How To Become A Game Tester Using These 5 Easy Steps

Do you have a passion for video games? Do you want to find out how to become a game tester and help make video games even better than they already are?

If so, this blog post is for you.

You will learn everything from what it takes to become a game tester, what qualification is necessary, the salary of a game tester, and so on to get your foot in the door and how to succeed once you’re in! Let’s get started.

It’s not easy to become a game tester. It takes dedication and patience. But it also requires some know-how, which is what this blog post will teach you all about becoming an exciting new job!

Game testers are in charge of finding bugs and glitches in games before they’re released, and it’s not as easy as it looks! You have to be really good at looking for hidden things, solving puzzles, or figuring out what might go wrong with a game.

Now that we know that this job isn’t just playing video games all day long, let’s take a look at some ways you can prepare yourself for this exciting career path!

Game testing is when people test games before they are released. There are different types of game testers and they all work differently depending on the company they work for.

Don’t miss: Game Testing Guide For Beginners

Steps to Become a Game Tester

To increase your chances of grabbing an opportunity as a video game tester, you need to have a degree in computer programming, game design, video graphics, or something related to the software field. People say you just need a high school degree and a passion for gaming but in this highly competitive world, it’s better to be on the safer side.

Some degrees for video game testers are as follows:

Game design
Computer science
Computer programming
Software design
Software engineering
Software development
Software testing
Software quality assurance

Step #2: You have get the basics right.

Understand the basic QA terminology, roles, and responsibilities of the job, familiarise yourself with different studios and genres to get the right picture.

Software Testing Glossary A-Z, and 100+ Software Testing Types

Step #3: Sharpen the important skills a game tester needs.

As a game tester, you should have attention to detail, patience to work long hours with redundant tasks, meet short deadlines, write detailed documents, and communicate with the developers as well.

Step #4: Create a well-drafted Resume

Create a compelling resume highlighting your passion for gaming. Clearly state your qualifications and skills relevant to the gaming industry, you can even state how much time you dedicate to playing games.

How To Write A Resume [Download Free Sample Resume]

Step #5: Go get that opportunity.

You can start searching for jobs on your usual job boards. If you have a specific company in mind, go through their careers page. The best strategy would be networking with prospective employers and teammates to get that opportunity.

What are the Opportunities as a Game Tester

Game testing is a flexible career path, even though game testing QA is an entry-level position. You can always increase your responsibility as you move ahead. There are other opportunities for a game tester as well:

#1. Freelance Game Tester

Here you would sign a contract with a gaming company that’s outsourcing its game testing. You would have to test and report the bugs. You need a good portfolio, experience, and work ethic to get good clients.

#2. Gaming Content Creator

Here you would create blog articles, posting reviews, social media posts, streaming videos about the latest games and updates. You will get sponsor deals where you get to play, promote and test these games to your audience.

#3. Full-Time QA Game Tester

Here you would work in a corporate office with the development team and the design team. You need to follow the steps mentioned above to secure this job.

You can opt for other roles in the same company like technical support specialist, animator, writer, sound designer, and more.

After working a few years in the gaming industry, if you incline to code, you can always become a game developer or go for design. And multiple opportunities are available within the project as well.

If you gain 7-10 years of experience in the industry, you can always move ahead into a managerial role, if you have the right skillset for it.

So in a gaming company, your career ladder goes like this

Entry-level game tester –> Experienced game tester –> Game Testing Coordinator/ Game designer/programmer –> Project manager.

What skills do you need to be a game tester?

Here are some key skills you need to possess to become a game tester.

Good communication skills both verbal and written
Analytical skills
Eye for detail
Ability to cope up with deadlines and work pressure.
Able to handle repetitive and monotonous work
Great work ethic
Time management skills
Good team player
Basic coding skills
Knowledge about gaming hardware
Understand SDLC concept
Creativity
Passion for gaming

What are the responsibilities of a game tester?

You would have to play the game till completion.
You should be able to finish every level as well as the quests and exploratory levels.
You have to explore locations inside the game that are not anticipated by the designers.
You have to hunt for bugs and make notes about all the details to reproduce them.
You would have to level up characters and get them to the highest character level.
You have to communicate the issues with designers and developers.
You can provide your honest feedback on whether the game is fun and engaging.

Is Game Testing a real job?

Yes, Game testing is a real job but you have to keep in mind that companies usually hire game testers in a contract role. Some even get the chance to work from home to test these applications. Other companies hire full-time employees as well, it depends on the budget and requirements of the company as well.

Is Game Testing a good career?

Like any job, game testing has its pros and cons. It is considered an entry-level position and you have to work long hours on repetitive tasks as well.

Many people assume that you get paid to play games, in reality, you receive a version of the application that is not fully built, most probably with a lot of bugs and you have to report those issues within the given time frame.

It is a lucrative career and if you are passionate about gaming, you can always go for it. You can advance your career path to becoming a designer or coder.

Is it hard to become a game tester?

No, it is easy to get a job as a game tester as it is an entry-level position. You have to position yourself in the right way showing the skills that the company needs.

Some companies don’t even require the candidate to have a degree. But having a degree related to the gaming industry and having a specialized certificate can make your resume stand out from other applications.

How do I become a paid game tester?

According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a video game tester in the United States is about $44,867 per year and the average salary for a video game tester in India is about ₹21,000 per month.

This is an average estimate that can vary depending upon the candidate’s responsibilities, experience, company budget, and location.

You can go for third-party platforms that deal with beta testing for the gaming industry if you are not going for a full-time corporate job.

You can register your profile on platforms like up work, fiver, freelancer, etc to get paid for game testing gigs. Depending upon the project you might be paid by the hour, by the bugs found, or other metrics laid by the company.

Here is a list of companies that offers game tester jobs:

iGameLab
Nintendo
VMC – Global Beta Test Network
RockStar Games
Blizzard

Conclusion

If you’re ready to start a career in the gaming industry, there’s no better time than now.

We’ve given you all of the steps that are involved in becoming a Game Tester.

Game testing can be a good career option if you are passionate about gaming and don’t mind the long hours of monotonous tasks.

Even if you don’t want to pursue it as your full-time career, you can always go for a beta testing platform and use your free time to make money doing what you love.

You have the option of being a content creator where you influence a community of gamers by streaming you playing the beta version of the application. The opportunities are endless.

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How To Become A Game Tester Using These 5 Easy Steps