What's your process for debugging and testing a game before release to ensure a smooth and bug-free experience for players?

The rule of thumb would simply be to follow the below 5 steps everything to ensure all aspects a working as expected, so we can ensure that at delivery time players would have a good seamless experience. Better to go with the best possible experience on the first go

1. Planning: Define objectives, create test plans, and identify target platforms/devices.

2. Functional Testing: Ensure core gameplay mechanics work as intended.

3. Performance Testing: Optimize for frame rates, memory, and load times.

4. Bug Tracking: Log and prioritize issues via tools like Jira.

5. User Testing: Gather player feedback.

My approach to game design is systematic as I deal with modules which I work on one at a time. After the new module is installed, I test the product with added stress considering the physics of all other physical bricks. Most often this routine lets me fix and manage issues in the early phase and allows the whole game to be harmonized. When all modules are done, I let the players do the playtests and hear them out to improve the game before the game goes public.

• Playtesting: Regularly play the game to identify bugs and ensure mechanics feel good.
• Bug Tracking: Use tools like Trello or Jira to log, prioritize, and track bugs systematically.
• Device Testing: Test on a variety of devices to ensure compatibility and performance.
• Focus on Edge Cases: Test unusual inputs, boundary conditions, and unlikely scenarios.
• Feedback Loop: Involve QA testers or external players for unbiased feedback.
• Performance Profiling: Use tools to monitor FPS, memory usage, and loading times.
• Regression Testing: Re-test previous fixes to ensure no new bugs are introduced.
• Final Polishing: Fix remaining bugs, optimize performance, and clean up any rough edges.

Smooth as butter before release!

My debugging and testing process involves structured phases. I start with unit tests and internal testing to catch early bugs, followed by alpha and beta testing to gather feedback on gameplay, usability, and performance. I utilize automated testing tools to stress-test performance and identify memory leaks, and I also conduct cross-platform testing for compatibility. For stability, I test for edge cases, unexpected player actions, and performance issues across different devices. I prioritize bugs by severity, fix them, and retest thoroughly. This structured approach ensures a smooth, polished experience for players at release.

Our approach for debugging and testing a game is: 

• Anticipating Potential Issues: We start by identifying potential challenges and technical issues that can occur in the game we are making. This allows us to test these as soon as they're implemented and avoid any major setbacks later. 
• Test with Each Major Update: After implementing any significant change, we run tests to verify new functionality and ensure no impact was done on existing ones. 
• Post Completion Testing: After completion of game, we conduct thorough testing of full game, features across various devices with different specs to ensure performance is as it should be. 
• Player Feedback: We then take insights from real players. What seems intuitive to us as developers may feel different to users. 

Here's a practical breakdown of the game debugging and testing :

1. Play and Find Bugs:

- Developers and testers play the game to find mistakes, glitches, and things that don't work right.
- They look for crashes, broken features, or anything that ruins the fun.

2. Fix the Bugs:

- When a bug is found, developers fix the code to make it work correctly.
- They test the fix to make sure it works and doesn't cause new problems.

3. Test on Different Devices:

- Games are tested on different computers, phones, and consoles to make sure they work on all of them.
- This helps find problems that only happen on specific devices.

4. Get Feedback from Players:

- Some games let players try them before they're fully released.
- Players give feedback on what they like and don't like, and developers use this to make the game better.

5. Repeat and Improve:

- This process keeps going until the game is as bug-free and fun as possible.
- Developers keep testing, fixing, and improving until the game is ready to be released.

If you need any help there we are here to help you

I work with a team of 20 testers who playtest the game weekly throughout development. Before release, we dedicate 15 days to intensive testing, gathering feedback on any remaining bugs or glitches. If major issues pop up during this final phase, we fix them before launching. If everything looks good, we’re ready to release the game.

As a Unity Game Developer, my process for debugging and testing a game before release involves several key steps:

Playtesting: I constantly test gameplay to catch obvious bugs and assess the user experience.

Profiling and Optimization: Profiler is a good developer's best friend. I use Unity's Profiler to track performance and optimize code, assets, and scene management to prevent frame rate drops or memory leaks.

Unit and Integration Testing: I write unit tests for critical systems and integration tests to ensure components work well together.

Cross-Platform Testing: I test the game on all target platforms to ensure consistency and performance. This depends on the type of game and where we need to deploy it.

User Feedback: I involve a small group of players in beta testing to gain real-world feedback and uncover bugs missed during internal testing.