Trivia Murder Party 3 - Dev Diary #6
The Trivia Murder Party 3 team has been hard at work…. and so have you! The Trivia Murder Party 3 team has been working with players in closed friends and family playtests, the Steam Next Fest demo, and now with a wider alpha playtesting group to stress test the game and see how it’s reading for players. We literally could not make a game like this without everyone’s help.
But what exactly is the team’s takeaway from all of these playtests? Read on to find out and wishlist Trivia Murder Party 3 now on Steam so you don’t miss when it drops in Early Access later this year!
What have you been working on lately?
My current objective is coming up with ideas for new Killing Floors and Plot Twists, and testing and iterating on them. We have some pillars and limits within which ideas can be designed, so it’s a challenge finding experiences that are both engaging and feasible! - Meha, Senior Game Designer
I'm helping the team make sure they stay organized and on track by iterating and prioritizing playtesting feedback we’ve already received, and getting us to our Early Access release goal! - Caylin, Senior Producer
I’m working on giving the game’s jackbox.tv controller a final coat of paint. TMP3 is doing so many new things with its engine and aesthetic. The controller is going to be worthy. - Chase, Senior Engineer
I’m currently adding new Killing Floors and updating the Post Game credits scene. We want the end to feel satisfying as a spot to look back on the run you just had. - Jonathan, Senior Engineer
You have run different playtests this year, from a closed alpha playtest to the public Steam Next Fest demo. What were your goals for each of these playtests?
Playtesting is about what testers DON’T say as much as it is what they DO say. We want to know if players notice details we put effort into to see if they were worth it, and if they hone in on details we might’ve stumbled upon by accident. We’ve had tests held with different audiences (i.e. other folks on TMP3, other devs in the studio, friends, family, and strangers!) and have gotten a wide variety of feedback from each demographic. But our goal is always the same: Do people besides us think the game is fun? Why or why not? We care about the frustrations and pain points players run into as much as where people find unexpected moments of joy. - Meha, Senior Game Designer
For a team of our size there are only so many different types of computers to test on! Playtesting has been super helpful for gathering performance data and feedback across a variety of machines. - Jayden, QA Lead
Our goal was to be really intentional with playtesting, with each playtest acting as a stepping stone to the next and every phase building on what we learned before. We started small with a private Friends & Family alpha to make sure the fundamentals were solid and to refine our playtesting process before inviting in a broader group of Jackbox fans and community members for more in-depth gameplay feedback. As our confidence in the build grew, so did our audience. Steam Next Fest was our chance to really see how the game landed with a much bigger group of players, helping us validate what was working, uncover new opportunities for improvement, and build confidence as we continue toward Early Access. - Sydney, Product Manager
How has recent player feedback from those playtests influenced the game? What have been some of your biggest takeaways and biggest surprises?
Something I took away from the feedback is general rankings for Killing Floors, and seeing the rankings for each. It was cool seeing so much love for Chalices, as it was my favorite minigame of TMP2! It was useful to know players gravitated towards games where the strategy lies in reading other player’s intentions, as well as a chance to show your personality, even in a small, subtle way (I always pick the red solo cup because I feel like it represents my soul). Folks also liked Math, which seems simple on the surface, but in reality is a consistent stream of mini dopamine hits each time you get a question right. It's interesting to see that people are responding positively to that flow of gameplay. I’m approaching prototyping the next Killing Floors with this feedback in mind. - Meha, Senior Game Designer
I’m not sure how much we want to say about some of the mechanics we’re working on but it’s really cool to see how much the team is iterating based directly on feedback from the playtest and Next Fest. This is a luxury we’re not used to in the party packs. - Chase, Senior Engineer
Certain Killing Floors like Chainsaws are not very fun when there is even a little bit of lag: whether its from a Twitch Stream, Discord shared screen, or elsewhere. Even if they are some people’s favorites when played from the same room, we always need to be cognizant of how the game will be played. - Jonathan, Senior Engineer
Since this is the third Trivia Murder Party, one of our biggest goals has been finding the right balance between familiar and fresh. One of my biggest takeaways from our playtests was understanding which nostalgic elements fans saw as essential to the Trivia Murder Party identity, which of our new ideas captured that same spirit, and which ones still had room to grow. Our playtesters' ability to articulate why something did or didn't feel like Trivia Murder Party was incredibly insightful, and gave us a very clear north star for refining the experience. - Sydney, Product Manager
What are you looking forward to in the next Alpha Playtest with a bigger pool of playtesters? What do you hope to learn?
I’m excited to see how players respond to changes we’ve made based on their feedback! We’re a small team that’s had a lot to do over the last year, but making sure we take in feedback and iterate where we can has been a big priority for the team. - Caylin, Senior Producer
The Killing Floors, Plot Twists, and trivia prompts just get better and better. I'm so excited for everyone to see the variety of goodies we have packed into this game! - Jayden, QA Lead
We've got a few new things up our sleeves that we're excited to unleash on a bigger group of players, including doll customization, which gives players a fun new way to make the game feel a little more like their own. - Sydney, Product Manager
Anything you are excited for players to play/see/do while playtesting Trivia Murder Party 3?
New things you’ve never been able to do in a Jackbox game before! Play online, matchmake with strangers, or even make your avatar always feel so custom to you! - Caylin, Senior Producer
Customizing avatars and matchmaking will be a game changer for Trivia Murder Party! - Jonathan, Senior Engineer
What would you like to say to people who have participated in playtesting so far? or the people who hope to join in the future?
Thank you to those who participated! We hope you all stay excited to see what comes next. *winky face emoji* - Meha, Sr Game Designer
Obviously, the biggest thank you. Making games can be hard, but it feels all the more rewarding when you can shape your game to be something your community of players can help give feedback on and construct too. I hope you’re as excited as I am that this continues to be an opportunity we have for TMP3, now and through our 1.0 release! - Caylin, Senior Producer
A lot of you are really good at testing our game and writing detailed bug reports. I'm afraid for my job (but seriously, thank you so so much). - Jayden, QA Lead
We've been genuinely impressed by the thoughtfulness, detail, and care that's gone into your feedback. It's been incredible to see how passionate this community is about Trivia Murder Party, and your insights have had a real impact on the game. We can't wait to keep building it together with you! - Sydney, Product Manager
