USER
RESEARCH
Want to play the latest games before anyone else? Then sign up to get involved with our User Research program and help shape the future of the games within Team17’s label!
INTRODUCTION
User Research is a great way to get involved in the creation of new games, and you don’t even need any experience to join in!
User Research is all about you, the player. It’s a vital part of game creation and allows us to make experiences accessible for everyone. Here at our usability lab, based in our studio in Wakefield, we invite you to come and join us; no two sessions are the same.
You may find yourself testing out the controls for a console release, reviewing tutorials to see how effective they are, letting us know whether a level is too easy or too difficult, or we may just ask you to sit back, play a game, and let us know your thoughts.
Explore our FAQs now
Players are key to us
Anyone can take part in our user research program. You don’t have to be a budding game designer or developer, and you don’t even have to be good at games – you just need to enjoy playing. It’s you, the player, that’s important to us. Your opinions help shape our games and we’re always listening. Come and visit us at Team17 and help transform our games into something amazing!
All we ask is that you communicate your ideas, be unafraid to contradict others with your opinions, and provide critical feedback. We expect you to be reliable, responsible, and to treat others with respect. If this sounds like you then sign up.
If you don’t fancy doing it alone, you and your friends can sign up to our user research program as a group and you can attend as many sessions as you like!
ACCESSIBILITY
Our studio-based User Research Lab is accessible by design and wheelchair friendly. We’ll work with you, our players, to ensure all your needs are met to allow you to come game with us. Not able to come in person? We also have a Virtual Lab so you can come test games with us wherever you are, using your own gaming set up.
At Team17 we believe everyone should be able to play games. That’s why we’re taking steps to improve the accessibility of our games constantly.
If you have some accessibility feedback about one of our games please get in touch by e-mailing: accessibility@team17.com
We may not be able to respond to each message individually but we’d love to hear from you and together we can make a difference.
Bragging Rights
As soon as the games announced, you can brag you were one of the first to play!
Shaping The Game
You are helping shape the game, plus you can add the experience to your CV!
Rewarded
Paid for your time and in with a chance for loot, name in credits or a game key upon release
Past & Current Projects
These games are just a few that are currently, or were, played in our User Research program
Out Now
Hell Let Loose
Partnering with Black Matter after their Kickstarter success was a huge privilege. This young team developed an impressive new spin on the WWII FPS with its massive 50v50 simulation, and presented a great opportunity for Team17’s programmers to help them nail the ambitious online needs. Of course, a 100-player game needs a huge player base, which is where our marketing, community and sales teams employed their Early Access expertise to keep a legion of fans engaged and active. We’re proud to see the hard work pay off, and Hell Let Loose is still growing today!
Out Now
Monster Sanctuary
Choose your spectral familiar and follow in your ancestors’ footsteps to become a Monster keeper and save the Monster Sanctuary.
Out Now
Neon Abyss
Neon Abyss is a frantic, roguelike action-platformer where you run ‘n’ gun your way into the Abyss as part of the Hades formed ‘Grim Squad’.
Out Now
Golf with your Friends
After three years in Steam Early Access, self-taught developer Blacklight Interactive realised they needed help to achieve the full potential of their wildly popular mini golf game. In a unique partnership, Team17 took development in-house and focused on refining the quality of existing content, raised its value with brand new stages, including Worms and Escapists themed courses, and created three console conversions, including a popular and highly valuable Game Pass offering that’s proved perfect for populating frantic 12-player matches!
I have enjoyed the experience of playtesting games that haven't even been released to the public yet and giving my honest options for various areas of the games.Adam
Being part of usability testing is an enjoyable and interesting experience. It is exciting to play unannounced games and be a part of the development process - it is satisfying to see that my feedback was clearly reflected in the product as they made changes based on how users like me play the game.Harry
I enjoy the experience of seeing the changes my feedback makes, as it shows that the time I spend is important and everything is taken into consideration, and doing the testing with other people has also helped build confidence in public situations.Ryan
I loved taking part in user research with Team17, it’s such a fun experience because you get to play some great games before they’re released and also meet new people while you’re there! The staff are also the loveliest people ever so that’s nice too :)Anais
BETA PROGRAMME
Sometimes we need lots of players to look at a game at once, such as when we’re stress testing multiplayer servers, or just testing a game that requires a lot of players. For this, we run beta tests, rather than traditional usability sessions.
What’s the Difference?
Beta testing is further along in the game development process, at a critical milestone or more often in the run up to the launch of the game. The feedback still determines future development decisions but also the final development tweaks required. It is conducted via keys or online, so you play in your own chosen location. You’ll have a period of a few days to play the game on your own time and be asked to fill out a survey at the end of the test to let us know your thoughts.
