Will players find the game enjoyable throughout multiple playthroughs? How replayable is the game I’m developing?
This question is important because the replayability of a game, whether determined by multiple outcomes, different solutions, or various social dynamics, can affect the longevity of a game by providing a longer-lasting game experience. To answer this question, a prototype can be created that consists of a few levels but has different starting options and paths that a user can take to complete all the levels. For a replayable game, I would expect users to play through the whole prototype, finding all possible outcomes and choosing all the different starting options. For a non-replayable game, I would expect users to get bored or stop playing after one or two playthroughs.
How intuitive is the UI of the game I’m developing?
This question is important because a bad game UI can hinder player experience or cause confusion that would deter a player from continuing to play the game. To answer this question, I would create a prototype of a game UI, and design a list of goals that a playtester would have to achieve by interacting with the UI. If my game UI is intuitive, all playtesters would be able to complete all goals without any help. If my game UI is non-intuitive, some playtesters may require help to complete all the goals, or fail to complete a number of goals.
How accessible is my game to all different kinds of players?
This question is important because game accessibility can have an impact on whether certain players can fully enjoy the game I’m developing. To answer this question, I would have to create multiple prototypes to make sure my game is accessible to as many players as possible. One prototype could include a couple of different input devices, such as a keyboard, controller, etc… Another prototype could implement features such as enabling subtitles, changing font sizes, etc… For all of these prototypes, I would expect that the option or features that players use most would be the priority to implement. Making my game accessible to all players will make sure that all kinds of players are able to play and enjoy my game.
