Testing methods for mobile game development: A case study on user feedback in different development phases

Mobile games are relatively new industry, and their relevance on the game markets are rising. At the same time, it is very competitive market, as new games are coming out by hundreds every day. The challenges for the new game development come from the creative process and the human factors on how to make the game appealing. In this research, we study the use of test groups as part of new mobile game and concept development process in the early phases. They were used to complement the testing automation at the development phases when use of analytics was not yet possible. Six separate feedback collection sessions were arranged using different methods. The paper presents the main learnings of each used method, the perceived usefulness of the methods for the entire development process. We also contribute to the growing knowledge for mobile game development, focusing on methods for the testing with test user approaches. We conclude that testing with user groups can help clarify the mobile game design to create a more appealing game, but choosing the right groups and right moments in the game development phase can be difficult, as can be the interpretation of the feedback for decision making.