A Newcomer's Six-Month Journey in Game Test Development: Automation, Tool Creation, and Cross-Language Integration

The author, a new test developer at a game studio, records insights gained over six months of work, aiming to help other newcomers enter the field of game test development.

Automation testing is presented as the first step for beginners and is divided into three core parts: writing automation test cases, developing automation scripts, and maintaining those scripts.

A well‑written test case is emphasized as a fundamental skill for QA, crucial for both script development and long‑term maintenance, and the author stresses the need for product‑thinking when designing automation to meet actual user needs.

To build automation test cases, the author outlines a practical workflow: (1) obtain functional test cases from colleagues, (2) convert them into automation‑ready cases by running the game, recording steps, and considering multi‑player interactions, and (3) ensure the cases are stable and cover required test points.

Two key reflections are shared: using product thinking to align automation with real requirements, and prioritizing stability so that scripts reliably detect regressions without introducing new failures.

When writing automation scripts, the author recommends studying the existing framework, documenting the process to avoid the “knowledge curse,” adding thorough checks (e.g., click validation, handling empty strings), accounting for environment variations (such as gender‑specific UI), and implementing fault‑tolerant error handling.

For long‑term maintenance, the author advises avoiding hard‑coded values by pulling data from design tables, writing clear comments, and producing detailed logs to simplify debugging and future updates.

The article also covers tool development, describing a typical workflow: receiving a task, discussing requirements and schedule, developing the tool (often involving multiple languages like Lua, C#, Python, SQL, PHP, and JavaScript), and delivering it, while highlighting the importance of communication and multi‑skill learning.

Cross‑language integration examples are provided: (1) C# → Lua using xlua, where C# interfaces are marked with an ExportToLua attribute, reflected into Lua metatables, and called from Lua scripts; (2) C# → PHP → SQL, where C# sends data via an HTTP POST to a PHP endpoint that uses mysqli to interact with a MySQL database, with debugging aided by PHPStorm and Postman.

In conclusion, the author hopes that these practical experiences in automation testing, tool creation, and language integration will inspire and guide other newcomers in the game testing profession.