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Game Developer

Tell me about a feature that playtesting showed wasn't fun. What did you change?

BehaviouralAny levelTests: Iteration & feedback
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What the interviewer is looking for

  • This question tests iteration & feedback. Treats playtest feedback as valuable, changes direction without ego, and iterates quickly on what is not fun.
  • What to bring out: Openness to feedback, finding the underlying reason, quick experiments, and being willing to cut or rework their own work.
  • Expect a follow-up like: How do you tell whether to keep iterating or cut the feature?

Another way it may be asked: You built something you liked, but players hated it. What happened next?

A structure to follow: STAR, with the weight on Action and Result

  1. Step 1

    Situation

    One or two sentences: where, when and what was at stake. Pick a real example you were close to.

  2. Step 2

    Task

    What you personally were responsible for. Say "I", not only "we", so the iteration & feedback you showed is visible.

  3. Step 3

    Action

    The two or three things you did and why you chose them over the alternatives. This should be about half your answer.

  4. Step 4

    Result

    What changed, in your own measure of it, and what you would do differently. Only use numbers you can stand behind.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

  • Describing what the team did without saying what you did.
  • Choosing an example with no clear outcome, or one you cannot answer detailed questions about.
  • Ending on the action and skipping the result and what you learned.

How to practise it

Write two bullet points for each STAR letter, then say the answer aloud in about two minutes.

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Tell me about a feature that playtesting showed wasn't fun. What did you change? | How to answer