PATRONS ONLY: Selaco is looking for Playtesters! (Patreon)

Hello everyone,

We are excited to announce that Selaco is now actively seeking playtesters to play the pre-release version of our Early Access. This contains most of the content available at launch, albeit still in beta form (meaning it might be buggy or unstable)! We will be working together with you to make it ready for launch.

If you want to help us make the best game possible, and playtesting is something you are interested in, please consider submitting the form below:

Playtest Submission Form

I've attached a short FAQ below that may answer some of your questions. If your question isn't answered, do not hesitate to ask us here!

FAQ:

Q: Why do I have to sign an NDA?

A: Significant portions of the game will be handed out to playtesters. In order to protect our game and its assets, we have to take the necessary precautions.

Q: What are the rules in regards to the NDA?
A: Anything that happens during the testing phase should not be shared with anyone who is not in the playtesting group. This includes sharing files of the game, details about its contents, impressions, videos and screenshots, live streaming etc.

Our goal is to make the playtesting phase as laid back as possible, and we are confident that our backers have no ill intent, but we cannot take any risks with something of this scale.

A more clear list of rules will be provided prior to signing the NDA.

Q: What information are you looking for?
A: We are mostly interested in knowing if the game is fun to play and if there are any problems / rough edges we have to look into. You are more than welcome (encouraged, even) to give us detailed feedback and analyse the game wherever you see fit, but that’s not a mandatory requirement!

The most important thing is whether or not you are having fun.

Q: How is this going to work?

A: We review submissions and handpick the ones we think are the most suited for our playtest. We have limited space so we, unfortunately, cannot let everybody in. If we get too many good submissions, we will be using software to randomly select between our recommendations.

If you have been approved, I will be sending you a friend request on Discord (Username is Nexxtic) and discuss further details in our Test Group! If your submission mentioned you don't want to use Discord, I’ll be sending an email instead!

Q: How many players will be accepted in the Playtesting Group?

A: We aren't entirely sure yet. We do know we want to keep it small scale for the time being as we aren't sure how labor intensive the testing phase is going to be for us. If we feel like there is space for more, we'll be reviewing the form again and invite new people over. We'll adapt based on the circumstances.

If you don't hear from us, we may still get back to you later!

Q: Will we test the full Early Access version of the game?

A: In a way, yes! We still have 4 months left of polishing and tweaking left to do, but many of the contents are approaching final and are very representative. Just potentially buggy or ‘rough around the edges’ in certain places.

The test will be done in multiple phases. The first phase contains the entirety of Level 2. The second phase contains the entirety of Level 3 and Level 4, etc. Then at the end, we test the first level (which is getting a major rework soon). The average level should take 45-60 minutes to complete. This allows us to continue working on later levels while the other ones are being tested. Once a new set of levels are done, we will be updating the game.

We will discuss more about this in the Testing Group when the time comes.

The final level(s) may be excluded from testing.

Q: Will it take a lot of my time to test this game?

A: That’s up to you! We don't mean for this to feel like a job, we want the playtest to be fun as if you’re casually playing a video game you just bought. If all you can muster is 30 minutes of playtime a week, but still can find the time to provide feedback, then it’s alright with us.

Q: Any rewards for playtesters?
A: Anyone who helps us playtest the game will receive special credits; both through the Credits page listed right after the development team, and through an in-game asset in one of our levels that mentions your name (either your full name or nickname). We are still working out the details of the latter, but are fully committed to that idea. We will make sure players see you!

Q: I’ve never tested a game before. Is that a problem?

A: That is not a problem. We need a wide range of different players to cover more ground. Casual or hardcore, red or purple blooded, everyone is welcome in this playtest.

Q: I only have a Linux  machine / Steam Deck. Does this reduce my chances of getting accepted?

A: No. We need those to be tested too! Not having a Windows machine at your disposal is not an issue.

Q: I don't want to use Steam

A: Unfortunately, Steam makes it very easy (and safe) for us to distribute the game to testers. Steam is a mandatory requirement.

Q: What about Discord?

A: We can make an exception by e.g. using email, but highly recommend Discord as one central place is a lot easier for us to manage.

Q: My question isn’t answered here >:(

A: Oh no! Reach out to us in the comments, in the Patreon Chat, or in #Patreon-Lounge in our Discord server!

Conclusion

We have to be honest with you here: We have never organized such a thing before! While we have a good grasp on how to make a fun game (hopefully, at least!), many other aspects of this line of work are a complete mystery to us. We’ve never promoted a game before, never ran a sizable community before, and also have never done testing like this before. We are figuring it out as we go, so please bear with us as some things may be subject to change.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

The password required for the form is ‘I shall not kick Park Benches’

(Feel free to exclude ‘not’ in the password if you want to be a rebel)

Wesley de Waart