#AprilTTRPGMaker 21: How Many Playtests?

#21: How Many Playtests?

The short answer: As many as possible.

Playtesting helps you get a gauge of many things: Does the reader get what you're trying to say? Does the reader get a feel of the mood you want to evoke? Does the reader grasp the rules quickly? Does the reader get lost on where to go next?  Are there terms that confuse instead of clarify? Are there rules that break the experience? Are there rules that don't serve a purpose? Are there parts of the game that generally feel unfun?

I don't believe that much in "balancing" as I feel in tabletop games, players and GMs are the final arbiter on how to properly make sure the game is always fun for all at the table. While I do design with the mathematical foundation of the rules in mind, I do not design with the intent to block any possible abuse or number crunching of the system. Why? Cause in as much as I don't like those, players have the freedom to do that if they want to. My focus is to make sure the rules are able to provide a guide to the experience I wanted to offer.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker