PC Game Tester Jobs – The Game Tester’s To-do List

There is still that mentality that gaming is the lazy man’s pseudo-hobby, ignoring the fact that games can be mentally stimulating and that serious effort has been put into making a game as engaging as possible, and that it requires way more than a figurative brain-dead state of mind to beat a game. The game tester works in both aspects – in the game’s development (late-stage) and in the gameplay itself. If you are wondering what pc game tester jobs actually include, here’s the game tester’s to-do list.

Play

This is the reason why PC game tester jobs are considered dream jobs for the gaming fan. Playing makes up most of the ‘work’ time of the freelance PC game tester. After all, you need to play to learn the storyline, the features, navigation, replayability and practically all that makes a game, well, a game.

Observe

Note that in game testing, you don’t just play, you also observe. You check out if the game menu is user-friendly, and whether single-player gameplay is engaging enough. You also need to check, in multiplayer mode and MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) if there is game balance. Does a character class need to be improved or nerfed?

Test

You also need to test the game features and the game design aspects. This, along with observation, is how you spot bugs and glitches. In the case of RPGs, you need to do quests to find out whether triggers work and NPCs (Non Player Characters) do what they are supposed to do. You also need to check whether weapons actually carry the attributes described, etc.

Write

Yes, that’s correct. You need to create written reports about navigation, features, gameplay (game balance and all), quests, bugs and glitches. Reports about bugs and glitches need to be as detailed as possible. Writing skills would be a plus in this job. You do not need to be Hemingway, but you do need to be able to communicate well.

Report

You would then need to submit these reports, at times with relevant screenshots. Game testers have deadlines to meet, too. You maybe asked to report to a team leader who would assign tasks, or report directly to the Quality Assurance department.

So you see, game testing is a real job – not exactly a backbreaking one, but one that would give pleasure (and cash) to the game tester who does his job well.