You're developing a new game concept. How can you ensure feedback sessions lead to constructive solutions?

Defining clear goals before feedback sessions has been a game-changer for me. When developing our indie titles, specifying whether we needed input on UI design, gameplay mechanics, or narrative elements helped focus our testers. This targeted approach ensured the feedback we received was not only relevant but also immediately actionable. It allowed participants to dive deep into specific aspects, making their contributions more valuable and our subsequent iterations more efficient.

You can't get useful design feedback from traditional testing strategies, they didn't work years ago and they don't work now. People lie about their gaming experiences all the time. They do it in focus groups, which are a waste of time anyway because there aren't enough people in them. And they do it online. The only real way to learn anything about anything is using telemetry in at scale experiences. That could be telemetry from a game that tells you what people are really doing in your game, or it could be telemetry from a video playback tool that tracks skips, rewinds, replays, etc... or any other thing you can dream up that can give you some kind of data driven idea about what people really liked and didn't like.

Establish a clear structure for the discussion. Set specific objectives for each session, such as focusing on gameplay mechanics, narrative elements, or user experience. Encourage an open and respectful atmosphere where all team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. Use targeted questions to guide feedback toward actionable insights, asking for suggestions on improvements rather than just highlighting issues. Document the feedback and prioritize key points for follow-up. Afterward, involve the team in brainstorming practical solutions, turning criticism into opportunities for refinement and innovation.

To ensure feedback sessions lead to consecutive solutions when developing a new game concept, Define the specific aspects of the game you need feedback on, ensuring the feedback stays focused and relevant to your development phase.

Once you understand you Objective and required information from feedback. Make sure the testing group have those abilities to pass the information to you in constructive way, not in a vague manner. If you have mixture of audience, divide the testing group in 50% Target genre audience 30% Mapped genre audience 20% Rest of the audience.

Selecting the right mix of participants is something I prioritize in every project. By including both our target audience and individuals outside of it, we gain diverse perspectives that often uncover hidden opportunities. In one of our games, combining feedback from hardcore genre fans and newcomers highlighted areas where we could improve accessibility without alienating our core players. This balanced approach enriched our understanding and ultimately enhanced the game's appeal.

To get well-rounded feedback for your game, choose a mixed audience that includes fans of the genre for genre-specific insights, players from other genres for fresh perspectives, and new players to gauge the learning curve of your game mechanics. This balanced approach will help you refine your game for a broader audience.

When we're selecting participants for feedback sessions, it's about more than just gathering opinions—it's about ensuring we can take meaningful action afterward. We choose people who represent our target audience and mix in fresh perspectives. We also focus on participants who can clearly articulate their thoughts, helping us not only spot issues but also understand how to address them effectively. With a balance of experienced gamers and newcomers, we can identify both strengths and areas for improvement, making it easier to find solutions that enhance the game’s overall appeal and accessibility.

Encourage openness by fostering a culture where all team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. Emphasize that all feedback is valuable and welcome.

Structuring feedback sessions meticulously has proven invaluable in my experience. Providing participants with a clear overview and specific testing objectives sets the stage for focused interaction. Allowing them to play without interference lets genuine experiences emerge. Afterwards, guiding them through targeted discussions or surveys aligned with our goals has consistently yielded specific, actionable insights, eliminating vague opinions and streamlining our development process.

This is indeed an invaluable practice. Structuring feedback sessions allows you to see the genuine perspective of the player and what they think about the game. After receiving that feedback you can then tell your image like I can tell what I am trying to make and this way you can get more valuable Feedbacks and user inputs and take your experience to a whole new level

During feedback sessions, it’s crucial to have a well-structured plan. We kick things off by giving a quick overview of the game and sharing our specific goals. Then, we let them play while we observe them silently. After that, we guide them through a structured discussion or survey that aligns with our objectives. This organized approach ensures we get specific, actionable insights rather than just general opinions. That way, we can make real improvements!

Creating structure for feedback sessions helps keep the discussion productive and on track. Set a clear agenda, focus on specific areas of the game, and guide participants to provide actionable insights. It's like a well-organized game level—when there's a clear path, it’s easier to avoid aimless wandering and reach the goal efficiently! Structured feedback leads to more constructive and useful solutions.

Getting feedback on your game is a gift; however, sometimes it can become overwhelming to figure out which feedback to action on. To generate targeted feedback your team will need a structure to guide participants to the features being tested. This should include an overview of the game, instructions on how to get to the features being tested, and a short known issues list (with workarounds) so participants know which issues to ignore. Record their gameplay session and ask the player to narrate their experience instead of asking them questions while playing so you do not break the immersion of their session. Have specific questions prepared for the participant to answer after their session. Be cautious to not use leading questions.

Analyzing feedback effectively is crucial. I always look for recurring themes and patterns in responses, as they often point to underlying issues that need addressing. Interestingly, noticing what's not mentioned can be just as insightful—it might indicate that a feature isn't resonating as intended. Distinguishing between subjective preferences and objective problems allows me to prioritize changes that will genuinely enhance the game's quality and success.

After we gather all the feedback, the next step is to dive into it. We look for patterns and recurring themes in what people say—and even what they don’t say. Sometimes, people don’t mention something, but that can be just as helpful as them saying it out loud. It’s important to tell the difference between what people like and what’s actually a problem that could make the game better. By doing that, we can focus on the feedback that really matters and make improvements that will make a difference.

Collecting feedback is great but what you do with it is what will elevate your game from good to great! After a feedback session, I would read through every response and collate them into similar categories so the designers could better understand the weight of each request. I would then send the categories to the design lead for additional review and set up meetings, as needed, to decide to either implement that feature, do a deeper team review, or burn it with fire. Remember: Players often ask for features to solve their immediate frustration without understanding the long-term goals of your project. Sometimes that frustration is by design. =D Henry Ford: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

If you already have milestone of development after release the game, the comment or feedback should be selected wisely, sometimes if we don't select carefully it Will ruin our milestone, my advice is you select that related with your milestone so you have more information whether suit or not the milestone with the game on the market. But if most of the comment definitely different with your milestone then you should check again your milestone of development.

Involve team members from different disciplines—design, art, programming—to provide a holistic view of the game. Diverse insights can uncover potential issues and inspire innovative solutions.

Acting swiftly on feedback keeps the development momentum alive. I focus on implementing changes that align with our core goals and are echoed by multiple participants. This rapid iteration not only refines the game concept but also energizes the team as we see immediate improvements. While not all feedback leads to instant changes, it informs our roadmap, ensuring we're continually moving in the right direction.

Iterating quickly is crucial for maintaining development momentum and refining your game concept effectively. After gathering feedback, prioritize changes that align with your goals and have been consistently highlighted by multiple participants. By acting swiftly, you can implement adjustments, test the results, and keep the feedback loop active. This rapid iteration process helps you continuously improve your game, allowing you to address issues early and optimize gameplay. While not all feedback will result in immediate changes, it provides valuable insights that can inform future decisions, ensuring the game evolves with each cycle.

If we are still looking for a way to go on our project, then we should iterate all we can, and even do some concept demos to see if what we are trying to sell, could actually work and it's worth implementing and developing thoroughly.

Iteration can be broken into 2 definitions: update or upgrade. If you got feedback that your team agrees that it can be done faster, then it will be your update, but if it will take a longer time but still aligns with your milestone of development, it can be used on the next 2 iterations, let's say, or more. But if the feedback takes longer time and does not sync with your milestone, you can note this as your next upgrade version, but you have to check whether it still relates to the time that you release the new version.

Focus on feedback that can lead to clear action points. Encourage participants to suggest improvements or alternatives rather than just highlighting problems.

Balancing receptiveness to feedback with staying true to the game's vision is essential. I've learned that while it's important to listen and adapt, it's equally crucial not to dilute the core concept just to satisfy every opinion. In my projects, I've aimed for a harmonious blend where player satisfaction enhances, rather than compromises, the game's artistic integrity. This approach maintains the unique essence of the game while still engaging our audience.

Disrupting the market with new creative visions is risky by definition. Players can tell very quickly when a good idea gets so washed down that it loses its soul (Epic Mickey ??). And it's frustrating, because they see the potential that was ultimately unrealised. Sometimes the right idea needs to find the right development team, with the right risk tolerance!

Diversity is a big part of the process. Make sure you have feedback from different groups of people. Difference maybe the age, location, favourite genre etc