Tunnel Blasters Unity - User Testing
Introduction
The purpose of this user test was to gather feedback on the gameplay experience of my passion project game Tunnel Blasters that I made using the Unity engine. I made sure the game was at an playable state before I started using User testing. This test involved 4 participants including 2 students and 2 teachers. The main goal was to identify areas for improvement and ensure the game aligns with intended vision for my game’s target audience.
Process
Before I was going to conduct an user test I needed to setup a Test plan, I asked advice from Amer, my teacher who assisted me during the passion-project, He provided me an template that I can use to set up the test plan.
The user test followed a structured plan based on the usability test plan as you can see above, This process involved the following steps:
Test objective
The primary objective was to determine whether players could navigate the game, understand the mechanics and enjoy the gameplay. These questions were according to the features that I’ve implemented into the game. Getting feedback on these questions would ensure that my game aligns with the expectations of my target audience and sets a foundation for future development.
Participants
A total of four participants, including both students and teachers, were invited to take part in the playtesting. The target audience consisted of individuals aged 15–36 who have an interest in retro or indie games. During the session, I asked participants to complete specific tasks given in the test plan. After the playtesting was complete, I gathered feedback from each participant to evaluate their experience.
Equipments
To conduct the test, I ensured I had the necessary hardware, as playtesting on my laptop alone would have been challenging. I borrowed a monitor and keyboard from the IT desk at Fontys, which significantly improved the gaming experience. By extending my laptop screen, I was able to take notes while participants played the game on the external monitor and keyboard.
For software, I installed OBS Recorder to capture the gameplay during the playtesting sessions. Recording the sessions allowed me to analyze the gaming experience later and refer back to the footage if needed. Before starting the recordings, I made sure to ask for permission from the participants.
Location
The test took place at school, because It makes more sense for me to do it here, because there are students and teachers from all directions, software, media design etc. who are experts in this field when it comes to games and other media related products.
Before conducting the user test, I validated the usability test plan with my teachers Berry and Amer. After receiving their approval, I proceeded with the testing.
Outcome
The user tests results highlighted several strengths and areas for improvement for my game Tunnel Blasters, One key improvement was the smooth player movement, which made the gameplay experience enjoyable and intuitive. The participants who tested also liked the original and well-designed visuals, noting the creative style and unique environment of the mineshaft levels. The fast-paced gameplay and engaging mechanics, such as bomb-kicking were also mentioned as exciting features that kept the students and teachers playtesting hooked with my game Tunnel Blasters.
A few issues were observed and during the playtesting. The testers reported that sometimes felt like they were getting stuck between barricades, which disrupted the flow of the game. Additionally, the lack of HUD or visual indicators, to see score, lives or the timer would’ve been better if it was implemented. A bug with the blast radius power-up was also noted, as It did not function correctly. A teacher also suggested that if I had sound effects for when bombs exploded it would’ve increased the excitement in games of this genre.
To address these bugs and ideas, several improvements were suggested by both the students and teachers. Adding HUD elements or visual indicators to explain gem powerups would enhance usability. Fixing the bug with the blast radius is important for a better gaming experience. Including Explosion sound effects would be more exciting aswell. At the end some students suggested me that have adding a controller support instead of playing on the keyboard game more enjoyable for a wider audience, which Is something I have in mind to implement in the future if I’m going to continue with this project.
Reflection
Overall, I believe the playtesting of my game was successful, and the feedback I received was valuable to me. It made me realize that, even though the game was in a playable state, there is always room for improvement and bugs to address. With less than two weeks remaining, I had to work quickly to implement changes. However, I am eager to continue this project after the passion project, as it has motivated me to keep working on it and improving the game further.
To see my full user testing results see appendices.