Functionality & Completeness

In every game, you have to test it before it is officially completed. However, when do you test a game? What do you get from testing your game? These are the things you have to think about as you for your game.

When you think of testing, you have to think of these things:

• Foundation
• Structure
• Formal Details
• Refinement

In Formal Details have the following points:

• Functional
• Internally complete
• Balanced

Functional Testing

This type of testing is where a player can play the game and understand it. In this testing the player has to be able to play the game without getting lost, confused or stuck while playing your game. This is where you can ensure that your game was made properly and contains no flaws.

Internal Completeness

This type of testing is where your game is functional yet it is still incomplete. In this phase, you have a working game, but there is still no way to win or receive points, health, etc. Also, if you find that you have an issue with your game that seems to be conflicting with your overall gaming functionality, you can return to the rule or design doc.

Loopholes/Exploits

Nothing gets me more upset where a player has an advantage to win a game. In the game monopoly, whoever lands on Boardwalk and Parkplace automatically has a winning advantage compared to everyone else. Everyone knows in Monopoly those properties have the highest paid rent in the entire game. So, for the rest of the game players have to pay the highest rent to that player and lose all their money. NOT COOL. This is what it means when it comes to loopholes/exploits. It basically is a flaw in the gaming system that users can exploit to gain an unfair or unintended advantage. It happens every time when I play monopoly. Whoever gets to buy Boardwalk or Parkplace or both is basically set for the rest of the game, which we don't even finish half the time cause it's just too long. Aside from that, the player experience is ruined from loopholes and you want to avoid that in your game. 

Dead Ends

Dead ends is a common flaw that disrupts the gameplay experience. Players are blocked from attempting objectives. 

Conclusion

You want to make sure your games are flawless where players can get through achieving objectives and without any disruptions confusing rules, or loopholes. All of these things you have to observe as you are testing your game.