Time for some truth. We all say we want feedback on our game. What we mean is, “Tell me how great my game is”.

Critical feedback, even when it’s constructive, can be painful. It can trigger all sorts of negative thoughts and emotions. Hiding from this fact can make the responses worse, cause you to unconsciously bias your results, or even pull away from seeking feedback altogether.

It’s better to go in with the right mindset and tools to view feedback on your game for what it is. A gift.

So, how can you – as an indie developer – better solicit, handle, absorb, and respond to feedback so we can use it to make our game the best it can be?

Some folks have thicker skin than others, but even the most battle-hardened of us can have an off day or have our defenses worn thin. The key here is to recognize it. It might feel like a tightening in your gut or your chest, a clenching of your jaw, a tightening in your throat (I’ve experienced all of these at some time or another), or any other symptom of how you, personally, react to stress.

Once you’ve recognized the emotional response is happening, you get all your power back. You can take that mental step back and focus on the fact that the feedback is not personal. It’s not about you – it’s about your game. This person (or these people) are giving you valuable information on how you can make all this work you’ve done even better.  As I mentioned it’s a gift.

There are three phrase openers that can help you understand the context, meaning, and perspective of the feedback coming in from a tester.

This is incredibly useful to get more detail on a piece of feedback you don’t fully understand or seems contradictory.to other feedback they’re providing.

This is a great opener to help you understand the tester’s motivation, thought process, and to find areas where you’re not fulfilling player needs.

This is a fantastic way to understand the rationale behind the feedback, which helps you to decide how to utilize it. For example, a response like, “Well, I didn’t really understand why the cat was the one giving me the quest.” is very very different than “Well, I just kinda hate cats.”

Another question I like to use towards the end of a feedback session is: “If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the game, what would it be?” This question can unlock a huge pile of ideas and insights.

Taking time to probe deeper into some aspects of the feedback provides you with the information you need to address the “why” behind the notes.

Establishing a system for tracking and maintaining the feedback you get is important.  It doesn’t need to be complicated (I’d say the simpler the better) but you need more than just notes saved on your hard drive.  Let’s look at some things you’ll want to note as you file away the feedback.

Rate how close the participant is to your target audience, as that will significantly impact how you view and utilize the feedback you get.

For example, if you’re working on an FPS – you will interpret the feedback from a participant who “hates FPS games” much differently than a participant with 3,000 hours logged in Call of Duty and has a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Halo.

Your game can’t be everything to everyone. Some feedback will be more applicable to your game and your vision than others.

For example, going back to the idea that you’re working on an FPS, you might get feedback like, “Hey – you ever think about making a few changes and turning this into a side scroller?”

There might be some good info to mine from that comment (for example, with some probing you discover what they’re actually looking for is a sense of exploration). This deeper comment is very likely something you’d want to look at. The raw comment itself, however, isn’t really applicable. You’re not making a side scroller, you’re making an FPS.

As you consider the feedback, consider the impact the feedback would have on your overall development.  You could imagine a 2×2 matrix where you’d rate the feedback on a cost/difficulty axis and an impact axis.  You’ll want to really lean in and consider the notes that are “Low Cost and High Impact” and shy away from items that are “High Cost and Low Impact” – It’s never quite that clear cut, and you have to consider some notes on a case-by-case basis, but this gives you a way to quickly prioritize.

What feedback rings true? Look at the feedback for notes that strike home emotionally. If you have a strong reaction, there’s almost always something to examine more closely. Using this as a gauge will help you zero in on some fundamental areas of your game you need to level up.

As I tie this off, I want to remind you that the feedback you get from your players, truly is critical to your success. It can be so so tempting to defend design or implementation decisions, make excuses, or “yeah, but” through the notes you get. Fight this urge. It does you no favors, and can cause your testers to shut down, preventing you from getting the very information you need.

Embrace feedback, especially when it’s hard. Look behind the notes to understand the real meaning (and get the real value), and use what you learn to make your game amazing.