Steam Introduces New Developer Tool For Playtesting Games Through The Platform

Valve is currently working on a new Steam tool called Steam Playtest that’s designed to make it easier for developers to playtest in-development games. With the new tool, developers will be able to invite players to test their games without having to manage a mailing list or give out keys. Developers will also have full control on when testing will start, how many players will be allowed to participate, adding more players, and when to end the tests. Here’s how it works:

“The new tools let you host Playtest signups right on your Steam store page, and grant access directly through Steamworks (no keys needed). Players click the button to sign up, and they go into a queue. On the backend, you can see all those signups and let in as many users as you wish, with a simple interface. When you're ready to end your playtest, you can easily deactivate it- which will remove the Sign Up option from your game’s store page, and remove the Playtest from players’ libraries.”

Valve says that Steam Playtest is free for both developers and players and is not a replacement for Early Access. In fact, developers can even choose to host a playtest for a game that’s already in Early Access. The tool is currently in beta and interested developers can take it for a test run by filling up this contact form. A release date has yet to be announced but the team says that they’ll keep improving the tool up to the point that it’s ready.

More information can be found on the Steam Community Page.