Since the dawn of time, games have provided enjoyment for children and adults. And as technology continues to advance, the gaming business is anticipated to grow substantially.
The mobile gaming business will be worth $272 billion by 2030, up from $98 billion in 2020, according to “Thematic Research: Mobile Gaming” by GlobalData. Over the following ten years, the industry is projected to expand at a CAGR of 11%.
Due to the increasing maturity of streaming (aided by 5G), mobile esports, cloud gaming services, and mobile applications catching up to PCs and consoles, most gamers will adopt mobile gaming in the next few years.
The capabilities of mobile devices are being pushed to their limits by developers, and some of the world’s top franchises are prospering on mobile platforms.
The success of every project is strongly dependent on testing. However, gaming app testing is even more crucial when it comes to the creation of mobile applications due to their expanding popularity.
What Is Game Testing?
Game Testing is a software testing procedure for evaluating the quality of video games. Game testing is a component of game development that ensures the delivered video game is free of bugs.
The primary objective of game testing is to uncover and identify a video game’s problems and bugs and enhance its stability and performance.
Risk Factors
There are a variety of reasons why gaming apps might fail. Listed here are some risks associated with game testing.
- Gaming applications are complicated; it is costly, time-consuming, and physically impossible to test all potential permutations and combinations.
- There is a high probability of failure if the game does not provide the player with an engaging experience, i.e., if it is not exciting and addicting.
- Even non-technical features like music, a unique plot, characters, competition, and aesthetics significantly impact its success.
- Not every business can afford a large testing crew, equipment, and resources.
- The user interface, gameplay experience, and simplicity of use and control must appeal to the intended demographic.
Checklist for Gaming Apps
Gameplay and Logic
By playing a game like a typical user, a QA engineer may identify logic flaws, identify unnecessary features, and assess the complexity of levels, to improve the user experience of an application.
Sometimes there are incorrectly placed walls and floors, improper maps, and characters that cannot walk, leap, or wield weapons. The mobile game quality assurance process should begin with unfinished game builds so that the team may discover algorithmic flaws as early as possible.
Visuals and Graphics
Fluid and responsive graphics are critical elements of a pleasant user experience. A collection of visual defects includes uneven texture, distorted pictures, and other graphical errors.
Occasionally, these flaws are only annoying, but they may also place a character in an unfavorable position or make it difficult to advance to the next level.
Functionality
Functionality QA professionals must confirm that all play modes, character states, and functionalities are accessible. A saving error is one of the most typical difficulties that cause gamers a headache. Losing hours of hard-earned achievement is an immensely unpleasant experience.
Problems with in-game purchases are another critical feature that must be thoroughly examined. Players should be able to upgrade without incurring financial losses from failing operations.
Sound
Sound An issue in sound coding may result in a mismatch between music and speech orders during gaming. Incorrect instructions make progression difficult or impossible. Mismatched audio effects destroy the atmosphere.
Texts
Localization bugs operate somewhat differently, presenting messages in a language the user does not comprehend. Sometimes, captions are misplaced or might not display at all. The absence of direction prevents a player from progressing.
Multiplayer Function
Multiplayer games such as Mario Kart Tour, NBA Jam, and Scrabble GO are among the most popular. During the lockdown, when gaming was one of the only viable avenues of sociability, the multiplayer mode gained more significance than before. This tendency will last for some time. Thus it is preferable to allow people to compete online without difficulty.
Social Media Integrations
Hyper-casual games often get popular thanks to the in-app social networking buttons and invite function. People who do not consider themselves gamers may play Candy Crush and Fruit Ninja for hours.
Sharing achievements on Facebook encourages pride and attracts new members. Therefore, well-functioning social media connections are mutually beneficial.
Enhanced Accuracy
Mainly when testing a complicated use case, errors may arise. During manual testing, even the most skilled testing engineer will make errors. On the other hand, automated tests can be conducted with 100 percent accuracy since they generate the same result each time they are executed.
Difference between IOS and Android Game Testing
The items to test and testing methods for Android and iOS games are the same. Nonetheless, testing on each platform is influenced by several variables that impact the scope of work and capacity planning.
Diversity
Because there are fewer iOS versions, testing an iOS app requires less time. Android is in the opposite position. Moreover, new Apple devices come with updated OS versions, but Android devices do not. Some do not support the most recent OS versions.
App Design
It is simple to comprehend the layout of any iOS application. However, Android makers may tailor OS versions to their hardware. Display resolutions Android smartphones are available in various screen sizes, resolutions, and designs. Such variety raises the potential number of pests.
Updates
Updates Android upgrades need more time and are dependent on the smartphone manufacturer.
App stores
iOS applications may only be downloaded via the official Apple Store. There are Android applications accessible on Google Play and other places. Official distribution platforms review Android and iOS applications, but Apple is more serious about the process.
Game Testing types
Mobile game testers use the same strategies as conventional mobile app testers when constructing and testing mobile games. Agile approaches, DevOps technologies, continuous integration, and source code repositories are used. Below are several systematic methods of mobile game testing, along with samples of each.
Automated Testing
Mobile test automation is a sophisticated way for the simultaneous, automated testing of mobile games using specified test cases given by the developer or user.
Game creators integrate testing into the Agile development process using mobile test automation. This expedites the evaluation of implementations, resulting in earlier releases with fewer issues.
Performance Testing
Mobile game performance testing investigates a software program’s speed, stability, reliability, scalability, and resource consumption under a particular workload. Slow and malfunctioning games might detract from an otherwise excellent mobile gaming application.
Performance testing comes into play here. It displays the metrics your application needs to work correctly. Create a list of the performance requirements for your game, including average load time, battery consumption, internet connection needs, and local database requirements.
Test games on newer, older, and lower-end devices must be tested to guarantee compatibility with all appliances, even 2G.
Localization Testing Testing verifies that a website or application is fully functional and usable in a particular locale.
To reach new markets, developers should translate an app into the language of local players. Localization includes not just language but also local time, date, format, and currency. Some markets need further customization, such as right-to-left text support in Arabic nations or compatibility with a full keyboard in Asian countries.
Functional Testing
Functional testing examines an application, website, or system to confirm that it performs as intended.
It is possible to automate functional testing, which entails playing games to identify flaws. Automated functional testing examines the game’s flow, colors and backdrops, menu layout, screen orientation, and loading times. If you understand your mobile app’s code, you can put up frameworks for test automation.
Load Testing
Load testing is a non-functional software testing procedure that analyses how an application performs concurrently accessed by several users.
What is the maximum number of gamers a server can accommodate? Can your application talk with the server? What is the memory footprint of the software? Load testing examines your application against all of these use cases. Load testing may be automated by utilizing test scripts and material from the backend servers.
Regression Testing
Regression testing is a sort of functional testing in which test cases are executed on outdated devices, browsers, and operating system versions.
The server-client interaction in most mobile games consists of login, user data transfer, and a server data download (such as data and images). When developing these services, you face the risk of breaking your code.
Benefits of Automated Game Testing
Every business and software tester employs automated testing for a variety of reasons. While manual testing focuses on identifying flaws, inconsistencies, and errors in every part of the product, test automation enables the automated execution of tests, which cuts costs and accelerates the process. Here are some of the benefits of using automated testing for game testing.
Faster Feedforward
Without test automation, getting feedback on newly built features might be time-consuming. Test automation allows you to quickly decrease the feedback cycle and validate product development stages.
Test automation is particularly advantageous since it enables early detection of issues and faults during the development process, enhancing the team’s effectiveness.
Employees Save Time
By automating your testing process, your team can validate newly generated features in less time. It also enhances communication with departments such as marketing, design, and product owners that depend on the outcomes of these tests, such as marketing, design, and product owners. These departments may readily see the test logs to determine what is occurring.
Decreased Business Expenditures
Manual testing is discouraged. This may have a significant impact on the whole project. When using an automated test environment, your business will save money since fewer resources will be spent on product testing.
Installation and configuration of an automated testing environment need time and resources, of course. In addition, there is a reasonable probability that you will have to pay for a professional test automation product that can help you create a solid test automation environment.
Greater Test Coverage
Manual game testing restricts the number of tests that may be validated. Automation enables you to write and add new tests to your automated test suite. This enhances the test coverage for your product, ensuring that more features are thoroughly evaluated, resulting in a better quality application.
Test Suite Reutilization
Initially, constructing an automated test suite is difficult. However, reusing tests for new use cases or other projects is trivial once you have established your suite. You may quickly connect a different task to your automated test suite, which is advantageous.
You now have a comprehensive grasp of implementing an automated test suite and its associated technologies, such as a continuous integration (CI) pipeline. Therefore, you can readily use this knowledge to automate the testing for a new project.
Increased Speed to Market
As previously said, test automation allows for continuous testing and validation of newly built features. This simplifies the feedback and testing cycle, allowing companies to put their games to market more quickly.
Better Insights
Automated testing delivers more valuable information when some tests fail than manual testing. In addition to providing insights into the application, automated game testing also reveals the memory contents, data tables, file contents, and other internal program states. This allows developers to identify what went wrong.
Enhanced Accuracy
Mainly when testing a complicated use case, errors may arise. During manual testing, even the most skilled testing engineer will make errors. On the other hand, automated tests can be conducted with 100 percent accuracy since they generate the same result each time they are executed.
Automated Testing Offers Additional Features
A suite of automated tests may assist you with additional capabilities, such as simulating thousands of virtual users interacting with your mobile gaming app to determine how it operates. These features save developers a great deal of time! Manual testing cannot be used to replicate this sort of behavior.
Reduced Pressure on the QA Team
By using an automated testing technique, you free up the time of your QA staff to focus on other duties. Manual testing is removed from the job description of a quality assurance engineer, which becomes more exciting.
For many QA engineers, testing automation enables the development of new tools to improve the existing testing suite or add new functionality.
Eliminate Human Error
Manual testing has some loopholes. Even with automated testing, errors are still possible. However, using test automation for your game will be flawless. Using test automation to minimize mistakes is prudent, particularly for complicated cases.
Factors to Consider before Game Testing
Specific considerations must be made for the successful automation of game testing. Here are some examples.
Cost of Production
Undoubtedly, the initial cost of manufacturing is significant. Recruiting new developers to produce scripts and other test tools requires a considerable investment upfront. However, it will ultimately pay off and save money in the long run.
Reusability
Reusability is one of the primary advantages of test automation scripts. However, it is rather tricky and intricate. Unlike other programs, each game has its unique code. Therefore, a particular approach is required for automating game testing. To boost the reusability of tests, for instance, offer methods that mask game code details from automated testing.
Test Automation Infrastructure
A comprehensive infrastructure for automated testing should be included in the production expenses. To be able to adapt to changes in a game’s functionality, features, and structure, adaptability is a precondition or a starting point. For the technology to be included in the game development, it must be entirely secure.
Conclusion
Game testing is an essential aspect before a game’s release. Invest in high-quality tools to achieve a faultless result. Regardless of the game testing platform, you’re using. The device will play an essential role in the mobile game testing process.
