there are no significant problems. Whether you find testers through social media or choose to post on free or paid testing sites, it’s crucial to get a good number of people testing.