If you grew up playing video games, you probably thought video game testing was the dream job. Well, now that you’re an adult, you should know that QA testers work in pretty bad conditions, and it’s not quite the dream job you hoped it was as a kid playing 16-bit games. Here’s a video on some of the issues with testers in the video game industry, if you want to learn more about a dark aspect of the gaming industry.
Low-Commitment Testing With PlaytestCloud
There is a way to test video games that your younger self would consider a dream come true, though, and it’s called PlaytestCloud. With PlaytestCloud, you can quite literally test mobile games without having to leave your couch, and they’ll pay you more than minimum wage (for example, I got paid $13 to test a game for an hour yesterday)! Since they don’t constantly send games to test, this cannot work as a primary job, but it’s a nice little side hustle that might help you fund some gaming purchases.
Quick and Easy Signup
As you can see below, the signup process is pretty straightforward.
The Test
After you sign up, they’ll send you a test where you have to play a game for a few minutes while recording yourself. This is to make sure you’ll be a good tester, which you can do by talking a lot about the game as you play it. For example, you should say things like “I like how this mechanic works” or “I wish that this mechanic was gone and replaced with this mechanic”. Just act like you’re talking out loud about a game your friend asked you to play and you’ll be fine.
Then the Waiting Game
Then you have to wait for PlaytestCloud to review your video. It shouldn’t take long, but you can’t do anything until they’ve accepted you as a tester. Just be patient, because that’s a big part of being a PlaytestCloud tester.
After they’ve accepted you, you can make your profile. This includes information such as your favorite games of all time, the games you play often, your other hobbies, and which devices you have that you can test on. Once you’ve made your profile, you have to wait longer to get your first playtest. Mine took quite a while, but you can help your odds by making sure you have an extensive and accurate profile instead of filling out the bare minimum.
Test and Make Money Easy
Once you do finally get a playtest emailed to you, all you have to do is download the .apk they send you, which includes both the game and the testing software. You just have to plug in headphones/a headset, give the software permission to record your screen and voice, and then test as long as they ask you to! Again, make sure to talk a lot, because the developers can’t read your mind.
Once you’ve finished testing, the app should automatically upload your recording. After PlaytestCloud has received your recording, they’ll email you again asking you to take a survey about what you just played. Do this immediately, and you’re well on your way to getting paid! Again, they have to review your recording to make sure that your voice is clear, etc., but it took them less than 24 hours to credit my PayPal account with my money. Not bad for playing a fun game on my phone!
Mum’s the Word
One thing to note (and they’ll remind you of this) is that you can’t talk about the game you play to anyone. Think of it as a secret you have to keep in exchange for getting to preview a game early. As long as you keep the game a secret you should be fine and get another playtest at some point so you can keep earning money!
Sign Up for PlaytestCloud!
If all this sounds good to you, go sign up! It’ll take a bit before you can actually make any money, but if you like playing mobile games anyways this is a nice way to get some more money in your pocket. Happy testing!
