Steam Playtest gives developers a free, low-risk way to get playtesting data for their game without stressing out about Steam keys, user reviews, or wishlists. By using a separate “child” appID that is associated with, but separate from your main game, you can do the playtesting you need without interfering with your main game.

Here's an overview:
https://youtu.be/0_HhCEJ_kZ0

Steam Playtest also lets you easily gate access to your playtest. You can let in as many or as few players as you need, and deactivate the playtest app when you wish.

How does it work?

A Steam Playtest appID has access to the same Steamworks technical features as your main game - but with reduced store and community setup. Instead of having its own separate store page, your Steam Playtest signup will live right on your main game, so that customers can sign up and access the playtest but still Wishlist or Follow the main game.

Here’s what a Steam Playtest signup looks like to customers:



Potential testers will be able to request access to your Steam Playtest if they're interested. When you're ready for testers to try it out, you can add as many as you'd like from the group of interested players. You can deactivate your Playtest app when you're ready - or leave it available if you want to keep experimenting with upcoming features.

How do I set it up?

1. Создайте новое приложение для тестирования игры на странице «Связанные комплекты и дополнительный контент».
   
   
   
   
2. Configure your application in Steamworks.
   
   Вам нужно как минимум предоставить изображения для библиотеки и сообщества (см. статью «Изображения для библиотеки»). Вы также можете изменить видимое пользователям название приложения для тестирования (включая локализованные названия) — это нельзя будет сделать после выпуска.
   
   
3. Когда будете готовы, завершите процесс выпуска приложения для тестирования в магазине. This will include a simplified store page and build review. Обратите внимание, что выпуск приложения для тестирования не сделает основное приложение видимым в магазине Steam. Контрольный список страницы тестирования в магазине включает лишь изображения продукта и иконки.
   
   
4. Чтобы начать принимать заявки на тестирование, сделайте его видимым на странице основной игры в магазине. Это можно сделать на вкладке «Особые настройки» страницы «Изменить страницу в магазине». Когда вы опубликуете изменения страницы, пользователи увидят раздел для заявок на тестирование в магазине Steam.
   
   
   
   Вы сможете скрыть или снова показать раздел для заявок на тестирование, когда пожелаете.
   
   
5. Итак, пользователи начали записываться на ваше тестирование. Вы можете готовить для них контент. Загружайте хранилища и настраивайте сборки приложения для тестирования так же, как для другой игры или демоверсии. Вы можете интегрировать технические возможности Steamworks, задать шаблоны системы ввода Steam, настроить облачные сохранения и т. п. Если вы никогда не делали этого прежде, для начала ознакомьтесь с документацией «Загрузка контента в Steam».
   
   
6. Если ваше приложение для тестирования готово, а сборка опубликована, вы можете начать принимать игроков. Откройте страницу «Изменить настройки приложения» для приложения для тестирования и пройдите по ссылке «Управление тестированием» (или найдите «Настройки тестирования» на вкладке «Приложение»). Когда вы будете готовы, добавьте группы игроков. Players are selected randomly from the pool of signups.
   
   You can also choose specific countries in the event that you have limited server availability and want to make sure latency is not an issue during your playtest.
   
   
   
   
7. Закончив собирать данные о тестировании, вы можете отключить его, установив статус «Неактивно» на странице настроек Steam Playtest. Эта опция не будет видна, пока принимаются заявки на тестирование в магазине Steam. После отключения Steam не будет запускать тестовое приложение.
   
   Обдумайте это решение как следует! Вы можете расстроить или разочаровать игроков, если заберёте у них игру без предупреждения, так что будет разумно заранее проинформировать их о ваших планах. Чтобы сообщать игрокам подробности тестирования, вы можете использовать инструменты событий и объявлений Steam.
   
   
8. Если вы хотите перезапустить тестирование после его завершения (в случае если вы внесли некоторые изменения или увеличили производительность сервера), вы можете снова установить тестирование как видимое для всех. Игроки, которым уже предоставлен доступ, по-прежнему будут его иметь, и им не нужно будет регистрироваться или снова получать доступ.

Signup Type

The default behavior is limited signup - potential playtesters request access, and you grant access in batches as you have capacity to accept them.

If your game is ready for more people, you can also set your playtest to Open signup: as players request access from the base game store page, they will be automatically added.

Changing from a limited-signup playtest (the default) will kick off a process that accepts any pending playtesters. This will generally start within a few minutes.

The signup type option is also controlled from the Steam Playtest page on the partner site. You can change the signup type whenever you need.

Common Configurations

Playtest is NOT playable and NOT accepting sign-ups.
This is the default configuration when you initially set up your playtest before setting it live or accepting sign-ups. It will also be the final configuration, once you are completely done running your playtest.



Playtest is NOT playable, but is accepting new sign-ups.
This is the configuration you would likely set up initially to have players sign up prior to your playtest ever being available. You might also want this configuration if you’ve ended a playtest, but are planning on doing another one in the future and would like to add more playtesters to the future playtest event.



Playtest is playable and accepting new sign-ups.
This might be the right setting for when your playtest is live and you plan on adding more playtesters in the future, perhaps you will be expanding server capacity or adding new features, and will need more playtesters to try out a future build.



Playtest is playable, but NOT accepting new sign-ups.
You may want this configuration if you are not planning on admitting any additional playtesters in the future but still want your current playtesters to have access to the build.

Gathering Feedback From Players

Collecting feedback from players is up to you. We've seen a number of developers include a big 'feedback' button right on the main menu of their game, leading to wherever that developer wishes to collect and manage the feedback. It could lead to a Steam forum, or it could be your discord channel, bug tracking software, your own website forums, or wherever else you wish.

We suggest you engage directly with your audience - let them know what kind of feedback you are after and where best to share it. You can also provide links to your preferred feedback or communication system directly in a community Announcement.

Частые вопросы

Q: Why did Valve decide to work on this tool?
A: The new Steam Playtest feature came out of repeated requests from studios large and small, for a way to run a limited, lower-risk playtest with live customers. Dev teams wanted the freedom to run a playtest without stressing about their user reviews or interfering with their wishlist numbers… but they also wanted the control to start, pause, and end their playtests. We hope this new set of tools helps developers get closer to their players and make better games as a result.

We saw a number of other surprising or unofficial solutions to the same set of problems; stuff like offering a demo that was really just an Open Beta, or shipping a free “Prologue” game to build momentum. Devs were using whatever tools they could to build community and gather playtesting data. Those are great problems to solve, so we want to provide an official, well-supported solution that is easier for developers and more consistent for players.

Q: What if I want to run a playtest but control access via Steam keys?
A: You can request keys for your Steam Playtest too. In fact, this is now the preferred method of running beta testing for your game if you need more than small group of testers. Remember, you can still test using your game's main App ID, using release override keys. You can find more information in the Testing On Steam documentation.

Q: I have a question or feedback, how do I contact you?
A: Please use our contact form here and let us know if you're running into an issue or have feedback on the feature.

Q: When can I use Steam Playtest?
A: We think the best, and probably most common, time to use this feature is before your game releases. Your first priority will probably be to put up a coming soon page for your game, to start gathering wishlists and building a community. But once that’s done, Steam Playtest gives you the option to get live player feedback prior to release.

If you want, you can keep using the Playtest appID as a testing ground for new tools or features… but remember: Steam Playtest is free for customers. Keeping your playtest up after release probably only makes sense if your game is already free-to-play.

Q: How does Steam choose which playtesters to admit to a limited Playtest?
A: Steam will choose playtesters at random from the set of Steam accounts that have requested access. You do have the option to select to admit players from certain countries, although this would mostly make sense for limited server availability and addressing latency issues.

Q: How will players be notified when they have been granted access to the Playtest?
A: Players receive an email from Steam when they are added to a Playtest. They will also see their status on the store page for the base game.

Q: Will players be notified when a Playtest is set to playable?
A: Steam will not email when a build for a Playtest is set to playable/non-playable. We recommend you use an announcement from the Steam Events and Announcements system to let players know when the Playtest is playable.

Q: How do I end a Steam Playtest?
A: You can mark the playtest "Not playable" from the Steam Playtest page on the partner site. Make sure to disable the store-page signup first.

Q: Is my Steam Playtest confidential?
A: No - players signing up for a Playtest aren’t under nondisclosure agreements with you, and there shouldn’t be an expectation of secrecy. If you want to run a confidential beta and require players to agree to an NDA, you can do a few different things.

1. Use the Playtest App ID, request keys, set the Playtest to Playable and Store Visibility to Hidden.
   
2. Use the main game's App ID and request release override keys.

Both of these paths will require you to have your own solution for signing up and registering players.

Q: Does my Steam Playtest have a store page? Can customers find it in the store?
A: The Playtest will not have its own store page; instead, it will be listed as an option available on the main game’s store page. That way, any search traffic, store recommendations, etc all funnel towards the real product for users to wishlist and follow.

Q: Can I charge for access to my Playtest?
A: No - the design of Steam Playtest is for free signups. And since Playtests can be deactivated at any time, it’s not OK to monetize them with in-game transactions, or sell access. Если вы готовы брать плату за текущую версию своей игры, вам стоит воспользоваться ранним доступом Steam.

Q: How should I coordinate players for an online/multiplayer playtest?
A: Some multiplayer games may wish to open up servers during limited time windows, and that’s an ok use of Steam Playtest. We’d recommend using Steam Events and Announcements to talk to your players about scheduled updates or coordinated playtests.

В. Если я буду проводить тестирование Steam, повлияет ли оно на настоящую игру:
О. Игра, которая участвует в Steam Playtest, имеет отдельный AppID. То есть, время в игре, добавления в списки желаемого, обзоры, возвраты средств и т. д. также существуют отдельно. Например:

• Если пользователь добавил игру в список желаемого, она не пропадёт в начале или конце тестирования;
  
• Пользователь, который участвовал только в тестировании, не сможет написать обзор основной игры;
  
• Время тестирования не учитывается при возврате средств и не запрещает пользователям запросить возврат средств за основную игру;
  
• Время тестирования не влияет на получение коллекционных карточек и получение достижений.