Many people play mobile games the whole day. The best thing that can happen to them is that they get paid for playing games. Actually, there are some lucky people out there who are paid to play games the whole day. Playing games is their job. They are known as Mobile Game Testers.
There are more than 2.5 billion gamers globally, and 45% of the gamers are mobile gamers. The mobile gaming industry alone is worth around $68.5 billion, and it is expected to grow to a $196 billion market by the end of 2022.
Even if the person is not a gamer, they will still have a game installed on their Smartphone. As mobile is a portable device, it can be used to play games when one wants to pass the time or relax. People of all ages play simple yet addictive games like Candy Crush.
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Why is Testing your mobile game so important?
There is cut-throat competition in the mobile gaming industry, and therefore you should make sure that you release nothing but the perfect product in the market. To ensure this, your game will have to go through a thorough testing process.
Testing is a part of the Mobile Game Development process, and it holds a significantly higher position. When you release a game, you want it to perform the best and create the best first expression, as a single lag can become the reason for countless people uninstalling your game.
The testing process ensures that there are no bugs in the game and provides the perfect gaming and user experience.
Types of Testing
There are two types of Mobile Game Testing:
Black Box Testing:
Black Box Testing is the inspection of the functionality of the game. It is the game testing from the user point of view. It does not pay attention to the codes.
This testing shows if the game works as per the plan or not and provides the right gaming and user experience.
The QA Engineer will thoroughly test the gameplay and features of the game from the user perspective. From registration to buttons, controls, sound, game levels, progress-saving features, etc., will be tested.
White Box Testing:
White Box Testing requires a keen knowledge of coding, software libraries, game engines, databases, etc. This testing focuses on the systematic aspects of the game and the game architecture.
Even the smallest codes are checked. Your development team is responsible for white box testing, and they should perform it from the starting of the development process.
Things to consider while testing your mobile game
Interface Testing
Interface Testing is considered as one of the most crucial parts of game testing. The QA expert will check to ensure that the game’s interface is top-notch, easy to understand, and user-friendly. This ensures that the game is of high quality and easy to use play.
The QA expert will check the fonts, color effects, resolutions, instructions and locations, and accessibility of various buttons. The location of various settings and menus. The way how the game reacts when the screen is rotated.
They will also check if the game is working at the best speed or not. In interface testing, they will also test sound, animation, notifications, messages, timings, alignments, and even the minute details to ensure that the game is perfect. Moreover, the QA expert will have to test this in various devices and under different conditions.
Graphic Testing
Graphics of the game is what attracts the users to the game. Nowadays, various games are being released with eye-catchy graphics, and within a few days, they have bagged millions of downloads. If the game has poor graphics, the users will be disappointed, and they will feel like low skilled developers developed the game.
When the app store is flooded with games with astonishing graphics, there is no chance that a game with poor graphics can beat them. Therefore in this test, the developer will test if the graphics are as per the expectation or not.
There are some adverse effects of the graphics too, and the developer will test their mobile impact. High-graphics result in fast draining of the battery, and they are also responsible for choppiness. The QA experts will check how the game performs on various devices and perform in extreme conditions. What is the effect of the game on the battery? How is the synchronization with the servers?
Security Testing
When there are social media integrations, third party codes, or the game is a real money game, security becomes the users’ prime consent. If the user has just shared their email address or some small detail, they trust you, and hence they have shared the same, and therefore it is your duty to keep their data secure.
The QA Expert will check the security of the game to ensure that nothing is compromised.
AI Feature Testing
Many mobile games use AI nowadays to keep the game interesting for users. Using AI, the game will adapt to your gameplay and increase the difficulty to keep the game challenging and enjoyable for you.
A recent example of the same is the “Hello Neighbor” game. The neighbor is tasked to catch you while you are hiding, and the neighbor is AI-powered. Therefore it will adapt to your gameplay and will increase the difficulty accordingly.
However, Artificial Intelligence is a high-level technology, and therefore the QA Expert will have to run some intricate and complicated tests for it.
Game Installation Testing
The app store can download some games, and then there are some games that you can download and install, and after starting the game, it will again need to download the game’s content.
Therefore the QA expert will ensure that the download process of the game is easy and understandable. If there is any complexity, the QA expert will try to remove it. The game should be easy to download and play for beginners.
Multiplayer Game Testing
Apart from social media and video calls, the one thing that kept us close to our friends and families are multiplayer games. We all have played multiplayer games like Ludo and PUBG with our families and friends in the lockdown period. This trend has not stopped yet, and we still love to play multiplayer games with them.
To ensure that your game works fine in multiplayer mode, the QA expert will run various tests and will check hundreds of combinations.
Localization Testing
If you want to launch your game globally, you will have to localize the game for all the local gamers. The QA expert will check if your game is ready to be launched globally or not. They will check if the game contains various languages, local time, date format, currency, etc. There are some special requirements for some countries, too, like the right to left text for Arabic countries and compatibility with a sophisticated keyboard in China.
Conclusion
The first impression is the last impression, and there are very few who get a second chance. Why wait for the second chance when you can ace everything in the first chance?
Testing will ensure that your game is in the perfect shape to be launched, and therefore you will launch the ideal app that produces the best results. Make sure that you follow all the above-mentioned testing phases in the testing process.
The testing process is a complex one, and therefore hiring professionals for the same is the best idea. At Capermint, we have a highly experienced QA testers team that can test mobile games and apps. Feel free to contact us.
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