Moderated playtests offer deeper qualitative insight through live observation and interaction. They are effective for understanding player motivations and expectations, clarifying moments of confusion, and exploring complex mechanics, onboarding flows, or early prototypes in detail.

Unmoderated playtests enable fast, scalable testing across a larger player base. Since players are not being observed, their behaviour is more natural and free from bias. This approach is well suited for identifying behavioural patterns, validating usability, testing balance, stress-testing systems, and collecting layers of data across multiple sessions.

Our Player Experience (Px) Platform supports both approaches, allowing teams to choose the method that best aligns their playtesting goals.

A remote moderated playtest is conducted online, allowing players to participate from their own devices while a moderator observes the session in real time.

During the session, the moderator watches gameplay live, listens to player commentary, and asks follow-up questions as players progress through the game. Sessions can be paused to clarify expectations, explore decision-making, or discuss moments of confusion or interest.

Gameplay, screen, and audio are typically recorded, making it possible to review sessions later and share insights with the broader team. Remote moderated playtests are commonly used when teams want deeper qualitative understanding without requiring in-person sessions.

Moderated playtests typically require fewer players than unmoderated tests because each session provides deeper, qualitative insight.

In most cases, 3–5 players may be sufficient to identify key usability issues, understand player expectations, and uncover friction in onboarding, mechanics, or systems. For more complex experiences or when testing across different player segments, 6–8 players may be helpful.

The ideal number ultimately depends on your research goals, the complexity of what you are testing, and the depth of insight required from each session. You can also consult our Expert User Researcher panel to determine the most appropriate number of playtesters for your objectives.

The ideal length of a moderated playtest session depends on the goals of the study and the scope of what is being tested.

In most cases, moderated playtest sessions run for 45 to 60 minutes. This provides enough time for players to complete key tasks, think aloud, and for the moderator to ask follow-up questions without causing fatigue.

Shorter sessions of 30–45 minutes work well when testing individual game components, such as focused usability checks or early prototypes. Session length should always balance depth of insight with player comfort and attention.

Get in touch with our Expert User Researchers today to determine the ideal session length and structure based on your playtesting goals.

During a moderated playtest, you can ask questions that help clarify player expectations, motivations, decision-making, and overall player experience.

Common questions include what the player expects to happen next, what they are trying to achieve at a given moment, and what influenced a particular choice or action. Moderators may also ask players to describe what they find confusing, engaging, or frustrating in real time. Moderated playtests also allow for follow-up questions in the moment, unlike surveys that are completed after a remote playtest.

However, moderators should avoid cognitively overloading playtesters with too many questions. There should be a balance between allowing players to play naturally and asking timely, focused questions that support the goals of the study.

Definitely. Moderated playtests are well suited for prototypes and early builds, as they allow moderators to gather in-depth feedback directly from playtesters.

These sessions help game studios understand how their target audience perceives a concept or early version of the game, identify points of confusion, and validate what is engaging. This makes it easier to iterate early and build on elements that resonate with players before committing to full development.

Not exactly. Moderated playtesting is not inherently better just because a game has complex mechanics. Its real strength lies in supporting complex research studies, not complex gameplay.

Moderated playtests are most effective when your research requires continuous probing, follow-up questions, and real-time clarification. A moderator can dig deeper into player reasoning, challenge assumptions, and explore why a player made a certain choice. For example, if you are studying how players interpret an in-game economy or make trade-off decisions between resources, a moderator can pause the session and ask targeted questions to uncover the mental models behind those decisions.

However, moderated research also introduces observer bias. Players are aware they are being watched and may alter their behavior, explain actions more carefully than they would naturally, or try to "perform" for the moderator. This can reduce the authenticity of moment-to-moment gameplay behavior.

In contrast, unmoderated playtesting captures more natural player behavior at scale. Players interact with the game on their own, without external influence, making it better suited for observing genuine first-time experiences, friction points, and organic decision-making.

We offer two recruitment methods for recruiting players for moderated playtests.

If you choose to recruit through Lysto's player panel, we invite participants based on your defined targeting criteria such as player profile and gaming experience. Selected players are verified for their gaming background and profile before being invited to participate. Once verified, players can be hosted either at Lysto's office or at your studio for the moderated session.

Alternatively, you can choose the Bring Your Own Players (BYOP) method and manage participant recruitment via your own gaming communities. We can also help you formulate the research study, and provide an Expert User Researcher who will moderate the sessions and guide the research to ensure high-quality insights.

The deliverables from a moderated playtest depend on how the study is structured.

Typically, you receive gameplay recordings, audio recordings that include both player commentary and moments where the moderator pauses the session to ask follow-up questions, and any survey responses collected during or after the session. If included, you also receive a research report summarizing key observations, themes, and actionable insights.

These deliverables provide a comprehensive view of player behaviour, context behind decisions, and clear direction for design improvements.