Game Tester Career

What's a career in game testing really like?

Testing videogames would almost certainly make the top spot of many people's "dream career" lists, but what is a career in games testing really like?

Modern video games are developed by large teams, and the size and complexity of a typical game makes it impossible for all of the testing to be done by the developers. For that reason, develops and publishers hire dedicated teams of testers to ensure that games are released relatively bug free.

Typically games testers are hired in one of two ways. Freelance testers work from home, test the games in their own time and report back to the development team by email and telephone. This type of casual testing job is very popular as the testers set their own hours, and can work from anywhere without having to commute. Full time testers are also hired to work at the development studio, and this type of testing position, while less flexible, is more likely to lead to a career as a games developer and is often considered as a gateway position to the games industry.

Whether a tester is working in the studio or from home, the type of work is basically the same. They will be given assignments to play specific elements of games, often playing the same level again and again in an attempt to find every single bug and report back to the programmers and designers. As well as finding bugs, testers also report back their opinions on the playability, graphics, audio, menu systems - in fact every element of the games.

Game testers are an essential, and often under recognised part of the games industry. While most testers choose it as either casual work, or as a stepping stone to a higher end career in game design or development, some people choose to make game testing their career. Certainly a teal tester for a big studio is well paid, and recognised as an important part of the team.