Testing a Game Before Class

Test a game before using it with players. Demo mode is helpful, but the most realistic browser test uses the moderator dashboard and separate player tabs.

Recommended Test

1. Sign in as a moderator.
2. Select a test room.
3. Open the game in Design or upload it through the Definitions toolbar.
4. Save it and confirm Validation has no errors.
5. Start the game from Execution.
6. Use Open test client beside the game in Rooms to open player tabs.
7. Join enough players to fill the first session.
8. Submit at least one normal decision path.
9. Confirm the game advances.
10. Confirm the moderator dashboard updates.
11. Stop the test game when done.

Why Separate Tabs Matter

A real run has one browser client per player. Separate tabs expose issues that a one-tab Demo cannot show, such as:

• session fill behavior,
• duplicate player names,
• reconnect behavior,
• player-specific waiting screens,
• simultaneous player decisions,
• moderator active-session status.

What To Check

Check:

• players can open the room link,
• the intended game appears in the room,
• fixed-player games wait until the session is full,
• one-session games show content when expected,
• each player sees the correct player type and username,
• decision controls are visible,
• clicks or Enter submissions give feedback,
• invalid inputs stay correctable,
• the game advances after valid decisions,
• the game reaches a final state,
• Active Sessions shows sensible status,
• stopping the game prevents new joins.

For every game type, verify that runtime presentation matches Layout and that every Page reference resolves to a value, Choice, or Image when that Stage is reached.

When a Stage has several Pages, test at least two Player Types when their Audience rules differ. Confirm that Active content takes priority over Observe and Glance content and that a missing rule remains Passive.

Testing Uploaded Games

Uploaded games can differ from built-in reference games. Test the actual uploaded file that will be used in class.

If a game has multiple paths, test at least one typical path. For complex games, also test one path with a different player acting first or a different choice outcome.

Using Demo During Testing

Use Demo when you want a quick visual check of reference-game behavior.

Do not rely on Demo alone for:

• uploaded games,
• final classroom readiness,
• testing multiple real browser clients,
• verifying room links.

After Testing

Stop test games that should not remain visible to players. If you used a separate test room, leave the live class room clean until you are ready to start the real run.