How do you integrate game testing automation with your game development and deployment processes?

1 Benefits of automation

Game testing automation can provide many benefits to your game development and deployment processes. Automated tests can be run at any stage of the development cycle, allowing for faster feedback loops and higher coverage than manual tests. Automated tests also reduce the costs of human and material resources needed for game testing, as well as the risks of human errors, delays, or rework. Furthermore, automated tests can help detect and fix bugs and issues earlier and more efficiently, ensuring a smooth user experience with higher quality.

2 Challenges of automation

Game testing automation is not a one-stop solution and comes with challenges and limitations, such as a high initial investment. You must invest in time, money, and skills to set up, maintain, and update your automated testing tools and scripts as well as ensure compatibility with your game engine, platform, and code base. Technical complexity is also an issue as you need knowledge of the game logic, architecture, and design in addition to the testing tools and frameworks to create effective automated tests. Moreover, the dynamic nature of game development and deployment requires adaptation of your automated tests to changes and updates. You must also ensure that your tests are relevant and valid for the current version of the game.

3 Best practices of automation

To maximize the benefits of game testing automation and overcome the challenges, you need to plan your automation strategy and choose the level of automation. This includes defining goals, scope, criteria, and metrics, as well as selecting tools and frameworks. Additionally, you should design a structured and modular framework for your automated tests that allows you to reuse and update scripts, data, and results. Different types of frameworks can be used such as data-driven, keyword-driven, hybrid, or behavior-driven depending on preferences. Finally, implement tools and scripts that will execute automated tests and integrate them with your game engine, platform, and code base. Various tools can be used such as Unity Test Framework, Unreal Engine Automation System, Appium, Selenium, or Cucumber depending on the game type and target devices.

4 Monitor your automation results

Once you have implemented your game testing automation, it's important to monitor and analyze the results and reports of your automated tests in order to improve your game development and deployment processes. To do this, you can use dashboards to visualize and track the progress, status, and performance of your automated tests. Additionally, logs can be used to record and review detailed information and events of your automated tests. Metrics can measure and evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of your automated tests. Finally, feedback from stakeholders such as developers, testers, or users can be used to collect opinions and suggestions on your automated tests and game features.

5 Optimize your automation process

Finally, you need to optimize your game testing automation process and make sure it is in line with your game development and deployment processes. To do this, you can employ various techniques and tools, such as continuous integration to automate the build and test of your game code, continuous delivery to automate the release and deployment of your game code, continuous testing to automate the testing of your game code during the development cycle, and continuous improvement to automate the feedback and learning of your game testing automation process. All of this will ensure that your game code meets quality and performance standards while also staying up-to-date and improved.