Context
For my P2 tiny playable prototype, I based on my game on a rabbit that has to escape from a lab facility conducting animal testing. The game pushes players to develop empathy for animals used for inhumane lab testing purposes (e.g. for dermatology, cosmetics, vaccines etc). I created a short prototype involving 3-4 key choices. I tested this prototype with 1 player in class.
Sample scenarios from prototype
Playtest Feedback and Changes to be Made
| Feedback / Issue | Changes to be Made |
| Player’s first choice lead to a dead end (bad ending) | Don’t make the first choice lead to a dead end. Even if it’s a bad choice, allow more choices to be made. Perhaps allow the player to redeem themself to get back on the right path. |
| “Save friends” choice is too easy—there’s no “Yes BUT” | Have the “save friends” choice lead to a risk or consequences (E.g. Chance of getting caught by a lab technician) |
| Getting caught by a lab technician leads to a quick bad ending with little context or detail (E.g. You get caught and tested on you -> You die. The end) | Instead of having the player die right away from the lab test, maybe there’s phases of the player losing its life gradually -> maybe first loses a leg, loses vision etc. If the player undergoes 3 lab tests -> Dead. |
| While the player feels empathy for the rabbit being lab tested, the player expressed the need to portray the human lab testers as more evil to contrast with the innocent rabbits. | Include more description of the human testers making them seem cruel. Consider adding human elements (e.g. the rabbit sees a poster advertising Sephora making where humans are smiling. Juxtapose this with rabbits that are being abused). |
| I would like to see a more immediate description describing the consequences of a choice, rather than moving onto the next choice right away. | Include more scenic descriptions that players have to click through (don’t have to make a choice in each scene). |
