How you (yes, you) can benefit from 1-on-1 synchronous playtesting
At the 2026 GDC Festival of Gaming, designer Brian Cronin presented a case for one-on-one synchronous playtesting as an effective development methodology. His talk, titled “Playtesting Process for Ultra Small Teams,” showcased a cost-effective approach where a single team member conducts live video calls with individual playtesters to gather direct feedback on game designs.
Cronin’s methodology is particularly appealing due to its minimal resource requirements and accessibility—requiring only one designer and one playtester per session. While the talk specifically targets small indie teams, Cronin argues that the framework and insights apply to development teams of any size or scale. The approach offers a practical alternative to more elaborate playtesting formats, providing developers with real-time, synchronous feedback that can inform iterative design decisions.
The emphasis on live, one-on-one playtesting highlights an increasingly important aspect of modern game development: direct communication between creators and players. This methodology enables designers to observe player behavior firsthand, ask clarifying questions in real-time, and gather nuanced feedback that might be missed in asynchronous testing formats. For resource-constrained teams, the low cost and high directness of the approach make it an attractive option for validating game mechanics and user experience before broader releases.