Concept Testing
Test early game concepts with real players to understand perception, clarity, and direction while everything is still easy to change.
Test ideas before production
Drop weak concepts early
Save development time
Cut rework across teams
Turn Player Perception Into Early Direction
Concept Testing helps teams understand how players read, interpret, and emotionally respond to a game idea before anything interactive exists.
Capture true first impressions the moment players see your idea
See what players assume your game is about, without explanation
Identify clarity gaps in art, storyline, tone, and framing
Validate which ideas feel worth exploring further
Built For Moments
When Direction Starts To Stick
Know where your game idea lands before you build on it. Concept Testing brings players into key decisions early, so teams shape direction with confidence, not hindsight. Align on what's ready to move forward and what needs more work.
Test The Parts Of Your Game That Set Expectations
Art styles and visual direction
Game themes, fantasy, and tone
Feature framing and naming
Static UI layouts and early flows
Trailers, key art, and store visuals
Audio tone, music, and voice direction
Art styles and visual direction
Game themes, fantasy, and tone
Feature framing and naming
Static UI layouts and early flows
Trailers, key art, and store visuals
Audio tone, music, and voice direction
Align on what's ready to move forward and what needs more work.
Built To Test Ideas Without Slowing Teams Down
Concept Testing on Lysto makes it easy to collect meaningful player input on early build ideas, without complex setup or heavy process.
Set your goal
Define what you want to learn and the clarity you're looking for.
Share your concept
Upload concepts in .pptx, Google Slides, Canva, or Figma prototypes. No build required.
Get player reactions
Players go through the concept and share their thoughts out loud as they go.
Shape the next move
We'll give you the responses data and reactions and you can decide on the next move
Run playtests on your schedule, with players around the world, 24 x 7
Clear, Actionable View of How
Players Navigate Your Game
Lysto converts scattered gameplay reactions into an organized model of how players think, feel, and behave. And when needed, our game user research experts can help you interpret complex patterns with genre specific insight.
Key Moments Identified
Confusion, hesitation, friction, delight, clarity shifts.
AI Annotated Gameplay
Timestamped clips showing exactly where players get blocked or excited.
Emotional Signals
Tone, sentiment, and reaction cues aligned with gameplay events.
Player Commentary
Layered audio insights revealing expectations and mental models.
Cross-Player Patterns
AI automates clustering of recurring issues and shared experiences.
Survey Integration
Attitudinal signals combined with behavioural data.
Secure Player Access
NDA-bound, strictly qualified players ensure early concepts and builds stay protected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Concept Testing is the process of evaluating early game ideas with players before development begins. It focuses on understanding player interest, expectations, and appeal using concepts such as themes, mechanics, narratives, visuals, or early prototypes rather than full gameplay. This helps studios validate their ideas before committing significant time and resources to development.
With Lysto, studios can test (including A/B testing) game ideas using simple assets; no build or systems required. Raw creative such as Google Slides, slide decks, PPTs, documents, Canva files, Figma prototypes, or videos can be used to present artwork, short clips, themes, character concepts, or UI mockups. Players review these materials and share their thoughts aloud, helping teams gather early, qualitative feedback on the concept.
Concept testing helps teams validate ideas early, reduce creative risk, and avoid investing time and resources into concepts that may not resonate with players. It provides early direction on what players find appealing, confusing, or uninteresting.
Since no development is needed at this stage, teams can avoid committing resources to full production. This also allows studios to A/B test different game ideas, mechanics, loops, art styles, and themes before moving forward with development.
Concept testing is typically conducted during pre-production, before any core systems are built. At this stage, players effectively act as early collaborators, helping teams shape ideas from the very beginning through their feedback and reactions.
Concept testing can be used when exploring new IPs, features, art styles, or monetization ideas, or when deciding between multiple creative directions. This early input helps teams make informed creative decisions before committing to development.
Multiple game ideas can be tested by presenting players with separate concepts, visuals, narratives, or prototypes and collecting structured feedback for each. Players can compare ideas, rank their preferences, and explain what stands out, helping teams identify the strongest direction.
With Lysto, teams can also run A/B tests, with the same targeted players or different, by uploading multiple versions of a concept, making it easy to compare player responses and evaluate which ideas resonate most.
Players can be recruited based on demographics, genre familiarity, experience level, region, and gamer profile. With Lysto, studios can recruit from our player panel or use our Bring Your Own Players (BYOP) feature, ensuring feedback comes from players relevant to the intended market.
Lysto's 1 million+ registered player panel allows studios to define targeting criteria in precise detail. We screen and verify players who match those exact requirements, ensuring the feedback you receive is highly relevant and actionable.
Concept testing does not require a playable build. Common assets include concept art, mood boards, pitch decks, written descriptions, videos, wireframes, or lightweight prototypes. The goal is to communicate the idea clearly enough for players to react meaningfully.
Most concept tests work well with 8–15 players, which is usually sufficient to identify preference patterns and key reactions. Larger samples may be used when comparing multiple concepts or testing across different player segments.
Yes. Concept testing is commonly run remotely, allowing players to review concepts from their natural environments. Remote testing makes it easier to reach diverse audiences while still gathering detailed qualitative feedback through discussion and surveys.
Monetization concepts can be tested using hypothetical scenarios, pricing models, or visual mockups rather than live transactions. Players can react to value perception, fairness, and willingness to engage, allowing teams to refine monetization strategies without impacting real players.
Concept testing evaluates ideas before gameplay exists, focusing on appeal, clarity, and expectations. Playtesting evaluates actual gameplay, focusing on usability, mechanics, and player behaviour during play.
Concept testing helps decide what to build, while playtesting helps refine what has been built.