Ultimate Guide to Game Testing

According to Fortune Business Insights, the gaming industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.20 percent between 2021 and 2028, reaching USD 545.98 billion by 2028.

True to the predicted expansion, game development businesses are speeding and spending their resources to delve deeply into this sector to stay up with the ever-evolving technology to provide complete, well-planned automated game testing services to their customers.

Early game testing was restricted to just those teams who relied only on manual testing to evaluate the stability of a game. But automated game testing has grown in recent years. Testing teams can speed testing and deployment cycles using game testing automation technologies. Using automation technologies for game testing supports a cost-effective and reliable automation QA approach by saving QA engineers time and effort.

What is game testing?

Game testing is essential to game development because it enables programmers to identify, document, and resolve software issues that might compromise the gaming experience. In addition, it helps regulate the game’s quality, allowing maximum performance across all distribution channels.

Difference between Game testing and Software testing

Testing is necessary for determining a product’s quality. The quality of a software program or a gaming application must be selected via testing. However, these tests vary from one another. Here are some factors that differentiate game testing from software testing:

• Complexity

In terms of complexity, testing games are more complex than software testing. In contrast to the systematic and relatively straightforward nature of software testing, game testing entails complexity. Testing a video game may seem pleasant, but it is more complicated. It is necessary to pay close attention to minute details, focus intently, and be devoted to improving a gaming application’s quality. The manual testing of gaming software increases their complexity.

• Platform

The game testing platform is an additional feature that distinguishes software testing from game testing. The software applications must be evaluated primarily on mobile and web platforms. On the other hand, gaming apps must be tested across platforms such as the web, consoles, PC, gaming devices, and mobile devices. Test Computerization Unlike software testing, game testing does not rely heavily on test automation. As manual testing is the majority of game testing, automation scripts are unnecessary. Nevertheless, software testing mainly depends on automation scripts since it is used to its greatest extent.

• Testing Team

As game testing involves more manual tests, the team size for gaming projects is larger. On the other side, fewer team members are required for software testing, including automated tests. However, software testing has a greater emphasis on cooperation than game testing does. Unlike game testing, software testing necessitates collaboration.

• Expertise

Software testing demands a great deal of skill compared to game testing. Qualified testing specialists can only do it even if software testing contains automation. To undertake software testing, experts must have in-depth technical knowledge and the necessary abilities. However, there is no such requirement for game testing. Therefore, less knowledge is required to become a member of the game testing team.

Types of game testing

• Functional Testing

The functional quality of a game guarantees that it operates under the required circumstances and performs as intended. Therefore, a game’s visuals, user interface, or interface could be subjected to a test, including identifying common bugs. During this phase, testers examine the system’s stability, audio, and visual components.

A functional issue exists if the game freezes or crashes during gameplay. In turn, testing the user interface makes the game more user-friendly. In addition, game localization testers check for language and location-based technological difficulties.

• Combinatorial Testing

Combinatorial testing is an additional method used by game developers to identify risks. The game makers save time and work by using this strategy. It accomplishes these advantages by first determining the required degree of game testing. Then, combinatorial testing examines all outputs and inputs to aid developers in understanding the larger picture. Most of the members on the list of video game businesses and commercial software developers use this tactic. In general, this strategy improves testing quality while reducing testing expenses.

• Ad- Hoc Testing

As its name indicates, video game businesses use such testing procedures to examine various game components randomly. Unfortunately, this type of testing lacks a systematic framework. Hence it is classified as a generic test rather than a specialised one. There are three ad hoc testing methods: pair, buddy, and monkey checks. While each has various qualities, they all seek to discover unseen flaws in the game.

Pair testing involves two members of a team monitoring apps simultaneously. One does the actual examination, while the other evaluates the procedure. In turn, one person conducts the test in buddy testing, followed by team members’ game stabilisation. Lastly, game companies use monkey testing, in which team members submit incorrect and random requests to examine the game’s behaviour.

• Compatibility Testing

Players use their phones, PCs, laptops, or tablets to get to the game. In addition, their gadgets use various operating systems, such as Windows and iOS. Consequently, game companies conduct compatibility studies to see whether varying screen sizes or operating systems affect the gameplay. Developers must consider this variation and guarantee that system modifications do not affect the game’s UI and operation. The game should give a quality experience regardless of the device being used.

• Performance Testing

This approach is a sort of comprehensive monitoring designed to evaluate the performance as a whole. Therefore, testers apply real-world situations to the game concept. For example, they attempt to determine how the game operates when subjected to a heavy load. In addition, visual performance is evaluated. Finally, to boost the test’s precision, developers impose limits such as poor computing power, slow internet, and memory restrictions. Thus, they can discover the aspects that adversely impact game performance and enhance them.

• Regression Testing

Once some features have been finalised, developers do a regression test. Regression testing is not the same as initial testing; instead, it involves re-verifying all functions. The developers can determine whether the game’s modifications introduced new bugs to the current functionality. Video game firms should use such testing procedures to guarantee that the final product is bug-free. In addition, regression testing allows testers to identify vulnerabilities early in the development process so that they may be eliminated as soon as feasible. It is possible to rerun earlier tests and compare the results to current indications to identify faults.

• Tree Testing

Tree testing has the same characteristics as usability testing, and it aids in identifying the necessary code checks. In addition, it specifies which monitoring activities should be undertaken depending on the modifications made to the codes. It also minimises the time and effort required for this procedure. In addition, it is quick since testers do not have to spend time on content creation. Instead, they need a tree or menu and a list of tasks. Before the team builds navigation and page layouts, prominent video game firms thus use Tree testing. They also cut costs because tree testing is inexpensive, although it efficiently delivers a clear picture of complicated aspects.

• Clean Room Testing

Game developers use clean Room testing to minimise faults while allowing for minor mistakes. These strategies enhance the dependability of games and apps. However, it requires complicated mathematical and statistical reasoning and design modification procedures.

• Play Testing

One of the reasons behind a game’s popularity is the thrill and enjoyment players have while playing. Game developers perform playtests to evaluate the difficulty levels and the balance between success and failure. This time, the testers are genuine gamers who may provide comments on the incomplete game rather than game development experts.

Benefits of automated game testing

Every organisation and software tester implements automated testing for a variety of reasons. But there are three primary advantages to using game automation tools.

• Cost Savings

One motivation to automate testing in game development is to save money; manual testing prevents testers from doing repeated tests, which incurs expenses. On the other hand, incorporating automation technologies into the process reduces long-term testing expenses. The initial cost of automated testing discourages many testers from using it. Well, the truth is that automated testing is not costly overall. You can save significant money by including it in your game production process.

• Improved Exam Accuracy and Enhanced Game Quality

Additionally, automated testing improves testing accuracy, which is a considerable advantage. As a tester, you know that the greater the precision, the greater the likelihood of discovering errors. Also, the faster you identify and address misconceptions, the better the user experience. Thus, automated testing affects the quality of market-released video games. This, in turn, increases customer satisfaction and positive reputations. For this reason, several game creators and testers have used test automation technologies.

• Faster Development and Delivery Speeds

Due to its speed, it is highly recommended to employ software for automated testing in-game development. This is because only people are involved in manual testing from the beginning to the end of the procedure. With automated testing, you use automation techniques that are more efficient than people.

In-game creation, automation testing software saves time and eliminates errors more rapidly. With these technologies, you may reduce the time spent on delivery and invest it in creating different games. In the end, you can produce more market-required software of higher quality. Consequently, you provide a bug-free gaming experience for your consumers, ensuring their satisfaction.

Top Automated gaming testing tools

• Headspin

All of your gaming test needs can be met at Headspin. Using reference-free Video MOS and audio match analysis, evaluate the authenticity of the game experience. Determine the fundamental causes of problems with AI, whether they arise on the back end, device, operating system, or network level. Find the cause of FPS decreases, pinpoint where the drop happened, and rapidly decide how to resolve the issue. Remotely access and control devices for manual and automated testing.

• Appium

This mobile game testing automation technology is utilised effectively in-app and video game quality assurance. Appium can test goods with user scenarios that mimic human activities, similar to other tools. Its toolbox allows both code and visual element manipulation. In the game business, it is used to test iOS and Android mobile applications.

• LumberYard and LY Test Tools

Amazon’s game engine. Its extensive capability enables the creation of AAA projects and their testing in a native environment. Due to the built-in tools that include a variety of utilities and editors, it is simple to check for flaws in the product. Custom scripts replicate the activities of actual players in a simulated environment, while background analysis searches for problematic code blocks and stores logs in an easily digestible format. It is beneficial for QA teams to use the LY engine for their applications. Now, the Open 3D Engine is being actively developed, and it may soon partly replace its ancestor in terms of the capability of built-in game testing automation tools.

• Selenium

With cross-platform and cloud gaming growth, Selenium assists QA professionals in locating and localising game problems. This popular tool for automating game testing is primarily used for testing online applications. As shown by actual use, its capabilities extend beyond the regular testing of APIs, software shells, frameworks, and source code. This unique collection of capabilities is compatible with JS and Python and all web browsers and systems.

How to do automated game testing

Many software testers wonder how to include automated testing in game development. Today, it is simple to have access to test automation tools. In addition, testers can utilise them to assure the quality of software.

Automated testing can be used in various ways in the game development process.

• Conducting Primitive Tests

Automated testing may be included in game development by using it for basic tests. Testers who had utilised automated testing tools for simple tasks had great success in the past. In this scenario, basic testing includes utilising automation tools to build and test game characters. Additionally, you may do UI tests using automated testing tools. Such tests enable testers to compare the behaviour of the games they create to the predicted behaviour under varying conditions. However, these tests must be scriptable to streamline the process.

• Simulate MMO Server Transaction

Using automated testing tools, evaluating your massively multiplayer online (MMO) game server is also feasible. As with UI testing, simulating typical MMO server transactions provides the most nuanced perspective for comparing actual and anticipated game behaviour.

In addition, automated testing enables testers to alter test conditions. As a result, it provides the tester with a more significant opportunity to compare your game’s performance under various conditions. In the end, you improve the performance and security of your game.

• Check For Bugs

Using automated testing tools to look for flaws is another technique to include automated testing in game development. If discovered earlier in the game development process, it is simpler to fix defects. It also facilitates game makers’ ability to match client expectations.

However, manual testing might make it challenging to identify all game flaws. In addition, it is laborious and time-consuming, rendering it useless for most businesses. Therefore, more software testers and game development organisations embrace and deploy automated testing methods.

• Compare Executions

Game designers must guarantee that their techniques are consistent. The most effective method for ensuring this is to compare product development performance. For example, you may compare parts of your existing games with those you create.

Also, compare your performance to your rival’s. Start by defining the areas that need measurement, and then create a checklist of the tasks that can be automated. You may then implement automated testing tools to assist you in measuring and analysing these KPIs.

What should you keep in mind while testing a mobile game

A consistent and well-organised methodology is necessary for efficient mobile game testing to identify and eliminate the most superficial testing procedure errors.

However, organisations must strive for a high-yielding, results-driven technique emphasising test automation in the whole game development process. Consequently, it is crucial to be aware of and comprehend the six most significant factors to consider while evaluating a mobile game.

• Performance of Graphics

A quality mobile game should operate reliably on all types of mobile devices. Test your game on a variety of real-world devices to ensure this quality. Develop extensive testing for measuring the battery’s life span. Utilise load/stress testing to ensure your game can operate under high demand for an extended period.

• Multi-User Feature

The multi-user functionality is straightforward and prevalent in most mobile games nowadays. Every gamer of this age appreciates this function. However, for a decent multi-user experience, you must execute several testing procedures to verify synchronisation and connection.

• User Interface and Other Basic Features

You must be very confident in your mobile game’s user interface and other essential features. Various UI elements must undergo a rigorous testing procedure, such as the UI layouts, menu structure, and screen resolution.

• Effectiveness And Usability

You must implement an effective testing procedure to improve your mobile game’s user experience and functionality. The user experience may be enhanced through testing on actual devices.

• Security

The use of open source components in the game production process is widely acknowledged. Nevertheless, it is vital to recognize potential threats and weaknesses.

Conclusion:

The only way to successfully automate gaming app testing is to outline its scope from the beginning. Please search for a competent staff aware of their duties and responsibilities, a standardised testing procedure, and the appropriate equipment selection.