How Is Game Testing different From Software Testing?

Tappable's Lead QA Tester, Jonathan Mormone, shares insight into Game Testing and how it compares to Software Testing. Here's what he had to say;

Since software and game applications both require thorough testing, queries about their uniqueness or similarities often arise. Are both examinations the same; if not, how do they differ?

The differences in Game Testing and Software Testing can surprisingly be quite significant.

When it comes to games, not only can they be more complex, but testers will also be validating if the actual gameplay is fun and engaging, something you don't need to think about with standard apps.

While Software Testing follows a systematic approach and is relatively simple, Game Testing involves many complexities; depending on what's involved in a game, the tester could be asked to test something like the Ai, Multi-player, Level difficulty, Audio or Balance of the economy, all of which don't appear in the software.

Software Testing is often paired with Automation scripts & Test cases to enhance the QA of the application; games may also use scripts; however, the majority of the testing (of the gameplay at least) won't be as regimented and will be way more exploratory yet still requiring attention to detail and high concentration levels.

Critical bugs and game-breaking glitches are crucial to be found before release, which is why you'll often see more games in open public Alpha and Beta tests than apps; a critical failure in production could potentially mean an early game death, especially if multiple errors are happening simultaneously.

Luckily the Testing team for most games will be bigger and have more members with various skill levels. In contrast, with software, the team will be more compact, and the testers will be working closely with the developers and project managers.

On a surface level, game testing is known to be more 'fun' and less 'work'. Still, in most cases, it can be just as challenging trying to replicate a specific bug; for instance, with the game's systems running around you, it can be highly repetitive; you may need to test a particular section under different conditions over and over with only little variation.

Game Testers typically stick to one project through to its completion and, in some cases, even after its initial release before transitioning to their subsequent work.

Whereas with Software Testing, managing and switching between multiple projects in simultaneous development is much easier.

Software Testing can be more demanding, often requiring a diverse skill set, but, in exchange, offers a lot in return.

Flexibility in workflow with multiple projects?can easily make the job more exciting and rewarding as responsibilities and duties can pay off in personal development.

As for Game Testing, responsibilities and duties may be less challenging as you don’t need to worry about automated tests, structured end-to-end test scripts, etc. There's also more freedom for opinions and gameplay ideas.

In conclusion, generally, the demand for Software Testers is higher. Even though several processes in Software Testing can be automated, the responsibilities are more significant.

Game Testing, on the other hand, can be more exciting, and it is a great place to start for someone interested in a career in Application Testing.

Even though Game Testing offers a less challenging job, it still requires a lot of passion and dedication!