10 - How to Avoid Unnecessary Effort in the First Prototype (Part 3)

In the third part about prototypes, we focus on testers:

Everywhere you read that a prototype should be inexpensive. It should be quickly discardable if it doesn’t work. It shouldn’t be too complex to modify. You will constantly be swapping and improving things. Additionally, mechanics should be added gradually. Furthermore, you don’t want to torment your testers, so it would be good if the game already functions reasonably well when you invite them.

If you want your testers to look at a game more than once, it helps if the game is already somewhat functional and has fun elements built in. That’s why it’s beneficial to try it out a few times beforehand with an especially enthusiastic friend. However, keep in mind that while a two-player game is easy to test with just two people, games designed for larger groups can be difficult to test with only two players.

For your board game, you will need many test rounds. Since you will typically need multiple players, this means you will also need a sufficient number of testers. That’s why it’s important to keep your testers engaged so they want to play multiple versions. You’ll have a few friends who really enjoy your game and will want to test different versions. However, board game preferences vary widely—not every player enjoys every type of mechanic or genre. This doesn’t mean your friends won’t want to help, but rotating testers and implementing improvements between sessions can ensure they see progress.

The duration of the game also affects test motivation. A game that can be completed in under an hour is much easier to bring to the table than a longer one. Additionally, frustration with unfinished mechanics is less severe in a shorter game than one that lasts two to three hours. If a longer game isn’t going well, it’s often better to end the session early. The feedback gathered will usually be enough to identify key issues.

It’s particularly important to test the game with strangers and/or blind testing (without assistance). Players should be able to complete a game based solely on the instructions, with no external help. However, before exposing the game to blind or public testing, the prototype should have already gone through multiple test rounds and reached a certain level of quality. While these settings can provide highly valuable feedback, they can also cause significant frustration.

For online prototype testing—where it’s easier to find remote testers—platforms like Tabletop Simulator or Tabletopia are useful.

My game is available on Tabletop Simulator in both German and English. If you’d like to try Magical Friends, you just need friends with Tabletop Simulator and can access it directly via the Steam Workshop: Steam Workshop Link. When launching the game, you’ll be notified that a link is being opened, through which a feedback form can be completed.

This is a very early form of the tabletop simulator version, now it almost looks like the real game.

I’d be happy about feedback, please write in the comments.