Balancing what players want with your creative ideas can be one of the toughest parts of making a game. I’ve faced this challenge myself. When you test a game, you might get a lot of feedback that feels overwhelming. Here are some helpful tips on how to deal with this situation.
First, you need to know who your players are.
Think about who you want to play your game.
Are they casual gamers who play for fun or hardcore players who dive deep into gaming?
What types of games do they like?
By understanding your audience, you can focus on what parts of your game they will enjoy while still keeping your creative vision in mind.
Playtesting is super important.
It’s not just about fixing problems; it’s about watching how players interact with your game.
I suggest doing several rounds of playtesting during your game development. Don’t wait until the game feels “finished.”
Invite different players each time to give feedback.
Each round will help you understand what players prefer compared to your original ideas.
When you collect feedback, it’s helpful to have a plan. Here are some ways to do that:
Surveys: Create questions that ask players how much they enjoy the game, what frustrates them, and what changes they would like to see. Mix in both easy-to-answer and open-ended questions.
Watch Closely: Observing players while they play can give you a lot of important information. Pay attention to their body language and expressions, which can explain why they feel the way they do.
Talk it Out: After testing, have a chat with the players. This can reveal helpful ideas that answers alone might not show.
Once you have feedback, the next step is to review it. Here’s how I do this:
Sort Feedback: Not all feedback is the same. Group it by how often players mention it and how much it could affect the gaming experience.
Match to Your Vision: Does the feedback fit with your creative idea for the game? If many players love a certain idea but it doesn’t fit what you originally planned, think about why they feel that way. Sometimes you can blend different ideas to please both the players and your vision.
Now comes the challenging part: deciding what to change. Here’s how I tackle this:
Keep Core Ideas Strong: If players suggest changes to the main parts of the game, but it could change what makes the game special, explore it more. Can you make changes while keeping the essence of the game?
Adjust for Balance: If players want small changes for balance, these can improve the experience without changing your original vision.
Test Little by Little: If you’re not sure about a big change, try it out slowly. Make a small change, get feedback, and see how players react.
In the end, it’s about finding a balance.
Your creative vision matters, but so does making sure players have fun.
A great game usually sits right between both those things.
Even if it’s hard, think of player feedback as something that helps you instead of a problem.
Keep talking to your players, make changes, and be open to ideas, but remember the spark that started your project!
Balancing what players want with your creative ideas can be one of the toughest parts of making a game. I’ve faced this challenge myself. When you test a game, you might get a lot of feedback that feels overwhelming. Here are some helpful tips on how to deal with this situation.
First, you need to know who your players are.
Think about who you want to play your game.
Are they casual gamers who play for fun or hardcore players who dive deep into gaming?
What types of games do they like?
By understanding your audience, you can focus on what parts of your game they will enjoy while still keeping your creative vision in mind.
Playtesting is super important.
It’s not just about fixing problems; it’s about watching how players interact with your game.
I suggest doing several rounds of playtesting during your game development. Don’t wait until the game feels “finished.”
Invite different players each time to give feedback.
Each round will help you understand what players prefer compared to your original ideas.
When you collect feedback, it’s helpful to have a plan. Here are some ways to do that:
Surveys: Create questions that ask players how much they enjoy the game, what frustrates them, and what changes they would like to see. Mix in both easy-to-answer and open-ended questions.
Watch Closely: Observing players while they play can give you a lot of important information. Pay attention to their body language and expressions, which can explain why they feel the way they do.
Talk it Out: After testing, have a chat with the players. This can reveal helpful ideas that answers alone might not show.
Once you have feedback, the next step is to review it. Here’s how I do this:
Sort Feedback: Not all feedback is the same. Group it by how often players mention it and how much it could affect the gaming experience.
Match to Your Vision: Does the feedback fit with your creative idea for the game? If many players love a certain idea but it doesn’t fit what you originally planned, think about why they feel that way. Sometimes you can blend different ideas to please both the players and your vision.
Now comes the challenging part: deciding what to change. Here’s how I tackle this:
Keep Core Ideas Strong: If players suggest changes to the main parts of the game, but it could change what makes the game special, explore it more. Can you make changes while keeping the essence of the game?
Adjust for Balance: If players want small changes for balance, these can improve the experience without changing your original vision.
Test Little by Little: If you’re not sure about a big change, try it out slowly. Make a small change, get feedback, and see how players react.
In the end, it’s about finding a balance.
Your creative vision matters, but so does making sure players have fun.
A great game usually sits right between both those things.
Even if it’s hard, think of player feedback as something that helps you instead of a problem.
Keep talking to your players, make changes, and be open to ideas, but remember the spark that started your project!