What Is a Playtest?
A playtest is when you have people play your game and tell you what they think. It's how you move from "we think our game is good" to "we know our game works."
Boardssey helps you organize playtests and collect feedback in one place. Instead of scattered notes and emails, everything is together and connected to your game.
Before You Start
Have you created a game in Boardssey?
If not, read "Game Center Basics" first. You need a game before you can set up a playtest.
Do you have people willing to play?
Playtesters can be friends, family, gaming groups, or strangers at a convention. Boardssey lets you invite them and track their feedback.
Step 1: Go to the Playtests Section
In the left menu, look for: Playtests (it has a play button icon)
Click it.
You see a screen that says something like "No playtests yet" or shows any existing playtests.
Step 2: Create Your First Playtest
Look for: A button that says Create Playtest, + New Playtest, or Start Playtest
Click it.
A form appears asking for basic information.
Step 3: Name Your Playtest
Field: Playtest Name
What to write: Something that describes this playtest.
Examples:
"Gen Con 2024 - First Impressions"
"Family Game Night - Round 1"
"Publisher Testing - March"
"Remote Playtesting - Online"
Why it matters: Later, you might have dozens of playtests. Clear names help you find the right one.
Step 4: Choose Your Game
Field: Which Game?
What to do: Click the dropdown menu. Select the game you want to test.
If you only have one game: It's already selected.
Why it matters: All your feedback will be connected to this specific game.
Step 5: Connect to a Version
Field: Version
What to do: Select which version of your game you're testing.
Examples: v1.0, v2.1, v3.0
If you haven't created versions yet: Just pick "current" or the only option available.
Why it matters: Later, you'll compare feedback between versions. "Version 1 players said X. Version 2 players said Y." This tells you if your changes actually helped.
Step 6: Add Playtest Details
Field: Date
What to do: Pick or type the date of your playtest.
Field: Location
What to do: Where is the playtest happening?
Examples: "My home," "Gaming store," "Online," "Convention booth"
Field: Playtesters
What to do: Type the name or email of each person playing.
Examples: "Sarah," "Mark and Jessica," "Local game group"
Why it matters: You're creating a record of who tested your game, when, and where. This becomes valuable history.
Step 7: Add a Description (Optional)
Field: Notes or Description
What to write: Anything about this playtest session.
Examples:
"Testing the new combat system"
"Blind testing - players haven't seen rules before"
"Testing with age group 8-10"
"Solo playtest for balance checking"
Why it matters: This helps you remember what you were specifically testing for. Later, when you're looking back, this context is helpful.
Step 8: Save Your Playtest
Look for: A Save or Create button.
Click it.
Your playtest is now created. You see a summary of what you entered.
Step 9: Create a Feedback Form (Optional but Helpful)
This is where you ask playtesters specific questions.
Look for: A button that says Create Feedback Form, Add Questions, or Feedback
Click it.
Step 10: Ask Specific Questions
You're going to create questions that playtesters will answer.
Click: + Add Question or similar button.
Choose question type:
Type | Use When | Example |
Rating (1-5 stars) | You want a quick score | "Rate how fun this game is" |
Yes/No | You want a simple answer | "Would you play this again?" |
Multiple Choice | You want specific options | "Which mechanic confused you most?" |
Open-ended text | You want detailed feedback | "What would you change about this game?" |
Step 1: Choose the type.
Step 2: Write your question.
Step 3: Click + Add Question again to add another.
What Questions Should You Ask?
Ask about what matters for YOUR game right now:
If testing balance: "Was the game competitive and balanced?"
If testing learning curve: "How long did it take to understand the rules?"
If testing fun: "On a scale of 1-5, how fun was this?"
If testing specific mechanic: "Did the [mechanic name] make sense?"
If testing player engagement: "Did you stay engaged the whole game or did it get slow?"
Tip: Don't ask too many questions. 5-7 good questions beat 20 generic ones.
Step 11: Save Your Feedback Form
Look for: Save or Done button.
Click it.
Your feedback form is ready to send to playtesters.
Step 12: Send the Feedback Form to Playtesters
Look for: A Share button or Get Link option.
Click it.
You get a link that looks like: https://app.boardssey.com/feedback-form/l5v59503
What to do next:
Option A - Email it: Copy the link and email it to your playtesters. Say something like: "Thanks for playing! Please answer these quick questions: [link]"
Option B - Share verbally: Give them the link in person and ask them to fill it out now or later.
Option C - Print a QR code: If a QR code option exists, use it for in-person conventions.
Why it works: Playtesters click the link, answer your questions, and their feedback automatically shows up in Boardssey. You don't have to manually copy and organize feedback.
Step 13: Collect Responses
After playtesters click the link and answer your questions, the feedback appears in Boardssey.
To see responses:
Step 1: Go back to your playtest.
Step 2: Click on it.
Step 3: You see a summary of all answers.
What you see:
Each question
How many people answered it
Their responses (ratings, text, choices)
Step 14: Take Notes on What You Learn
During or after the playtest, write down:
What surprised you?
What confused playtesters?
What did they enjoy?
What will you change?
Where to write: In your game's Notes section (in Game Center).
Why: This creates a record of what you learned. When you're making decisions later, you can refer back to this.
Understanding Playtest Data
Reading Ratings
If you asked "Rate the fun on 1-5 stars" and got:
5 stars from 4 people
4 stars from 2 people
Average: 4.67 stars
What this means: People really enjoyed it. This is good feedback.
Reading Text Feedback
People might write things like:
"The endgame felt slow"
"Loved the trading mechanic"
"Confused by the scoring"
What to do: Look for patterns. If 3 people say the same thing, that's important. If 1 person says something, it might be specific to them.
Comparing Across Versions
After your next playtest, test a NEW VERSION where you fixed the issues.
Compare the feedback:
Version 1: "Endgame felt slow" (multiple people)
Version 2: "Game flowed smoothly" (multiple people)
What this tells you: Your fix worked.
Common Questions
Q: How many people should I have in a playtest?
A: Start small. 2-3 people is great for your first test. Later tests can be larger (5-10 people). As many as you can get to play.
Q: Should I watch them play or let them play alone?
A: Both work. Watching them play lets you see confusion in real-time. Letting them play alone gets honest feedback without your influence. Try both and see what you learn.
Q: What if nobody wants to playtest?
A: Ask friends, family, coworkers, or gaming groups. You can also playtest at conventions or local game cafes. Start with people you know.
Q: Can I playtest the same game multiple times?
A: Absolutely. Create a new playtest entry each time. This way you track how feedback changes as your game improves.
Q: Do I have to use the feedback form?
A: No. You can also just jot down notes in your game's Notes section. The form just helps organize feedback automatically.
Q: What if feedback contradicts itself?
A: This happens. Some playtesters loved something you thought was broken. Some didn't like something you're proud of. Look for patterns. If 1 person complains and 5 people love it, the pattern says it's good.
Q: How do I know if my game is ready to move forward?
A: This depends on your goals. For publication, you typically want multiple playtests with consistently positive feedback. For convention play, fewer might be fine. For self-publishing, you decide.
Next Steps
After Your First Playtest
Organize the feedback. Look for patterns. What did multiple people say?
Create a new version. Make changes based on what you learned.
Create another playtest. Test your new version with new playtesters or the same group.
Compare feedback. Did your changes help?
Repeat. Keep testing and improving until your game feels ready.
Track Your Progress
In Boardssey, you see:
All your playtests connected to your game
Feedback organized by version
A complete history of what people said
This record becomes your proof that you tested seriously and improved based on feedback. Publishers love seeing this.
You're Ready
You've now set up a playtest in Boardssey. You've gathered feedback from real players. You've started the process of turning an idea into a real game.
That's significant.
The feedback you get is gold. Use it. Your game will be better for it.
Play, learn, improve, repeat.
That's how great games are made.