How we run playtests that developers actually learn from

The format

Every Friday we run three 40-minute slots. The dev watches silently while two members play. Watching someone miss your tutorial is worth a hundred survey responses.

The feedback doc

Each session produces a doc with three sections: what confused players, what delighted them, and what they wanted more of. No design suggestions allowed — just observations.

Why it works

Developers stop defending their game and start seeing it. Half the games that shipped from this server credit the playtest channel in their Steam credits.