Games UX Research Services for Indies & AAs

Case Studies

These case studies are a sample of how I design and run playtests to reveal where players struggle, what’s confusing, and what’s working well. My goal is to uncover friction caused by unclear goals or mechanics that don’t enhance the game’s intended challenge, instead creating discouragement or frustration without payoff.

Featured Case Study:
Publisher-backed Sci-fi Story-rich Platformer Indie Title

Identifying usability issues and first-time player reactions to WIP demo through external playtesting

Independent Project:
Chants of Sennaar Demo Playtest

Sample of Key Findings - Causes in-depth in full report

Before launching my business, I ran independent studies to sharpen my methods. This is an example.

Context
- Task: Conduct a remote playtest on a public PC demo by the Chants of Sennaar team to identify usability issues
- Goal: hone methodology and reporting skills, surface usability issues in an early onboarding experience

Approach
- 5 players who play games on PC, enjoy puzzle games, and were classified as “midcore” or “hardcore” by Playtestcloud
- Players recorded themselves playing at home while thinking out loud for at least 45 minutes before answering a post-test survey

Impact
Since this was an independent project, no client changes were made — but it demonstrates the types of issues this method can surface:
- Onboarding and comprehension gaps
- Unclear player objectives
- Progression blockers / Player demotivators

This project shows how even a small unmoderated playtest can reveal high-impact barriers to players staying engaged.