You've got a game you're itching to test, but haven't announced yet. How do you keep it safe and secure when on a Participant machine? Read on to find our top recommendations for Build Security.

For Context, these methods are used by our team every day, and we've designed/suggested them to be accessible for everyone to use in the vast majority of test cases.

This gives you complete control over access, as you can revoke at any time, and through our platform you can easily identify who in a test has access to which key.

You can also add a branch to Steam for your specific build with a password, and our platform allows this information to be delivered directly to the participant automatically!

If you want to give them the build directly (using the upload facility on our platform), we recommend adding a Task that requests the participant removes the build as the last step in their session.

Contribute (our recorder) captures everything on the selected screen, so by adding this task, you are able to watch them remove the build from their device - Remember to ask them to remove it from their download folder too!

Some customers have opted for adding a username/password system to their builds, that required them to provide the details to the participant, which they then changed when the test was complete. This was required when the game was opened, and prevented any access at all if invalid or not filled in. It may require an online component to verify/check credentials.

For an extra level of confidence, Customers have opted to run a moderated event (in this case it was Discord) for their test. Arrange a date and time, invite your participants, and talk with them live. This can be used for any kind of test, and with our Live Streaming, you can keep an eye on their progress and update them in the moment.
​
You can then ask them to share their screen to verify removal of any builds, and even guide them on the test and answer any queries they might have one on one.

All participants confirm that they will adhere to an Confidentiality Agreement when accessing a playtest. This is displayed to them after entering their details through the invitation link, and requires agreement before they can proceed into a test. They are also reminded of this at several points during onboarding into a test.

There is a considerable amount of information within the Agreement we require (if you wish to see the full information, please let us know, or invite yourself to a test, it will display after you input your details through the link), but in summary, Participants in a playtest are required to adhere to our Agreement, preventing the disclosure of game details before, during, and after the testing period.

However, for your own players, you can create and supply an additional NDA to them prior to giving them access to the test. We do this on tests that require a higher level of security and keep them on file, along with identification from participants.

Whether it's through Steam, by implementing a password system, or through a discord event, the above recommendations will help keep your Build safe and secure. The added safety layer of Agreements for every playtest should help you feel confident knowing that you're protected.

If you have any questions or would like to chat with someone, feel free to reach out to us via the chat function at the bottom right of this page or via support@gotestify.com.