Setting up a playtest is the first half of running one. You name it, link it to a game, prepare a feedback form, and (optionally) share a link with playtesters before the session.

The other half, running the session, capturing feedback, reviewing, is covered in Build feedback forms and surveys and Review playtest results.

In the sidebar, click Playtests. Click New playtest.

Pick which game this playtest is for from the dropdown. The playtest will be linked to the game, so it appears on the game's page too.

If you're playtesting multiple games in one session, set up one playtest per game and note the relationship in the description.

Give it a clear name. Conventions that work:

The name shows up in the hub, in linked-game pages, and on the feedback form's header. Make it self-explanatory.

In the description, capture:

Most playtest entries include:

These show on the feedback form so playtesters know what they signed up for, and they show on the playtest's page so you can search and filter later.

In the same setup flow, you can build the feedback form playtesters fill out after playing. Boardssey gives you a no-code form builder with question types like:

For form-building details, see Build feedback forms and surveys. You can also skip this step now and add the form later, or use the Feedback Survey Tool template if you want a starting point.

Once the playtest is set up, you'll get a shareable form link. Paste it into the Discord, the email invite, the QR code on your convention booth, wherever your playtesters will be.

Playtesters do not need a Boardssey account to fill out the form. They click the link, complete the form in their browser, submit. That's it.

For a longer orientation aimed at playtesters themselves, link them to For external playtesters: filling out a feedback form.

Click Save playtest. The playtest now lives in your hub with status Setting up. When the session starts, change status to Running. When responses start arriving, switch to Reviewing and head to the results page (see Review playtest results).

Can I edit a playtest after it's running? Yes, change details, edit the form, update the description. Submitted responses don't change retroactively, but new submissions reflect the updated form.

Can I use a playtest as a template for a future one? There's no formal template feature today. Many designers duplicate the old playtest manually (copy the form structure, change the date).

Should I set up a playtest before in-person sessions, even if I'll collect paper feedback? Yes. The playtest entry is the home for feedback regardless of how it's collected. Log paper feedback into the form afterwards via Logging external playtester data manually.

Can I require playtesters to log in? The shareable feedback form doesn't require login by design. If you need identified responses, ask for an email or name as a form field; if you need formal authentication, that's not currently supported.

Can multiple playtest links go to the same form? The form is associated with the playtest. To send the same form to different audience groups, use one playtest's link with a tracking parameter you can read later (e.g. ?source=discord).