Playtest Instructions

On Friday, December 9th, we’ll have the final project playtests.

Before the playtest, put everything you need into the handin directories (just like with previous projects, except now it’s “Proj3”).

You might want to come a few minutes early to check to make sure everything works.

We’ll meet at 2:30 in 1366. There is a schedule where each test is scheduled for 20 minutes, with an assigned observer and one or two players. We also scheduled which computer each test will happen on.

The whole point of the play test is for you to watch people play the game: observe, take notes, try not to intervene.

Ideally, your game should be self-sufficient enough (with instructions, etc) such that the players can just start and figure things out. However, if you need to guide them through the rough spots or help them get started, that’s understandable (but try to keep it to a minimum).

It is the responsibility of the observer to take notes of what the players say (unlike last time, where the players wrote down their impressions of the other games).

Next week, each person will turn in a set of playtest notes about what they learned. Each group will combine these into a final plan. These are described next…

Playtest Notes

Each person must turn in (via email, sent to both the Professor and TA) a set of playtest notes. These are due on Monday, December 12th (any time).

At a minimum, the playtest notes must include:

1. For each player, a description of what happened. How far they got in the game, what they encountered with it, … Any specific things that said or did that are worth remembering. Any problems they ran into, or anything that confused them. (this is why you need to take notes during the playtest)
2. A summary of what you learned from the playtests. (note: you will probably learn about the game, but you might learn about user testing in general)

A way to think about it: part 1 is the raw data – we want you to make sure its all written down. Part 2 is your initial analysis of this data. The idea is to have it organized so that you can discuss things with your group.

Post-Playtest Plan

Each group must turn in (via email, sent to both the Professor and TA a plan for what work the group will do after the playtest. These are due on Wednesday, December 14th (any time).

This note must contain (at a minimum):

1. A summary of what was learned in the playtest (this is mainly a merging and summarization of the individual reports)
2. A description of the updates that you intend to make between the playtest and the final handin.
3. A description of when you expect to turn in the final handin.

The Final Handin

More specific instructions for the final handin will come soon, but:

The final project is due on Thursday, December 15th. University rules are that projects must be due before the exam period.

However, I will give your group a no-cost extension until Wednesday, December 21st at 2:30pm if (and only if) your group has turned in a post-playtest plan.

The Wednesday afternoon deadline is pretty firm, as we need to look at the projects before the final exam period (when we’ll have the festival of games). We won’t complete grading by then, but we want to make sure that if we have questions, we can ask them at the festival.

Details of the final handin will come soon, but it will require:

1. Documentation of the game, including a web page “advertising” the game (you need a web page even if the game is not a web-based game). The documentation page should list any requirements for playing the game (e.g. a particular web browser), and have links to play the game (if it’s a web game), download a playable executable (as a zip-file) if its not a web game, and download the source code as a zip file. If you don’t want you game to be seen, you can put an .htaccess in the directory.
2. Each person must turn in a reflection exercise. (details to be announced after the playtest)
3. The playable game must be either web accessible (or downloadable) so we can grade it. We hope you’ll be willing to put everything online and accessible so that people in future classes can look at it.
4. Your documentation page should link to the original pitch for the game (look for it on the course web). It must also include a link to the game planning document.