---
name: qa-testing
description: Use when testing builds, writing test plans, exploring features, reproducing bugs or writing bug reports. Combines planned coverage with exploratory testing and precise reports.
---

# QA testing

Draft from the Game studio skills library by THE DREAMING JESTER. Adapt it to your game, team and engine.

## Goal

Find the problems players would hit, and report them so they can be fixed quickly.

## Before you start

- Know what changed in the build and the areas at most risk.
- Get the target platforms, settings and accounts needed for testing.

## Process

1. Write a test plan for new features: the happy path, edge cases, failure cases and interactions with other systems.
2. Run smoke tests on every build: launch, core loop, save and load, and quit.
3. Explore with intent: try unusual inputs, orders, timings, settings and disconnects.
4. When you find a bug, reproduce it and find the shortest steps.
5. Report with a clear title, build, platform, steps, expected and actual results, frequency and severity, plus a capture or log.
6. Verify fixes in the build where they land, and check for regressions nearby.
7. Track trends: which areas produce the most bugs, and why.

## Quality bar

- Developers can reproduce reported bugs from the report alone.
- Severity reflects player impact, not tester frustration.
- Every fix is verified before the bug is closed.

## Output

Test plans, smoke-test results, bug reports and verification notes.

## Avoid

- Vague reports such as "it crashes sometimes".
- Testing only the happy path.