This work done in collaboration with student teams within the IU Media School Game Design program saw our lab conduct playtest sessions for a wrestling video game in its early stages of development. Using paper models of the game, our lab conducted one-on-one play test sessions working to gather information on player tendencies within the game, balancing of in-game mechanics, and overall player sentiment regarding the theme of the game. Throughout each play test, player actions and behaviors were recorded. Each session concluded with an in-depth interview to gain further insights as to why certain decisions were made, how certain elements of the game felt from the player's perspective, and what changes to the game might have incentivized different, potentially more desired, behaviors from the player.
