Here's how you can master the essential skills for a successful career in game testing.

To become really good at testing games, you need to know how games work inside out. Learn about different kinds of games and how they play on different devices. Pay close attention to details so you can find and report any issues. Stay updated with what's new in the game industry and the tools used for testing. These steps will make you a valuable game tester who can help make games better.

One of the main attributes a game tester can have is being a bit crazy. If you are the type who, when the game tells you to do X, you try Y, Z, W first, then you are on the right path. The happy path, as we call it, is usually very well anticipated, but players almost always try to jump where they shouldn't, use objects in ways they weren't designed for, try to break the collider by making a box fall on the character, and all kinds of crazy stuff. Be very annoying and challenge the limits of the game; that's what we need in the end.

Getting comfortable with generating reports efficiently and feeling confident with what severity a bug would be classed at would be a good foundation to build on for this type of role

Master Gaming Basics: Understand core principles and mechanics. Explore Genres and Platforms: Gain insights into unique challenges. Learn Game Design: Know how games are constructed. Stay Updated: Keep up with industry trends and technologies. Anticipate Needs: Prepare for upcoming games and required skills.

For making a successful Quality Assurance in a videogame is good to think outside the box. Usually, the developers and game designers expect the users to behave in a specific way, around which they build the project to make it work correctly. But what happens when a user doesn't follow that stipulated path? Thats when a lot of unknown issues starts to emerge. Also, its fundamental to have issue tracker tools like JIRA or other agile methodologies, kanban boards and planners, to make sure the issues are being correctly investigated and resolved.

Building technical skills is really important for game testing. You should learn different ways to test games, like black-box (where you explore the game without seeing the code) and white-box testing (where you look into the code itself). To get better, try testing games of various types and on different devices. Keep up with the latest tools and trends in the industry, and make sure to communicate well with developers when you find issues. These steps will make you a skilled game tester who can help make games even better.

Bug Tracking Tools: Learn to use bug tracking software like JIRA or Bugzilla to report and manage issues effectively. Testing Frameworks: Gain proficiency in automated testing frameworks such as Selenium or Appium to streamline the testing process. Platform Knowledge: Understand different gaming platforms (PC, console, mobile) to identify platform-specific issues. Programming Basics: Acquire basic programming skills in languages like Python or JavaScript to create test scripts and understand game code.

Learn how to develop a game. To test stuff, you need to think about how features developed. For example, your game has a jumping mechanism and you are allowed to jump when you touch the ground. Think about ways that your developers made that ground check and try to break it. Maybe check is done by ray casting from middle of character, maybe its done with colliders. Who knows 🤗

Además de utilizar las metodologías de pruebas de software, se debe pensar como el usuario, y forzar de múltiples maneras aunque parezcan ilogicas debido a que así es que el usuario casual lo hace, de esta forma maximizaremos nuestra eficiencia al encontrar bugs

Finding a problem is relatively easy; documenting it is not. You need to detail every step necessary to reproduce the problem, think about possible causes, determine which tests could be performed to test a solution, and ensure that it has been resolved. Consider the potential consequences of a solution, as one solution can cause more bugs than doing nothing at all. Just think, if I were the developer, what would I need to know to best resolve the problem?

One of the proposals from the Project Management Institute for organizing a project is to have a Learned Lessons documentation after finishing a project. For a game tester is also fundamental to document the issues in a Learned Lessons way, writing down the most common ways to create bugs, to test inputs, UI, mechanics, etc. Also having it organized by rarities and uncommon or edge cases, were strange behaviors or issues occurred. This detailed organization in documentation will help in reproducing the same issues in future developments, projects or features.

Analytical Skills: Develop strong analytical skills to identify, isolate, and document bugs accurately. Test Case Development: Write comprehensive test cases that cover all aspects of gameplay, including edge cases. Attention to Detail: Cultivate a keen eye for detail to catch subtle issues that could affect the player experience. Consistent Documentation: Maintain detailed and consistent documentation of all testing processes and findings for future reference and improvements.

Having an eye for detail is crucial in game testing, as it involves noticing small issues that could impact the player's experience. This means carefully observing gameplay elements such as graphics, audio, controls, and user interface to detect any inconsistencies, glitches, or bugs. Attention to detail ensures that minor problems are identified and reported before they escalate into significant issues. It requires patience, focus, and a methodical approach to thoroughly examine all aspects of the game, ensuring a polished and enjoyable final product for players.

It's really important to know the technical terms in the project you're working on, the genre of the game, characters, enemies, items and so on. This will help a lot in being clear with the finds in your testing and being able to tell the other members of the project what you meant with the description of the bug or issue. I know it can be hard, but to learn and know about different game development areas like 3d models, animations, level design, collisions, fight mechanics, inventory, etc. can help you to contribute with a lot more and better issue findings.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions, and not just making assumptions, can assist you in holding better conversations with others. We need our team to support us, and to that, we need to support them in return.

Los detalles y que un error sea replicable es fundamental un error sin la documentación adecuada no sirve ya que no permite ver el porque es que ocurre y mucho menos lo hace más fácil de arreglar mientras más detalles identifiques y comuniques a tus compañeros será mejor, probarlo con las mismas condiciones en otra máquina también es importante ya que algunos errores solo ocurren en equipos en específicos ya sea por el hardware del ordenador o por el sistema operativo

To understand the game genre and its mechanics it's the first step to create an effective critical thinking for a tester. What is the expected player behavior in this game? Try to imitate it, and then, think as an uncommon player, what other options he/she has? Test all the probable inputs and possibilities. As a videogame is a dynamic environment, there are so many ways it can fail. Start with the basics and expected flows/inputs to report expected bugs, then proceed with more complex testing and write down the reproducing steps. You can always ask the game developer or the company which are the main focus for doing QA and start from there to organize yourself and prioritize the testings and issues.

Critical thinking in game testing is vital for effectively identifying and solving problems within the game. It involves analyzing and evaluating gameplay elements, understanding the root causes of issues, and thinking logically about potential solutions. Testers must question assumptions, consider various scenarios, and anticipate possible player behaviors to uncover hidden problems. By applying critical thinking, testers can develop comprehensive test plans, make informed decisions, and provide valuable feedback that helps improve the game's overall quality and player experience.

Check out how cheating works in competitive games. Especially the ones that doesn’t require 3rd party tool. They teach you how to think outside of the box.

To master the essential skills for a successful career in game testing, start by developing a keen eye for detail to identify bugs and inconsistencies. Enhance your analytical skills to understand and test various game mechanics thoroughly. Learn to document findings clearly and concisely. Familiarize yourself with bug-tracking software like JIRA or Bugzilla. Gain proficiency in different testing methodologies, such as functional, regression, and performance testing. Stay updated on industry trends and advancements in testing tools. Finally, cultivate strong communication skills to collaborate effectively with developers and designers, ensuring high-quality game releases.

An important point, I think it's crucial to distinguish between a "tester" and a "quality assurance specialist." Strive to be a QA. Based on my experience, I can say that if you are proactive, willing to learn, and not afraid to take on responsibility, it is from QA roles that producers, project managers, and so on grow the fastest. The reason is that as a QA specialist, you will have the opportunity to work at all stages and on all types of tasks in game development. You will have excellent knowledge of common problems that occur or might occur. This is a unique opportunity.

Systems thinking is critical. It's often misunderstood, and many people assume game testing is about playing to simply validate or break a game. Learn to think holistically and learn backwards planning with that holistic skillset. To have a fulfilling and great career in game testing, you will want to consider that it's not about finding bugs and reporting them, it's about making decisions, understanding what is worth reporting and what isn't, and building strong, trusting relationships within the game teams you're part of. Game testing can be amazingly fun and a great career if you find the right team to be a part of, good luck!