Testing the Waters: A Comprehensive Guide to Poker Game Testing
What is Poker Game Testing?
Online games like poker have become increasingly popular among card game enthusiasts. The convenience of experiencing the thrill and excitement of winning has made it a billion-dollar industry. Poker players constantly search for a reliable platform to satiate their desire to play poker.
In that accordance, leading game-developing companies like Creatiosoft make their poker game go through multilevel tests to ensure a safe and smooth playing experience for the users. Poker game testing is eventually the entire procedure that the game has to go through to check its quality and user experience and fix any possible bugs before launching it.
Game testing services adopt a comprehensive step-by-step strategy to leave no aspect untouched or unattended to rule out the possibility of shortcomings related to registration, verification, data, privacy, user interface, and overall user experience. QA engineers and poker game testers use the latest testing techniques to extend a flawless gaming experience.
The Steps of Poker Game Testing
There are different steps of testing used by a poker game testing company. These tests cover the entire development cycle, be it game designing, polishing, bug fixing, or looking for the loopholes missed during the other testing levels.
However, there are a few major steps in which the testing procedure of a poker game can be broadly divided:
The first step is to check the design. Here, a developer and tester work in a collaborative manner to discuss as well as analyze the game along with its development stages and potential in order to get a proper understanding of the product. This step is generally termed static testing.
In the next step, i.e., agile testing, poker game testers elaborate evaluate the features of the game. They are required to provide a detailed analysis of each and every feature so that the developer can make necessary improvements and changes in the final product.
When the above two tests have been performed successfully and the developer has made the suggested changes, the product is sent for reevaluation to a poker game testing company for final approval and assessment.
Although, there is yet another step included in this procedure which is a third-party testing, commonly known as crowdsourced testing. In this step, the game or the product is sent to a third party (crowdsourced game testing service), where various testers test the product and its user experience before the final launch.
The Testing Techniques
After going through the broad division of testing stages, it is now important to know and understand all the techniques used to ensure the bug-free quality of the poker game.
Compatibility Test
A compatibility test is conducted to check the compatibility of the gaming software with all operating systems like Windows, Mac, and Linux; browsers; platforms; and devices like mobile tablets, laptops, and PCs. Poker game testers also check if the game would be able to keep up with the changes and advancements in the upcoming gaming technology.
Functionality Test
This test is done in order to confirm that the product is capable of efficiently performing all the functions that have been mentioned in its description or specification. It is an important step in assuring the quality of the specifications like audio, video, configuration, and key concepts. The tester is expected to inform the developer about any defects in these functions or if the functions fail to match the game's description.
Localization Test
The localization test is a detailed and lengthy test to check if the game has been personalized according to the specific requirements of its target market. A poker game testing company verifies the presence of specifications and instructions in the local languages about the tax policies, local ID, and tax document availability and structure. Local testers from the target market examine if the instructions and the information stuffed into the game have been properly localized according to the tax structure and laws of their country.
All in all, the purpose of this test is to confirm that the game developer has used the detailed list of all the requirements of its customers from each target market.
Security Test
This test aims to ensure the users' security in all aspects, be it data security, privacy security, network security, and hardware security. Encryption of the payment and withdrawal details and the identification of the user should be according to the regulatory payment and network security specifications of the target market.
Performance Test
A performance test is done to estimate the load-handling capacity of the game. Here, the game testing services examine the performance of the game during heavy load or traffic. They observe the memory and network's load capacity to ensure it can perform efficiently even during heavy loads. This test also evaluates the response time of the game.
Payment Test
It is one of the most crucial tests conducted by poker game testers to make the game safe, dependable, and convenient for the users. The fact that playing poker online involves money in the form of deposits and withdrawals, it becomes essential to test the smoothness and efficiency of transactions. The tester community makes real transactions for foolproof observation and analysis.
Usability Test
Usability test is conducted from an end users perspective. It assures the necessity of a minimum amount of personal data from the users. It also inspects the quality of the visuals, graphic and user interface, it also calculates the time taken by the game to respond and navigate from one function to another within the game.
Crowdsourced Test
As mentioned earlier crowdsourced testing is done by multiple testers scattered all over the country to give a more realistic feedback about the functions and user experience of the game, when accessed from different geographical locations.
Conclusion
Poker game testing is an extensive procedure carried out by renowned gaming companies like ‘Creatiosoft’ to render a flawless, secure and entertaining gaming experience to its online poker players all over the world. The rigorous testing makes the game engaging and exciting without any threat related to data security and online transactions. It lets its users execute winning strategies without worrying about any other thing.