Testing games for a living is a dream job for many people, but what exactly does a game tester do, and how exactly do you get a job where you’re paid to test games?
The idea of getting paid to play games all day is extremely appealing to most gamers, but in reality the job of games tester is a little less glamerous than the title might lead you to believe. Long hours, repetitive gameplay and having to work on titles which you may have no interest in playing are some of the pitfalls, but if you can get past that then a games tester job certainly has it’s perks.
Click to become a games tester
Apart from the obvious advantages of getting paid to play games, having access to the latest games and systems months before anyone else, and being the envy of your mates, a games testing job can also be a “foot in the door” to other positions in the games industry, such as designers, developers and artists.
Typically a games tester will begin working on a title when it’s at least 60 – 70% complete and the work involves a lot of repetition, playing specific levels or features over and over, logging bugs and anomolies and reporting those back to the development team. It can be a full time position, working alongside the development team at their offices, or it can be a part time job from home.
It’s certainly not for everyone. Games testing is certainly harder work than many people think but it’s also a lot of fun, so if you want a way into the games industry, or you simply like the idea of getting paid to play games all day then download the free report How To Become A Game Tester