Beta-testing

The process of allowing people other than the author to play a game that is otherwise essentially complete, for the purpose of discovering flaws and bugs before the official public release.

By contrast, allowing people to play the game before the plot has been completely written or when other parts of the game are fundamentally unfinished is alpha-testing.

Beta-testing is an IF form of usability testing, which also helps the author identify what parts of a work-in-progress the players enjoy most.

See also: Category:Testers.

Links

• IFCollab is a directory page where people may sign up to offer their help as programmer, writer, illustrator, beta-tester, and so on.
• IF Beta Site helps authors find volunteer beta-testers.
  • IF Betatesting List is a mailing list for the IF Beta Site.
• if.game-testing.org is the newest IF betatesting site, created by Juhana Leinonen in May 2009. Features include an RSS feed, email subscription services, and links to betatesting articles.
• AIF Beta-Tester Roster helps AIF authors find beta-testers.
• Oh No! Beta! Tips and Techniques for Beta-Testing Games-in-Progress by C. E. Forman for XYZZYnews #8.
• Beta-Testers I Have Loved by Neil deMause for XYZZYnews #8.
• Suggestions for Testing by Emily Short. Covers both the tester's and author's side of the issue.
  • (An earlier version of the above article, Some Suggestions on Beta-testing, can be found mirrored at the Internet Archive.)
• BetaComp was a beta-testing minicomp run by Jessica Knoch in 2003 and 2004.