Mobile game testing: how to ensure the perfect user experience

That’s why testing is not a final checkbox before release, but a continuous cycle: from onboarding and gestures to 3G network performance, energy consumption, and fair monetization without annoying users.

At KISS Software, led by Yevhen Kasyanenko, we look at the game through the eyes of a real player and through metrics at the same time to bring the UX to a state where everything just works and you want to play more. That’s why in today’s article, we’ll talk about how to ensure the perfect user experience through mobile game testing.

The main types of mobile game testing

“To ensure that a game is stable, convenient, and engaging, it is tested using various methods. One approach is not enough: exploratory testing finds unexpected bugs, scenario testing closes critical paths, and functional testing confirms that the basic elements work as intended,” notes Yevhen Kasyanenko.

Below is a brief overview of the key types of testing that we use on a daily basis at KISS Software.

Functional testing

Functional tests answer a simple question: “Is everything in the game working as it should?” We go through the mechanics, interfaces, sound, and saves just as a real player would.

What is tested:

• game mechanics: movement, combat, interaction with objects;
• UI correctness: clickability, accessibility, display of elements on different screens;
• audio: effect triggers, looping, volume balance;
• saves and in-game purchases: progress, synchronization, correct debits.

Typical bugs:

• the character gets stuck in the geometry or falls through the map;
• buttons do not respond or cause incorrect actions;
• the store incorrectly debits/displays currency;
• animations “freeze” (for example, an object remains in the air after a building is destroyed).

Exploratory testing

This is a kind of game reconnaissance: the tester deliberately deviates from the scenarios and behaves like a live player, checking extreme and non-standard situations.

How it works:

1. We play without a step-by-step plan, trying to “break” the mechanics.
2. We experiment: we click in unexpected places, test extreme values, and try non-standard routes.
3. We record everything strange and rare that easily slips through the checklists.

Why it’s important:

• finds rare defects outside of standard paths;
• shows the game through the eyes of the user;
• quickly highlights critical issues in the mechanics.

“For example: a player decides to climb to the top of a building from which there is no exit. As a result, the character gets stuck in the textures and cannot move — this is a bug that could have been overlooked during script testing,” adds our expert.

Script testing (Scripted testing)

Regulated checks based on test cases and checklists. They help to systematically go through all key functions and quickly connect new people to the project.

How it works:

• test cases with strict steps (for example: “open inventory” – “select item” – “use”);
• Checklists for regular checks of display, logic, navigation;
• Repetitive scenarios and critical functions are covered.

When to use:

• Before release and major updates;
• To confirm the correctness of the basic mechanics;
• To speed up the onboarding of new testers.

Test case example:

1. open the character menu;
2. change equipment;
3. make sure that the appearance and stats have been updated;
4. close the menu and check behavior in the world.

Performance testing

Performance is the feeling of smoothness and ease of gameplay. Not only FPS is important here, but also behavior under load.

What is checked:

• FPS and frame stabilization in combat, in open scenes, with effects;
• freezes and lags during loading, changing locations, particle bursts;
• device resources: CPU, memory, battery consumption, garbage collection frequency;
• smartphone heating during long sessions.

Practice: we measure cold/warm starts, peak scenes, stress tests with multiple NPCs/effects, and run long sessions.

Compatibility testing

One game – dozens of devices and configurations: different OSes, screens, chipsets, gestures.

What is tested:

• Android/iOS versions, behavior after OS updates;
• permissions and form factors (phones/tablets, cutouts, aspect ratios);
• performance on low-end and flagship devices;
• platform differences (gestures, push notifications, permission policies).

Practice: we form a “device matrix,” combine emulators and a fleet of real devices, and fix regressions after SDK changes.

Network stability testing

Online always means instability: connection drops, high ping, transitions between networks.

What is tested:

• behavior with weak internet (subway, elevator), packet loss, high ping;
• 5G/4G/3G/Wi-Fi switching and returning from offline;
• multiplayer under lag: synchronization, teleports, action queues;
• transaction security during network outages (repeats, rollbacks, protection against payment “freezes”).

Practice: emulate delays and losses, test reconnect logic, “graceful” offline mode, and correct retries.

Security testing

It’s not just about payments. It is important to protect data, the economy, and fair play.

What is being tested:

• anti-cheat: protection against memory tampering, speed scripts, modified clients;
• data storage and transfer: encryption, secure storage, pinning;
• server-side validation of the economy: inability to “print” currency locally;
• payment flows: successful/unsuccessful transactions, refunds, idempotency.

Example: let’s say a vulnerability allowed currency to be duplicated and, as a result, the game economy collapsed and ARPU dropped. Proper server validation and anti-cheat cut off such attempts at the backend level. So this is extremely important.

UX/UI and usability testing

A beautiful game can be inconvenient. Our task is to ensure that the player understands what to do without instructions and wants to stay.

What is tested:

• interface convenience: hierarchy visibility, readability, clickable area size;
• navigation and onboarding: clear goals, gentle learning curve, prompts at the right moment;
• perception by different audiences: newbie vs. “veteran,” right-handed/left-handed, one-handed play;
• accessibility: font size, color blindness, contrast, tactile feedback.

Practice: quick usability sessions, A/B testing of onboarding and HUD, click heat maps, surveys after the first 5-10 minutes of gameplay.

Mobile game testing tools

The choice of tools determines the speed of finding bugs, the convenience of the team’s work, and ultimately how the user feels about the game. Below is a set that we at KISS Software actually use in production and has shown good results.

Automated testing tools

Automation eliminates routine tasks and insures against the human factor. Its place is in smoke tests, key flow regression, UI stability testing, and some performance testing.

The best tools for automation:

• Appium, Espresso, XCTest – auto-tests for UI and basic flows (login/guest, onboarding, battle, store).
• TestComplete, Ranorex – visual UI checks and cross-platform regression when you need a “box” without deep code.
• Selenium, JMeter – Selenium is appropriate for WebView/web parts (not for the native 3D game interface), JMeter – backend load, matchmaking, payment endpoints.

We add to make it truly useful:

• Unity Test Framework / NUnit, Unreal Automation – unit/integration tests for mechanics and economics.
• Interface snapshots: iOS SnapshotTesting, Android Screenshot Tests, Percy – quick visual regression.
• Profilers: Unity Profiler, Unreal Insights, Android Profiler, Xcode Instruments – we measure FPS, memory, and battery in auto-runs.

“It is important to note a nuance: for 3D games, classic ‘clicking’ frameworks are limited.

We focus on smoke scenarios and screen stability testing, and cover mechanics with integration tests in the engine,” adds Yevhen Kasyanenko.

Tools for emulation and testing on real devices

Compatibility is the pain point of any mobile project. 

Emulators are convenient in the early stages, but live devices and cloud farms play a decisive role.

Tools:

• Android Studio, Xcode – built-in emulators for quick checks, different DPIs, and OS versions.
• BrowserStack, LambdaTest – cloud farms of real devices with automation and video/logs.

Add to the list:

• Firebase Test Lab, AWS Device Farm – mass runs on real devices, convenient for nightly regressions.
• Own pool – 10-15 devices (minimum/mid-range/flagship + tablets): nothing can replace the tactile feel and real battery heating.

Practice: we run smoke tests on emulators for each commit, and sanity and “heavy” scenes – on the cloud and in our pool of real devices.

Tools for network traffic analysis and bug tracking

Online games live on networks: lags, packet loss, payment interruptions — all of this needs to be reproduced and analyzed.

The following tools provide traffic analysis:

• Fiddler, Charles Proxy — HTTP/HTTPS interception, delays, request repetition, payment idempotency verification.
• Wireshark – low-level packet analysis (UDP, proprietary protocols).
• mitmproxy/Proxyman – scriptable proxies for automating network scenarios.

Bug tracking and management:

• Jira, Trello, Bugzilla – bug fixing, prioritization, links to test cases and releases.
• (Optional) YouTrack/Linear – fast pipelines for indie teams, good integration with Slack/Git.

Where would we be without crashes and logs:

• Firebase Crashlytics, Sentry, Bugsnag – crashes/ANRs, call stacks, distribution by device/OS.
• Logcat / sysdiagnose – raw logs, without which complex bugs cannot be fixed.

“Record a video of the bug, as well as the network (HAR or PCAP), and the logs. This package saves hours of correspondence and speeds up fixes,” recommends our expert.

How to avoid problems: best practices for testing mobile games

A release without surprises is not luck, but discipline. Below is a set of practices that we at KISS Software have turned into mandatory rituals. They save weeks of work and protect app ratings in stores.

Develop a test plan early on

• Define your goals and risks right away. What is important to prove with a prototype? Where is the main risk—network, economics, performance, monetization? Create something like a risk registry and record ways to test each one.
• Consider platforms and audience. iOS is not the same as Android: different gestures, permission policies, power saving models. Plus, the player’s usage profile: one-handed, on the go, on the subway, etc. — this affects UX scenarios and assumptions.
• Break the game down into testing areas. Mechanics, UI/UX, performance, security, payments, localization, accessibility. For each, we create test cases and criteria for what is acceptable and what is not.
• Device matrix and “quality gate.” Minimum/average/flagship devices, tablets, unusual aspect ratios. Set thresholds for key scenes (example: cold start ≤ 2.5 c, FPS p95 ≥ 50, crash-free users ≥ 99.7%).

Life hack: include the test plan in the Definition of Ready feature. No plan – no feature.

Combination of manual and automated testing

• Manual – where the “human eye” is needed. Research runs, onboarding, HUD readability, gestures, intuitive navigation, sense of complexity.
• Automation – where repeatability and speed are needed. Smoke and regression of key flows (launch – tutorial – battle/level – store – save), API contract tests, economics, saves.

“It’s best to structure tests in a pyramid: quick smoke tests (up to 15 minutes) are run for each commit, sanity runs (up to 2 hours) are run on the release branch, a full regression is performed before a release or event, and manual research sessions are held once a week on a fresh build,” adds Yevhen Kasyanenko.

Emulators + testing on real devices

• Emulators – quick checks. Android Studio/Xcode for basic functions, different DPIs and OS versions, screenshot regressions.
• Real devices are the truth. Only they show heating, FPS drops, network drops, micro-freezes from garbage collection, and real power consumption.
• Cover fragmentation. Popular Android models with weak GPUs and 3-4 GB of RAM, 2-3-year-old iPhones, current flagships with 90/120 Hz, tablets, and screens with cutouts.
• Clouds to the rescue. BrowserStack/LambdaTest/Firebase Test Lab for nightly regressions and rare configurations.

Life hack: fix “reference” scenes (crowds of NPCs, particles, large open worlds) and measure the same section on each class of device.

Constant work with feedback from players

• Beta and soft launch. 1-3 geos with similar audiences and low CPI. We look at FTUE, D1/D7, crashes/ANR, UX complaints, monetization fairness.
• Telemetry and crashes. Dashboards for FPS, time to first match/battle, tutorial bottlenecks; Crashlytics/Sentry for stacks and distribution across devices.
• Feedback channels. In-game surveys after 5–10 minutes, Discord/social networks, store reviews. Quick responses and hotfixes are the best PR strategy.
• Quick response. Criticism regarding payments, progress loss, and crashes should be a P0 priority. Transaction idempotency, secure retries, offline cache — all of these are must-haves before a large-scale release.

After each update, it is worth making a mini-plan for a stabilization week: monitoring, hot fixes, regression of affected areas, communication with the community.

All the practices described in this section of the article are simple, but they add up to the “invisible quality” that is felt in the first 30 seconds after the game starts. Then you can add the final block—a short release and LiveOps checklist to solidify the system.

Why choose KISS Software?

At KISS Software, led by Yevhen Kasyanenko, we don’t just look for bugs, we bring the gaming experience to a state where everything works naturally: from the first seconds of onboarding to the fortieth minute of heated battle. Our approach is a fusion of engineering discipline, a lively understanding of gameplay, and a sharp focus on metrics.

We cover the entire mobile game testing cycle, including:

• Functional testing – we check game mechanics, interface, sounds, and all in-game interactions.
• UX/UI analysis – we evaluate the usability of the interface, navigation, and perception of the game by different audiences (novices/experienced players, one-handed play, etc.).
• Performance testing – we fix lags and freezes, track FPS, memory leaks, heating, and power consumption.
• Security and data protection – we prevent cheats and hacks, encrypt data, check payment flows, and ensure transaction idempotency.

We run builds on real devices (ranging from minimum to flagship models and tablets), emulate complex network conditions (packet loss, 5G/4G/3G/Wi-Fi switching), and combine manual research sessions with automated smoke and regression tests. Plus, we use telemetry, crash reports, and clear “quality gates” so that decisions are made based on data, not intuition.

The result is a stable, predictable release, satisfied players, and metrics that are moving in the right direction.

If you want your mobile game to be flawless, entrust its testing to the professionals at KISS. In addition, we can help you implement your game project at any stage, starting with the formation of the idea. Contact us now for a free consultation and learn more.