Company: Merge Games
Project Overview
Smalland: Survive the Wilds is an ambitious open-world survival game where players take on the role of a tiny character in a giant world. My role as a QA Tester at Merge Games was not only to ensure the quality of the game itself but also to support the marketing team by capturing high-quality gameplay assets.
My Role & Responsibilities
In addition to my core QA duties of functional and compliance testing, a prominent part of my role on this project was to act as a “capture artist.” This involved working directly with the marketing team to play the game and capture cinematic, bug-free footage for use in official trailers and other marketing materials.
The Challenge
The main challenge was twofold: testing the vast, systemic open world for bugs, and the unique pressure of capturing perfect gameplay footage. Capturing trailer assets requires not only a high level of skill to perform well on camera but also a deep technical knowledge to use debug tools to set up specific scenarios, all while ensuring no bugs or performance issues appear in the final shot.
My Approach & Actions
- I collaborated closely with the marketing team to understand their vision for trailers and promotional videos.
- Using my deep knowledge of the game and debug tools, I set up and captured specific, high-action gameplay scenarios.
- I performed extensive testing of the core survival mechanics, including crafting, building, and combat, to ensure stability.
- I authored detailed test plans and provided feedback to the development team on bugs and overall user experience.
Impact & Results
- The high-quality gameplay footage I captured was used in official trailers and marketing materials, directly contributing to the game’s successful promotional campaigns.
- This role allowed me to showcase a unique blend of QA and creative skills, providing significant value to the publisher beyond traditional testing.
- My thorough testing of the core game helped prepare it for a successful and stable launch into Early Access on Steam.
Technologies & Tools Used
- Jira (for bug tracking and reporting)
- Confluence (for test documentation)
- Video Capture Software
- PC & Console Development Kits