If you are reading this, you should be halfway to a finished product. Week 5 we are introducing blind play testing. At this point in your design you should have a rough but well written set of rules. This is the point in the Steorra project that the kiddo made a new prototype to share. This had some art and gave a better idea of what the game might look like at completion. It also included updates that he made through the initial round of play testing.
Blind play testing means that you are not going to teach or play the game. You may want to refine your prototype to make it understandable without your being there to explain. This week you want to send your game off to some willing friends or family to play the game and send you feedback. If you can't physically give them a copy, consider sending files to print out and play. They will need a copy of game and the rules. You could pass one copy of the game around, so don't feel like you need to hand make several copies.
What is the point of blind play tests? Up until now, you helped the players understand the game. When you buy a game from a store it doesn't come with an expert to teach you. Blind play tests give you the opportunity to see if your game can be understood without your expert knowledge of it. You will see if your rules and components are confusing or well done. The players will give feedback about rules they didn't understand that may need to be clarified in your rules.
Make sure to make adjustments as you go. Send out follow up information to your players so they can re-try the game if possible. Remember that in commercial board game design a game is made over many months or even years. If you need more time for play testing and adjustments, just pop into the next class when you are ready, instead of next week.
Homework
Blind play test as much as possible
Make adjustments as needed
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