Steve Bromley
@stevebromley.bsky.social
🎮 Games User Research Consultant, author of “How To Be A Games User Researcher” | Make games players love: http://gamesuserresearch.com 👾
Reposted by Steve Bromley
The IGDA GURSIG is happy to announce the #gamesUR Summit 2026 in Helsinki, Finland this May 2026.
We look forward to connecting our community again!
Keep an eye on our website for details. www.gamesur.com/coming-soon-...
#GamesUR #UserResearch #GameDev
We look forward to connecting our community again!
Keep an eye on our website for details. www.gamesur.com/coming-soon-...
#GamesUR #UserResearch #GameDev
Coming Soon (Conference) | Games User Research Community
www.gamesur.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:23 AM
The IGDA GURSIG is happy to announce the #gamesUR Summit 2026 in Helsinki, Finland this May 2026.
We look forward to connecting our community again!
Keep an eye on our website for details. www.gamesur.com/coming-soon-...
#GamesUR #UserResearch #GameDev
We look forward to connecting our community again!
Keep an eye on our website for details. www.gamesur.com/coming-soon-...
#GamesUR #UserResearch #GameDev
This is the core issue with tools promising to automate playtest/UR data analysis.
We run studies to find new answers. Hallucinations create plausible sounding answers.
There’s no way to identify what the hallucinations are without doing the same analysis yourself.
We run studies to find new answers. Hallucinations create plausible sounding answers.
There’s no way to identify what the hallucinations are without doing the same analysis yourself.
How? How do you double-check the accuracy, if you're not already an expert? Ask a different GenAI? Or do you, you know... Have to go and do the research you would have done anyway, pre-AI? Because I'm buggered if I can think of how you do that in a way where the GenAI saved you time.
January 30, 2026 at 3:36 AM
This is the core issue with tools promising to automate playtest/UR data analysis.
We run studies to find new answers. Hallucinations create plausible sounding answers.
There’s no way to identify what the hallucinations are without doing the same analysis yourself.
We run studies to find new answers. Hallucinations create plausible sounding answers.
There’s no way to identify what the hallucinations are without doing the same analysis yourself.
Last year I ran a lot of playtests on “difficult” games - it was a big year for soulslikes. One challenge came up again and again:
How do you handle difficulty in a genre that’s famous for being hard?
How do you handle difficulty in a genre that’s famous for being hard?
January 9, 2026 at 10:43 AM
Last year I ran a lot of playtests on “difficult” games - it was a big year for soulslikes. One challenge came up again and again:
How do you handle difficulty in a genre that’s famous for being hard?
How do you handle difficulty in a genre that’s famous for being hard?
“How did we make Wizards good? We asked players which bits were bad, then fixed them”
Love the focus on playtesting for running a sustainable game studio.
Love the focus on playtesting for running a sustainable game studio.
I've been running an indie games studio for 15 years now, and it felt like a good time to boil down what I've learned into 4 pieces of advice:
www.pentadact.com/2026-01-08-1...
I hope it's of use, not least because goddamn I forgot how long blog posts take to write.
www.pentadact.com/2026-01-08-1...
I hope it's of use, not least because goddamn I forgot how long blog posts take to write.
January 9, 2026 at 12:50 AM
“How did we make Wizards good? We asked players which bits were bad, then fixed them”
Love the focus on playtesting for running a sustainable game studio.
Love the focus on playtesting for running a sustainable game studio.
This month our interview series spoke to Sharkmob’s Brynley Gibson about user research for live service games and balancing data with creativity.
gamesuserresearch.com/how-sharkmob...
gamesuserresearch.com/how-sharkmob...
How Sharkmob's bank vault tests refine a live game like Exoborne | Games User Research
From a handful of players to hundreds of thousands - and back again. User testing is in Sharkmob's DNA.
gamesuserresearch.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:29 PM
This month our interview series spoke to Sharkmob’s Brynley Gibson about user research for live service games and balancing data with creativity.
gamesuserresearch.com/how-sharkmob...
gamesuserresearch.com/how-sharkmob...
It’ll be sad when Jools does his last Hootenanny. Lucky it won’t be in our lifetimes.
December 31, 2025 at 11:51 PM
It’ll be sad when Jools does his last Hootenanny. Lucky it won’t be in our lifetimes.
51 books this year, similar pace to last year.
Some favourites I read for the first time in 2026:
- Klara and the Sun ☀️
- Lincoln in the Bardo 🪦
- Strange Pictures 🖼️
- Time for lights out ⛄️
- Politics on the edge 🏛️
Some favourites I read for the first time in 2026:
- Klara and the Sun ☀️
- Lincoln in the Bardo 🪦
- Strange Pictures 🖼️
- Time for lights out ⛄️
- Politics on the edge 🏛️
Unlikely to finish any more now, so my final count for books read in 2024 was 53.
Some favourites included
- Shuggie Bane 🏴
- The Bee Sting 🐝
- Foster 👧
- Kindred 🕣
- The Warlock Effect 🪄
And ended the year with the very fun Elsie Drake letters! ✉️
Some favourites included
- Shuggie Bane 🏴
- The Bee Sting 🐝
- Foster 👧
- Kindred 🕣
- The Warlock Effect 🪄
And ended the year with the very fun Elsie Drake letters! ✉️
December 26, 2025 at 9:33 AM
51 books this year, similar pace to last year.
Some favourites I read for the first time in 2026:
- Klara and the Sun ☀️
- Lincoln in the Bardo 🪦
- Strange Pictures 🖼️
- Time for lights out ⛄️
- Politics on the edge 🏛️
Some favourites I read for the first time in 2026:
- Klara and the Sun ☀️
- Lincoln in the Bardo 🪦
- Strange Pictures 🖼️
- Time for lights out ⛄️
- Politics on the edge 🏛️
Reposted by Steve Bromley
New from my blog: The only winning move is not to play https://gregg.io/the-only-winning-move
"Let’s not debase ourselves as user researchers further"
"Let’s not debase ourselves as user researchers further"
December 1, 2025 at 7:38 PM
New from my blog: The only winning move is not to play https://gregg.io/the-only-winning-move
"Let’s not debase ourselves as user researchers further"
"Let’s not debase ourselves as user researchers further"
Reposted by Steve Bromley
It's been a while! But we're pleased to say that all our micro talks from our event are live on Youtube 🥳
www.youtube.com/@GameAccessi...
Huge thanks to our wonderful speakers!
www.youtube.com/@GameAccessi...
Huge thanks to our wonderful speakers!
Game Accessibility Gathering
The Game Accessibility Gathering is an independent gaming accessibility micro conference in the UK. We focus on sharing knowledge around accessibility in games, supporting and celebrating newer speake...
www.youtube.com
November 29, 2025 at 11:35 AM
It's been a while! But we're pleased to say that all our micro talks from our event are live on Youtube 🥳
www.youtube.com/@GameAccessi...
Huge thanks to our wonderful speakers!
www.youtube.com/@GameAccessi...
Huge thanks to our wonderful speakers!
Reposted by Steve Bromley
forgive me for the quick promo, but my first FREE game is almost at 50 reviews on steam, only 10 more to go!
as a reward, i'm planning on setting up a 50% off discount code for my patreon when the game hits 50 reviews. more info below, but EVERY REVIEW helps!
#gamedev #indiedev #solodev #indiegame
as a reward, i'm planning on setting up a 50% off discount code for my patreon when the game hits 50 reviews. more info below, but EVERY REVIEW helps!
#gamedev #indiedev #solodev #indiegame
an unplayable game?! on Steam
a game about accessibility settings that's just a *bit* too hard for you to play effectively. 10-15 minutes in length with 30+ minutes of developer commentary!
store.steampowered.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:38 PM
forgive me for the quick promo, but my first FREE game is almost at 50 reviews on steam, only 10 more to go!
as a reward, i'm planning on setting up a 50% off discount code for my patreon when the game hits 50 reviews. more info below, but EVERY REVIEW helps!
#gamedev #indiedev #solodev #indiegame
as a reward, i'm planning on setting up a 50% off discount code for my patreon when the game hits 50 reviews. more info below, but EVERY REVIEW helps!
#gamedev #indiedev #solodev #indiegame
“But for me it was Tuesday, Charlie Brown”
“Sun’s getting real low, Charlie Brown.”
There are worlds other than these, Charlie Brown.
November 24, 2025 at 8:09 AM
“But for me it was Tuesday, Charlie Brown”
Listening to Mr Blue Sky in five second bursts, spread over a year, whenever my phone forgets i’m listening to a podcast and defaults to Apple Music
November 18, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Listening to Mr Blue Sky in five second bursts, spread over a year, whenever my phone forgets i’m listening to a podcast and defaults to Apple Music
On to the last episode of Dispatch. Enjoyed this very much - looking forward to another playthrough with different choices.
The comics have been fun too!
The comics have been fun too!
November 16, 2025 at 7:05 PM
On to the last episode of Dispatch. Enjoyed this very much - looking forward to another playthrough with different choices.
The comics have been fun too!
The comics have been fun too!
I’ve accidentally lit the beacon, and now Rohan’s army will be here in five days.
Does anyone know if there is a call-out fee?
Does anyone know if there is a call-out fee?
a mountain covered in snow and rocks with clouds in the background
Alt: The beacons of Gondor - a series of mountain covered in snow and rocks with clouds in the background. Lanterns are lit in each, from the film Lord Of the Rings
media.tenor.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:21 PM
I’ve accidentally lit the beacon, and now Rohan’s army will be here in five days.
Does anyone know if there is a call-out fee?
Does anyone know if there is a call-out fee?
So unbelievably hooked on Hades 2. Started this weekend and can’t stop with new runs.
a drawing of a woman with a sword and a star in the bottom right corner
Alt: Hades 2 logo
media.tenor.com
November 2, 2025 at 9:42 PM
So unbelievably hooked on Hades 2. Started this weekend and can’t stop with new runs.
Had a session as a research participant today, which was enlightening.
I could see a number of factors where the platform could have lead to me not knowing when or how to join the session - potentially creating no-shows.
Worth checking the participant experience for the platform you use!
I could see a number of factors where the platform could have lead to me not knowing when or how to join the session - potentially creating no-shows.
Worth checking the participant experience for the platform you use!
October 22, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Had a session as a research participant today, which was enlightening.
I could see a number of factors where the platform could have lead to me not knowing when or how to join the session - potentially creating no-shows.
Worth checking the participant experience for the platform you use!
I could see a number of factors where the platform could have lead to me not knowing when or how to join the session - potentially creating no-shows.
Worth checking the participant experience for the platform you use!
Reposted by Steve Bromley
Your idea ain't shit if it don't playtest well.
What's your number one personal game design principle? And even better - does it have a cool name?
October 21, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Your idea ain't shit if it don't playtest well.
Excellent this is now Steam Deck optimised - jumped to the top of my weekend to-play list!
Update 2.2 includes general bug fixes and combat encounter adjustments for all platforms. It also introduces new handheld optimizations and quality of life updates including DOOM: The Dark Ages now being Steam Deck Verified.
beth.games/4nVNfFB
beth.games/4nVNfFB
October 17, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Excellent this is now Steam Deck optimised - jumped to the top of my weekend to-play list!
AI in “can’t deliver when anyone cares about the quality of the output” shocker.
Charles Cecil says that using AI to upscale artwork for Broken Sword: Reforged was a mistake. "The result was not enormously satisfactory," he says. Instead, Revolution ended up redrawing the backgrounds from scratch, using the original artwork as a reference.
www.gamesindustry.biz/ai-was-an-ex...
www.gamesindustry.biz/ai-was-an-ex...
"AI was an expensive mistake": Charles Cecil on innovation, insolvency, and Broken Sword
Plus, why Revolution Software needs to innovate for Broken Sword 6 – and why it might be a long way off
www.gamesindustry.biz
October 15, 2025 at 8:16 AM
AI in “can’t deliver when anyone cares about the quality of the output” shocker.
Reposted by Steve Bromley
Our team are running user research concerning games accessibility. This is a paid research session open to UK residents. Please register your interest below if you are interested in taking part.
@researchi.bsky.social
www.researchi.co.uk/projects/RI9...
@researchi.bsky.social
www.researchi.co.uk/projects/RI9...
RI971: UK-Wide Digital Accessibility Research - £100
www.researchi.co.uk
October 6, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Our team are running user research concerning games accessibility. This is a paid research session open to UK residents. Please register your interest below if you are interested in taking part.
@researchi.bsky.social
www.researchi.co.uk/projects/RI9...
@researchi.bsky.social
www.researchi.co.uk/projects/RI9...
Huge fan of previous Size Five games - in particular Behold The Kickmen, and Lair Of The Clockwork God.
Looking forward to what’s next!
Looking forward to what’s next!
If you enjoy Size Five and want to see it survive what is a very iffy time for the Games Industry, please do three things with your Saturday:
✅ Wishlist EARTH MUST DIE
✅ Buy a game on sale
✅ Share these links where you can
store.steampowered.com/app/3639780/...
store.steampowered.com/dev/sizefive
✅ Wishlist EARTH MUST DIE
✅ Buy a game on sale
✅ Share these links where you can
store.steampowered.com/app/3639780/...
store.steampowered.com/dev/sizefive
Earth Must Die on Steam
These moronic Terranoids think they can just roll in here and take over my beautiful Tyrythian kingdom? The kingdom that I built from the ground up with my bare hands, and only sort of inherited from ...
store.steampowered.com
October 4, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Huge fan of previous Size Five games - in particular Behold The Kickmen, and Lair Of The Clockwork God.
Looking forward to what’s next!
Looking forward to what’s next!
Tom Arnold on this list also confirms True Lies 2… still waiting!
This 2002 press release of 'celebrity testimonials' for the PS2 is an absolutely incredible time capsule.
October 1, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Tom Arnold on this list also confirms True Lies 2… still waiting!
With the invention of the .webp format, humanity has finally achieved it’s goal of creating an image format no-one can open.
September 30, 2025 at 12:31 PM
With the invention of the .webp format, humanity has finally achieved it’s goal of creating an image format no-one can open.
Played ‘and Roger’ this weekend.
Can’t say too much about it, but it will stick with me for a long time.
Can’t say too much about it, but it will stick with me for a long time.
September 28, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Played ‘and Roger’ this weekend.
Can’t say too much about it, but it will stick with me for a long time.
Can’t say too much about it, but it will stick with me for a long time.