Game Evaluation
Here are some questions to consider as possible points of discussion when providing feedback as a playtester:
Overall
Who is the intended audience for the game?
What are some specific examples of published games you see as being in the same intended category as the game being evaluated?
What are your general biases as a player for or against games in this category?
How much fun did you have playing the game?
What aspects did you like most / least about the design?
How likely would you be to play this game again?
Clarity
How clear were the rules of the game?
How clear was the game presentation (components, board, icons, etc.)?
What could be done to make the game experience more clear for the players?
Theme (if applicable)
How well did the game mechanics reinforce the theme?
What could be done to improve the integration of theme and mechanics?
What opportunities and/or challenges are presented by the current theme or lack thereof?
Choices
How engaging were the choices presented by the game?
How appropriate was the depth of the choices offered compared to the overall length and pace of the game?
What could be done to make the choices more engaging?
Pacing
How well did the game maintain an engaging pace throughout the experience?
What aspects of the game's design interfered with a satisfying pace (ex. "fiddly" or tiresome "book keeping" procedures)?
What could be done to improve the pacing?
Fairness
How appropriate was the fairness of the game experience for each participant?
What could be done to improve this aspect of the game?
Product Viability
What price would you expect to pay for a game in this category?
What price point would have to be charged to support the game's production given the current quantity and types of components?
How well does the strategic depth of the game match the anticipated price point?
What components could/should be changed or removed to support a viable price point?