Cult of PiN - QA Pass (PC)
🧾 Test Overview
- Platform: PC
- Focus Areas: Ritual systems, timing behaviour, system stacking, progression flow, and clarity during active gameplay
- Purpose: Check how clearly overlapping systems are communicated and whether gameplay remains understandable under pressure
Introduction
This is a focused QA pass on the Cult of PiN demo, tested on PC using build v0.11.
The goal was to check how clearly the game communicates its systems during gameplay, especially when multiple mechanics trigger at once.
Testing focused on:
- Ritual system clarity
- Timing behaviour
- System stacking during active play
- Progression flow across a full run
- Clarity under chaotic gameplay conditions
Findings are based on direct testing and supported by reproducible behaviour and evidence.
| Game | Platform | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Cult of PiN | PC, v0.11 Demo | Charter-driven exploratory QA focused on ritual clarity, system interaction, timing behaviour, visual feedback, and progression flow under real gameplay conditions. |
🎯 Goal
Evaluate a live demo build using short, focused exploratory sessions targeting the highest-risk systems: rituals, overlapping effects, timing transitions, and end-to-end run flow.
🧭 Focus Areas
- First-time player clarity and UI feedback
- Ritual system behaviour and communication
- Timing and state transitions under pressure
- System stacking and overlapping effects
- Progression and run flow integrity
📄 Deliverables
- QA workbook with README, session notes, bug log, risk matrix, and STAR summary
- One-line findings summary for quick review
- Bug log with reproducible steps and evidence links
- Short gameplay clips and screenshots used as supporting evidence
📊 Metrics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Sessions Logged | 5 |
| Total Bugs Logged | 1 |
| Critical | 0 |
| High | 0 |
| Medium | 0 |
| Low | 1 |
| Primary Risk Area | Player-facing clarity under overlapping systems |
| Repro Rate | Spare Change colour mismatch = 100% |
📷 Evidence & Media
These artefacts support the project findings and provide full traceability from testing to outcomes:
- QA workbook containing session notes, risk matrix, bug log, and summaries
- Screenshots showing ritual UI and gameplay effect comparisons
- Linked evidence within the workbook supporting key findings and the logged bug
| Type | File / Link |
|---|---|
| QA Workbook (Google Sheets) | Open Workbook |
| QA Workbook (PDF Export) | Open PDF |
📌 Core Project Findings
| Area | Finding | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Clarity & Feedback | Core systems such as rituals, glyphs, and upgrades lack clear explanation and feedback, increasing cognitive load. | S001 findings + screenshots |
| Ritual System | Ritual mechanics function correctly but are not clearly communicated, requiring player inference. | S002 findings + ritual progress screenshots |
| Timing & Transitions | No timing defects were observed. Systems behaved consistently under pressure. | S003 session + overlap clip |
| System Overlap | Multiple systems trigger correctly but lack clear cause-and-effect feedback during high overlap. | S003 overlap clip |
| System Stacking | Active systems such as rituals, multiball, and multipliers interact consistently with no conflicts or scaling issues. | S004 session |
| Progression & Run Flow | Run flow from start to completion is consistent, with reliable progression, rewards, and clean transitions. | S005 session |
| Visual Consistency | Spare Change effect colour does not match UI colour coding, reducing clarity during gameplay. | S004 bug + screenshots |
💬 Developer Feedback
Feedback received from the developer following this QA pass:
“This is top tier professional level feedback. The formatting and presentation is as good (if not better) than QA analysis I’ve worked with before from major companies, and I’ve been doing this for over a decade.
You’re absolutely spot on about the colours, and this will drive improvements to information clarity.
I would absolutely love to run future builds past you again, and I’d be more comfortable paying for this level of testing.”
— Kenny, kennymakesgames (Developer, Cult of PiN)
🐞 Bug Logged
| ID | Title | Severity | Repro | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S004_C01_B01 | Spare Change effect colour does not match UI colour coding | Low | 100% |
|
Full bug log with repro steps, expected vs actual, and evidence: Download Bug Log (PDF)
This was logged as a visual feedback issue rather than a mechanics defect. Rituals establish clear colour mapping between UI and in-game effects, but Spare Change breaks that mapping by appearing purple in the HUD while using red and yellow gameplay effects.
📈 Results
- Completed 5 focused exploratory QA sessions on the Cult of PiN demo.
- Logged 1 low-severity visual consistency bug with 100% repro.
- Confirmed no timing, system interaction, or progression flow defects during tested conditions.
- Identified clarity and feedback as the main player-facing weakness.
- Confirmed that overlapping systems can function correctly while still reducing player understanding.
🔍 Key Points for the Developer
- Systems remain stable under load, but clarity drops during overlap. Multiple effects can trigger at once without breaking, but it becomes harder to understand what caused what.
- Some issues affect understanding rather than functionality. Not all problems are bugs, but they still impact how the game is read during play.
- Colour consistency is important for fast recognition. Inconsistent colour mapping makes it harder to identify effects quickly during high-intensity moments.
- Overlapping systems reduce readability. When multiple mechanics trigger together, cause-and-effect is not always clear to the player.
- This area should be monitored after updates. Changes to effects, stacking, or visuals should be rechecked to avoid further clarity loss.
🔚 QA Summary & Next Steps
The build is mechanically stable across timing, stacking, and progression. No interaction conflicts or progression blockers were observed during this pass.
The main issue is clarity during gameplay. Systems often work correctly, but overlapping effects make it difficult to understand cause-and-effect in fast situations.
The Spare Change colour mismatch highlights this problem. Even small inconsistencies in visual mapping can reduce recognition speed and increase confusion during play.
Recommended next steps:
- Improve clarity when multiple systems trigger at once.
- Standardise colour mapping across effects.
- Reinforce cause-and-effect feedback during chaotic gameplay.
- Re-test visual clarity after updates affecting effects or stacking.
Need Someone to Test Your Game?
If you have a demo, early build, or update that needs testing, message me on Discord or email with your platform, build, and what you’d like checked.
📎 Disclaimer
This is a personal, non-commercial portfolio for educational and recruitment purposes. I’m not affiliated with or endorsed by any game studios or publishers. All trademarks, logos, and game assets are the property of their respective owners. Any screenshots or short clips are included solely to document testing outcomes. If anything here needs to be removed or credited differently, please contact me and I’ll update it promptly.