Careers

Playtester

Game studios will often playtest their game to check many elements of their game before further development and launching. This testing includes if the narrative is engaging, if characters are likeable and if the level of difficulty is appropriate for their target audience.

Different from Quality Assurance (QA) practiced to locate any issues in the software, Playtesters trial and establish if a game is going to be commercially viable. To be a successful Playtester, you will have significant experience playing a multitude of different genres of games across various platforms.

An appreciation for game design, gameplay and game theory will help you not only help you pinpoint issues during testing but also provide you with insights for suggesting improvements that game studios will find invaluable.

QAEntry-level role
You’ll love this role if you’re into:
  • Being Organised
  • Maths
  • Writing
  • Reading

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YOUR LEARNING JOURNEY

Some Playtesters have a degree, which provides professional development and a recognised qualification to employers. However, there are many available pathways and all people working in games claim a unique career journey. Above all, you will need to demonstrate passion and skills in your chosen field. For this job role, you should be someone who playing games and communicating thoughts and ideas.

As a professional, you’ll be ensuring gameplay is intuitive, consistent and engaging, offering insightful feedback to improve the game studios chance of commercial success. You’ll be experienced with a wide range of games and consoles and be able to provide concise ideas on changes and improvements for game developers. 

Working in the games industry is highly competitive, some game companies, recruit volunteer Playtesters or use agencies so you’ll need to make sure your CV stands out to employers and course leaders. 

As a Playtester, demonstrating a passion for games and a fundamental understanding for gameplay will be important. Your CV should include previous roles and responsibilities, expanding on relevant and transferable skills. For more general ideas on developing your CV, see our top tips page.

Whatever role you are working in, it is essential that you understand the game making process. You can head to our build a game section for first steps; join a regular game jam to build up your skills and network; or start modding others games to gain experience. 

Education pathways

Where are you in your games journey?

I always wanted to work in games but it’s the people I work with and for that really make it.
Giverny Wilson-Martin - Playtester, Rare LtdRead the full story
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