How to Test RPG Games: Prepare for a Stunning Release

by Maksym Grynchuk | January 30, 2025 11:17 am

One of the most popular genres nowadays is RPG games. Year after year, we get another gem or two that are worth every hour played. With flexible character development, unique gameplay, and immersive experiences, we love RPGs for the opportunity to explore huge, detailed, meticulously crafted worlds.

But behind every great game, there are thousands of intricate code combinations that aim to build a robust product. Even the tiniest mistake can cause a huge disruption in the gaming process, and with the fanbase so attentive to detail – a broken economy, an unbalanced world, or irrelevant character development mechanics can bury the game.

RPGs are commonly huge and complex, so basic testing won’t be enough for a smooth release. It should be a comprehensive approach where you assess the game at every stage of development. In this article, I’ll walk you through the key focus areas and share some insights into one of our latest projects to give you an actionable overview. Let’s dive in!

What should I test in my RPG game?

Two main factors influencing the quality of the game upon release are when the testing was involved and what aspects were tested. The project is very sensitive to mistakes in the early stages, as anything overlooked can later snowball into criticals. Involving QA early allows developers to avoid those and optimize the key game elements, preventing costly changes down the road.

If we are speaking about the aspects that should be tested in RPGs, it’s important to pay thorough attention to the following ones:

Game world

The expansive and immersive setting of most RPGs demands detailed testing for smooth gameplay. Whether it’s a true open world or a hub-based structure, there are challenges like lighting, texture rendering, collision detection, and performance optimization. Exploratory testing combined with structured test plans is critical to tracing hidden bugs across vast locations. Performance testing should also be in place to ensure the game runs smoothly across various setups. QA also helps companies bridge the gap between the designer’s vision[1] and the developers’ realization.

Story and dynamic elements

Nonlinear narrative and branching storylines add depth and personalization while increasing testing complexity. Teams must explore multiple playthroughs to ensure dialogue, events, and outcomes align correctly. Random events and dynamic elements also introduce extra variability, but as long as these are in the game, quality assurance should consider reviewing both expected and edge-case scenarios.

Loot

RPGs typically feature hundreds or thousands of items, from consumables to various armor sets, each with unique characteristics. Testing should cover item effects, interactions, and balance to prevent exploits or inconsistencies. With so many potential builds, it’s also recommended to re-check balancing every time new items are added. Automation may help one streamline the routine, but aspects like localization testing still require a lot of manual effort.

UI and menus

With so many interface elements (customization, quests, map, journal, etc.), RPGs demand consistency in UI design and functionality. Every menu interaction, navigation path, and displayed piece of info needs verification for a polished experience. Players rarely tolerate a confusing interface, so if it’s too intricate, the entire potential of the created world can go wasted. And don’t forget about the localization testing, text consistency plays a crucial role in digesting the game.

Сharacter

Customization is the cornerstone of any RPG, whether it’s appearance settings or character development. This makes testing character models, stats, and aesthetics an essential part of the quality assurance process. Every combination of equipped clothing and items should be checked to make sure it renders properly on the character. Abilities and skills, if not thoroughly reviewed, can seriously affect the gameplay, so testing is a must for the game to function as intended.

NPC interactions

As the genre implies more in-depth interaction with the game world, the role of non-playable characters (NPCs) grows accordingly. Unique dialogues, additional behavior scripts, and higher integration into the setting imply tons of additional engineering to make the game feel more alive. Productive testing should cover behavior, collision, AI routines, and combat mechanics, among other features. Playtests can also help hone the AI quality in varying scenarios and balance combat difficulty, so critical for player satisfaction.

RPG testing requires a systematic approach that combines more creative checks with thought-out step-by-step reviews of the game world. QATestLab can join your project[2] at any stage to ensure quality assurance is done right. A perfect example would be our cooperation with Nitro Games, where we joined the Warframe iOS port development.

Testing big RPG from scratch

Nitro Games is a Finnish old-timer focused on mobile games with high production value for mid-core audiences. Since 2007, the studio has been working on shooters, RPGs, and other action-driven genres. Throughout our 3+ y.o. partnership, we have supported over 10 projects, and Warframe is one of our latest collaborations.

QATestLab joined the project early, thus being involved in every stage of the iOS port development. The game comprises many complex mechanics, like operator customization, progression system, crafting, resource management, exploration, and playstyle flexibility, which implies an expansive approach to quality assurance. Overall, we have conducted over 50 playtests on 18 iOS devices (from iPhone 11 to iPad 10th gen), reported more than 100 bugs that were fixed by the dev team, and suggested around 40 improvements, most of which are present in the release version.

As our managed testing service was deeply integrated into the project, the scope was rather broad:

• Smoke Testing. We reviewed all early builds for basic functionality to ensure stability for further testing stages;
• Sanity Testing. New features and mechanics introduced during development were tested to confirm they worked as intended;
• Performance Testing. Our automation engineers assessed the game’s responsiveness and stability under expected user loads;
• Compatibility Testing. The app was tested across multiple devices, operating systems, and configurations;
• UI/UX Testing. We reviewed the interface and user experience from a personal perspective and provided detailed feedback;
• Regression Testing. After every update, the team has re-checked the previously tested areas to ensure no new issues emerged;
• Bug Retesting. All identified and fixed issues were retested to verify the patch solved the problem;
• Playtests. Our experts conducted multiple playthroughs to simulate real-world usage and gameplay;
• Localization Testing. The content was reviewed to ensure proper adaptation for target languages and regions.

Our involvement in early development allowed us to ensure comprehensive test coverage and prevent many bugs from reaching the late stages. To be on the same page with the client, our team visited all internal meetings, adjusted the QA routine in accordance with the changing development pace, and supported the project with detailed documentation[3], ensuring transparency.

This meticulous approach, along with our flexibility and adaptability, is one of the reasons why the client prefers QATestLab over the in-house QA team. While the service is cost-effective, we also constantly meet their requirements in terms of schedule, task management, device coverage, and testers’ skills and experience – a formula for a lasting and trustworthy partnership.

Making RPG testing not so overwhelming

Testing RPGs can be and often is quite overwhelming. It requires thorough planning, an extensive approach, and a broad range of techniques to deliver a smooth player experience. We can help make it easier, whether it’s early involvement to prevent issues from getting too expensive to fix or a final review to catch any remaining issues, which we solve with our release-ready testing[4] service.

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At QATestLab, we understand the challenges testing RPG games creates and can provide the expertise to help you deliver exactly what players expect. If you’re preparing for release or need a fresh perspective on your current QA efforts, contact us.[6] Let’s make your next game worth multiple playthroughs.

Related Posts:

• Game Check-Ups Overview: Why Do You Need Release Ready Testing For Sure?[7]
• Game Dev Collaboration Between Designers and QA Teams[8]
• Updates Without Mistakes: Regression Testing in Game Development[9]

Source URL: https://blog.qatestlab.com/2025/01/30/testing-rpg-games-for-a-stunning-release/

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