Beta Testing and Scientific Reports

Have students upload their games and invite them to beta test the work of others. Beta testing is an important step in game development as it allows a fresh set of eyes to find glitches, planning errors, and determine overall playability. Here they can create a scientific report of their findings and possible solutions to send to the original student developer. Visit this link for more information on how to write a scientific report.

Sample Findings

• Issue: Flag is inaccessible. Solution: Create additional platforms for the character to jump on.
• Issue: Door will not open. Solution: Create a key with an IF/THEN statement to allow passage.
• Issue: Enemy doesn’t loop (go back and forth). Solution: Add barrier arrows in the editor.

Writing reports is a great way to understand processes and work through new findings. They are essential learning methods used in high school and college-level courses so use this as an opportunity to get a head start!