Stamperor - QA Pass (PC)
🧾 Test Overview
- Platform: PC (Windows 11)
- Focus Areas: End-of-cycle input handling, destruction feedback, population and building value clarity, decision outcome clarity, and stability after state changes
- Purpose: Check input reliability and whether game state and decision outcomes are clearly communicated to the player after the update
Introduction
This is a focused QA pass on Stamperor, tested on PC using Demo Hotfix v0.0.5.
The goal was to check how stable the game is after the recent update, with a focus on input handling, state transitions, and whether decision outcomes are clearly communicated to the player.
Testing focused on:
- End-of-cycle input handling
- State changes after destruction events
- Population and building value clarity
- Decision outcome clarity
- Stability of previously observed input issues
Findings are based on direct testing and are supported with reproducible behaviour and evidence.
| Game | Platform | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Stamperor | PC, Demo Hotfix v0.0.5 | QA mini-pass focused on menu input stability, end-of-cycle screen behaviour, destruction feedback, bracket value clarity, decision outcome clarity, and regression risk. |
🎯 Goal
Check whether core player-facing systems remain understandable and stable after state changes, especially around end-of-cycle transitions and decision outcomes.
🧭 Focus Areas
- End-of-cycle input handling
- Menu and state transition stability
- Destruction feedback and bracket values
- Population and building value clarity
- Decision outcome cause and effect
📄 Deliverables
- QA workbook with README, charters, session notes, bug log, risk matrix, and player experience notes
- One-line findings summary for quick review
- Bug log with reproducible steps and evidence links
- Short video and screenshot evidence for key findings
📊 Metrics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Sessions Logged | 4 |
| Total Bugs Logged | 2 |
| Critical | 1 |
| High | 1 |
| Medium | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
| Player Experience Findings | 2 |
| Primary Risk Area | End-of-cycle input handling and system feedback clarity |
| Repro Rate | Both logged bugs observed 1/1 during targeted runs, with related instability confirmed during regression check |
📷 Evidence
Supporting evidence is included to show the issues clearly and make them easy to reproduce.
- Short gameplay clips showing end-of-cycle input failure and soft lock behaviour
- Screenshots highlighting unclear bracket values and decision outcome issues
- Structured bug notes with steps, expected vs actual behaviour, and linked evidence
| Type | File / Link |
|---|---|
| QA Workbook (Google Sheets) | Open Workbook |
| QA Workbook (PDF Export) | Open PDF |
📌 Core Project Findings
| Area | Finding | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Menu Navigation & Input Handling | End-of-cycle screen input is unreliable and can return the player to the menu instead of continuing. | See Bugs Logged |
| Menu Navigation & Input Handling (Regression) | Re-testing shows input instability can trigger an unintended language menu and soft lock the game. | See Bugs Logged |
| Population & Building System Clarity | Bracket values (+/-) appear after destruction but are not explained, forcing player guesswork. | View Before State / View After State |
| Decision Outcome Clarity | Decision values, such as -15 population, do not clearly align with visible system values. | View Before Decision / View After Decision |
🐞 Bugs Logged
| ID | Title | Severity | Repro | Evidence Clip/Screenshot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C01-01 | End-of-cycle screen input unresponsive and may return player to main menu | High | 1/1 | Watch Clip - End Cycle Input Issue |
| C04-01 | End-of-cycle screen can trigger unintended language menu and cause soft lock | Critical | 1/1 | Watch Clip - Input Failure (End Cycle) |
Full bug log with repro steps, expected vs actual, and evidence: Download Bug Log (PDF)
The strongest functional issue was C04-01, where the end-of-cycle screen could trigger an unrelated language menu and then soft lock the game. C01-01 established the related input handling risk by showing unreliable end-of-cycle input and an incorrect transition back to the main menu.
🧠 Player Experience Notes
| Moment | Player Expectation | Actual Experience | Friction Type | Impact | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-destruction system update (after earthquake event) | Clear understanding of what changed to population and buildings, including whether losses, damage, or gains occurred. | Population and building values display bracketed numbers (e.g. +4, -14) with no explanation, requiring the player to guess whether these represent damage, temporary states, or incoming changes. | System Clarity / Feedback Communication | Player cannot confidently interpret core system state after a major event, leading to hesitation and guesswork in decision-making. | Medium-High |
| End-of-cycle screen input (before next cycle begins) | Clear and immediate response when attempting to continue or exit using standard inputs, such as mouse or ESC. | ESC key has no effect; mouse input is unresponsive or delayed despite instruction “Click anywhere to continue”; after repeated input, game returns to main menu instead of continuing. | Input Handling / UI Responsiveness | Player may become stuck or lose progress, with confusion caused by unresponsive inputs and incorrect outcome. | High |
| Decision outcome affecting population (player choice) | Decision outcome should clearly reflect the stated change, such as -15 population, and align with visible values. | Decision indicates -15 population, but visible values (5 (+7) → 5 (-8)) do not clearly match the expected result, making the outcome difficult to interpret. | System Clarity / Cause to Effect Breakdown | Player cannot confidently understand how decisions affect core systems, reducing trust and making future decisions feel unreliable. | High |
📈 Results
- Completed 4 focused QA sessions on Stamperor.
- Logged 2 bugs covering end-of-cycle input failure, incorrect state transition, unintended UI triggering, and soft lock behaviour.
- Recorded 2 additional player experience findings covering bracket value clarity and decision outcome interpretation.
- Confirmed that end-of-cycle input handling is a high-risk area after the hotfix.
- Identified that core system values can be visible but still unclear due to undefined bracket notation.
- Identified that decision outcomes can be difficult to reconcile with visible population values.
🔍 Key Points for the Developer
- Visible values are not always understandable. Population and building values were shown, but modifiers were unclear, making it difficult to understand the actual game state.
- End-of-cycle screens are high-risk for breakage. This screen exposed input issues, incorrect transitions, unintended UI behaviour, and soft lock risk.
- Decision outcomes do not clearly match what is shown. The result of choices does not align cleanly with visible values, forcing the player to guess how outcomes are calculated.
- Input handling is not stable during transitions. Actions taken at the end of a cycle can trigger unintended behaviour, suggesting underlying instability.
- This area needs priority testing after updates. Issues observed here are not isolated and should be rechecked after any related changes.
🔚 QA Summary & Next Steps
The highest-risk area in this build is the end-of-cycle screen. Input handling here is inconsistent, and repeated input can trigger unintended behaviour.
The most serious issue found is an unstable state where repeated input opens the language menu and causes a soft lock, requiring the game to be closed externally.
System clarity is also a player-facing problem. Values and decision outcomes do not clearly match what is shown, making it difficult to understand what actually happened after a choice.
Recommended next steps:
- Stabilise input handling on the end-of-cycle screen.
- Fix the language menu trigger and prevent soft lock conditions.
- Clarify how values and decision outcomes are presented to the player.
- Re-test this area after updates, as it combines input, UI, and state changes.
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📎 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.