As part of Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #6, King QA analyst Ana Luca took to the virtual stage to discuss quality assurance and production: the dynamic duo that will improve your game.

People tend to think about quality assurance when discussing QA. However, there are factors within it, such as quality assistance.

In each stage of development, there will QA tests to assure the game is of a good enough quality to progress and eventually come to market.

"QA is always testing and doesn't need to wait till the end of a task. It tests as soon as there is a minimum viable product," said Luca.

At King, the company is trying to head into quality intelligence to investigate potential risks and mitigate them. As such, there will be fewer bugs in productions, leading to a more stable build for the game.

QA needs to be in all kick-off meetings to be effective, the plan sessions for test cases with the developers and designers.

"Regular testing sessions with the whole team is a must," explained Luca.

Testing, testing

Bringing producers and QA together can create a great process for the studio to follow.

Luca recommends inviting at least one member of the QA team to pre-production meetings and involving them in pre-planning, kick-offs, retros and stand-ups.

If QA brings up some valid points and has some opinions on what is going on, producers need to review their scope.

"If they work together, producers will better understand timing," said Luca.

Moreover, QA needs to have more time for exploratory testing, which will allow them to find bugs that could hinder the experience of the game.

Good planning with a good roadmap will ensure the best outcome for the game, bringing everyone together.

PGC Digital #6 will run from April 19th to April 23rd. To keep up to date with all of our coverage, check out the roundups here. There's still time to sign up - to find out more and book a ticket, head to the website.