Play testing

Behind the Scenes: How We Playtest Our Games to Perfection

As an industry veteran who has been designing games for years, I can tell you one thing: the road from concept to final game is paved with countless playtests. At Buddy Pal Games, we believe that the secret to creating games that people love—whether they’re seasoned gamers or kids trying out their first board game—comes from rigorous, thoughtful playtesting. It’s a process we take seriously, but it’s also one of the most fun and rewarding stages of development.

What is Playtesting, Really?

Playtesting is much more than just playing the game. It’s about carefully observing how people interact with your creation, seeing where they get stuck, what excites them, and where things might fall flat. During playtesting, we focus on several critical aspects:

Game Balance: Are some strategies too dominant? Is the game too easy or frustratingly hard? Finding the right balance ensures every player feels they have a chance to win, regardless of experience level.

Player Engagement: Are players staying interested throughout the game? Does the tension build in a way that keeps them hooked? Engagement is key to ensuring that players don’t just play once and move on—our goal is to create games people want to play over and over.

Ease of Learning: We aim for games that are quick to learn but still offer depth. Playtesting helps us see if the rules are intuitive, or if we need to simplify or clarify certain mechanics.

Our Playtesting Process:

At Buddy Pal, we begin playtesting early in the design process. First, the design team and close friends—many of whom are industry professionals themselves—test rough versions of the game. This is where we identify any glaring issues with mechanics, pacing, or flow.

After a few rounds of internal testing, we take things to the next level. We invite a diverse group of external playtesters, ranging from families with young children to hardcore gamers. It’s crucial that we see how different types of players experience the game—what works for a seasoned strategist might be too complex for a first-time player. It’s this mix of perspectives that allows us to fine-tune the game so that it’s enjoyable for all ages and skill levels.

Listening to Feedback

The feedback from our playtesters is like gold dust. Sometimes, the most unexpected suggestions lead to groundbreaking changes. For instance, in Amazing Jungle Run, a playtester once suggested adding more ways to interact with the Jungle decks. This led to the introduction of a card mechanic that made gameplay more dynamic and unpredictable—something that ended up being a hit with players of all ages.

Of course, not every piece of feedback makes it into the final product, but it always helps us view the game through a different lens. The trick is knowing what to tweak without compromising the original vision of the game.

Final Playtest and Production

Once we feel the game is balanced and polished, we run final playtests to confirm that all mechanics work seamlessly. By this point, the game has evolved significantly from the initial concept, and we couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve created. But playtesting doesn’t stop with release—community feedback continues to be a valuable tool in improving future expansions and new games.

At Buddy Pal Games, playtesting isn’t just part of the process—it’s the heart of what we do. It’s how we ensure that every game we release is as fun, engaging, and accessible as possible, and it’s one of the reasons we love what we do.

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