The Importance of Testing Your No Code Mobile App Game

Mobile gaming has seen a surge in popularity due to its addictive and fun form of entertainment. According to a report by Statista, smartphone games will bring in about $91.4 billion in revenue this year, which accounts for 45% of the worldwide gaming market, with console games ranking in second place.

Due to the growing market and competitive nature of the mobile gaming industry, if you are developing your own mobile app game you will want to make sure your game is tested thoroughly before release. For a guide on how to create a game app for free, check out our blog post to get started.

It's essential to test your mobile game mechanics against your game design to avoid frustration among players and to ensure success. We know time is everything, so we are here to walk you through the foundational steps you need to know to test your app correctly.

A few things to keep in mind when testing your mobile game mechanics:

Keep It Engaging: Make sure your game is fun and interesting. Players should want to come back to your app again and again. Your game needs to have a fun factor, or your audience will quickly lose interest.

It's All in the Details: To encourage your audience to continue coming back, provide smooth gameplay without technical issues. Root out any possible friction your players will experience in the game.

Keeping Up With the Updates: Keep an eye on the future. As the mobile gaming industry evolves, so should your app. You can ensure your app remains popular by staying up to date on the latest trends.

By taking the time to test early and often, you can avoid frustration among your players. It is essential to distinguish testing for a mobile app game is vastly different from testing for a mobile app. Let's walk you through why.

Why is Mobile Game Testing Different from Other Apps?

Even if you have built a mobile app, your testing strategy approach will need to be different. With a game app, each step links to the other; if one link of the chain breaks, the entire game is no longer playable. For example, think of the widely popular game Candy Crush. If the game cannot register the movement of the player's finger across the screen to match the sweet treats, then the rest of the game falls apart. Due to the nature of game apps having synchronous elements, it is critical to establish all parts are working cohesively.

There are two types of testing you should consider when creating a game app: functional testing and usability testing. Functional testing confirms your game works as intended and that all the features are working correctly. Usability testing assesses how easy it is for players to use your game and whether they find it enjoyable. Depending on what genre of mobile gaming app you created, there are different aspects to test in your app.

What Aspects of Gaming Apps Should You Test?

Depending on what genre of mobile gaming app you created–trivia game, puzzle, quiz, combat game, etc.--you need to guarantee your core functions work. At its very core, these are the elements to add to your testing list for any game genre:

• User interface
• Game functionality
• Performance

User interface

User interface testing checks to see if the game is user-friendly. Affirm your game has an easy-to-navigate interface so audiences can intuitively move through your game. If there are elements to your game your audience will need to be instructed upon to play the game, think about adding a quick tutorial to the beginning of your game to properly onboard gamers.

Aspects to test:

• Menu navigation
• Layouts and elements
• Screen orientation and resolution
• Mobile responsiveness

Game functionality

A game app consists of several parts that collaborate to execute one action, so test the functional aspects of your game. Play through the game to identify game mechanic issues, stability issues, and game asset integrity. Test all parts of your game to anticipate what your players will click on and confirm everything works according to plan. Additionally, test connections if you have any integrations added to your game.

Elements to test are:

• Interactivity
• Scorekeeping
• Dialogue messages

Performance

Slow loading times and broken game systems can be a significant pain in an otherwise good gaming app. This is where performance testing comes into play. It provides you with the information you need to operate your app correctly.

Additionally, ensure the performance doesn't change depending on whether you use it for an Android or iOS device. Thunkable removes that headache and allows you to publish to the App and Google Play Stores.

Components to test for:

• Battery consumption
• Loading times
• Network constraints

Each of these aspects will help you release the best version of your mobile game. With Thunkable, testing is made easy and quick with our Live Test abilities. Live Test allows you to view your changes in real-time rather than waiting for publishing. Want to make a color change? Click the Live Test options to see your changes immediately.

Create a Game App with Thunkable

Now that you know what to test for your game, you can be confident in your no code mobile app development testing abilities. In addition, you may avoid player irritation and guarantee a successful launch for your app by conducting frequent testing before the official release.

Remember:

• Mobile app game testing is different from mobile app testing.
• Test your game's functionality and usability.
• Your game should have an easy to understand user interface, smooth play, and speedy performance.

Final Thoughts

Thunkable is the best no code app builder platform to build your game. With Thunkable’s no code app builder, you can quickly publish to both the App and Google Play Stores with performance that doesn't change between Android and iOS devices. Click here to get started building your gaming app today for free!