Agenda

1-on-1 playtesting is one of the most powerful ways developers can improve their games. Yet small teams often overlook it, assuming it requires large QA departments or complex processes.

In this session, Brian Cronin presents a lightweight, repeatable playtesting process refined over five years across multiple projects, including the indie dice roguelike Slumber Realm, Monster Train, and Dojo Islands.

He explains how to find the right testers, run focused sessions, prepare players to give meaningful reactions, and turn feedback into clear, actionable insights. The talk covers preparation, interviewing techniques, effective feedback collection, and follow-up practices that keep playtesting continuous.

Takeaway

Attendees learn a field-tested 1-on-1 playtesting process that turns player reactions into actionable design insights. The session shows how to recruit testers, run focused sessions, collect effective feedback, and integrate it into development. Participants leave with practical strategies to make playtesting a continuous, high-impact part of small-team projects.

Intended Audience

This session is aimed at developers working in small teams or solo who want practical, repeatable playtesting methods. Developers on larger teams can also benefit by learning how to run effective 1-on-1 sessions themselves. No advanced prerequisite knowledge is required to apply the techniques.