It takes a team
“Testing the game is essential to the development cycle, as no one wants to play a buggy game,” Chris says. “The fewer technical issues there are, the higher the quality of the game, and the bar must be set high.”
“The level of quality we established from the beginning has to be present at all times. My contribution is to maintain the quality of the game, stay vocal about possible issues, and ask myself and everyone around me: ‘Is the quality on par with the expected results?’,” Chris explains.
At Ubisoft, we believe in the power of collaboration, and this extends to development testing as well – you never work entirely alone, which is something Chris appreciates a lot.
“Quality in a game project is a team effort and involves everyone in the project, not just my department. Everyone needs to know the desired results and then compare them to the game’s current state. And I must mention, I think everyone is doing a great job and I’m lucky to be a part of such a talented team working on Gwen’s Getaway,” Chris says.
Testing a game requires you to try out different ways to break it down.
“I play the same level repeatedly, and when I play, I also do things I am not necessarily supposed to do. Sometimes finding bugs and errors takes a bit of creativity, and sometimes they appear more easily. I screen-record everything to make reproducing and thus solving the bugs easier, and then report my findings further so they can be fixed,” Chris says.
Fixing bugs takes time and usually requires prioritization: “Some bugs are minor and can wait to be fixed, but game-breaking bugs are never allowed,” they explain.
Chris brings up a recent example from Gwen’s Getaway.
“Our team’s collaborative spirit and dedication really showed as the soft launch of the game got closer this fall – from my perspective, systematic problem-solving and bug-fixing, and prioritization too, became even more important at that point. And we of course celebrated when we reached our goals!” Chris says.
Bugs are no stranger to Chris – not even in the free time
It’s not unusual for Chris that their expertise and attention to detail tend to make an appearance even after the workday. As an avid gamer in their free time, Chris often manages to work around the expected behavior of a game when playing games at home, either intentionally or by accident.
“I usually try to report the bugs to the developers, and I think that the developers might think I am quite a nuisance when I keep “breaking” their games and bugging them about that – but I am just trying to be helpful!” Chris laughs.
In their free time, Chris is a keen game jammer and a board member in the Finnish Game Jam association. When asked about their top tips for getting to know people and making connections in the games industry, Chris’s advice is to simply approach new people you find interesting, for example at industry events.
“Game jams are great! What excited me is how they expand the participants’ creativity and let them see what they can do in a limited time with a given theme. They are also a great place to network with other people in the games industry,” Chris says.
“I am Mexican, and my culture is about sharing, talking, and getting to know people. In my experience, connections are important and help you get references, which may help you take the next step in your career,” they continue.
That’s great advice – and thank you for the interview, Chris!
Get to know the team behind the game:
From Numbers to Art – The Expertise Shaping Development and Player Experience for Gwen’s Getaway
Behind the Scenes of Gwen’s Getaway – Meet the Team
We’re now looking for a Senior Technical Artist to join the Gwen’s Getaway team at our studio. Could that be you? Check out the open position!
Article written by Ilari Hauhia