Player gameplay time estimation

[MushroomCake28]

What's your general take on determine how much time it will take the player to finish your game? I know most people play their game and multiply their playtime by X amount. Now the question is, what is your X?

I was thinking of multiplying my playtime by 2. So if I take 15 hours to finish the main story of my game, it would take about 30 hours for a regular player on his first playthrough.

 

[Poryg]

Your playtesters will tell you if you ask them. Estimate from their experience. Not yours.

 

[Andar]

sorry, there is no way a general estimate can work. You'll have to ask your players.
Here are two extreme examples of why no general number can work:
1) you have a puzzle-heavy game and know all solutions yourself, but the players have to think - this often means that the players need ten times the playtime of the developer.
2) you have a linear combat-heavy game where the easiest way to win is attack-bashing. Combat time is therefore mostly identical between player and developer, so usually the player only needs the same time or 10% more.

Any other forms of games have other numbers as well...

 

[bgillisp]

In my experience, my playtesters have taken 2.5 - 3x as long as I do. So if your game is 15 hours for you, that would be 37.5 - 45 hours for them.

Some of the reason for that is I know how to solve all of my puzzles, and I know the fastest route through the game, and the ideal way to beat my bosses (as well as what they are weak to). Plus I've read my dialogue so many times it goes faster for me than them.

 

[TheoAllen]

I finished my game in 2 hours and 20 mins at the average.
My players finished it at 4 hours on average, the longest one on the record was 7 to 8 hours.
It doesn't even have a puzzle, maybe an accumulation of getting lost in the maze. But what can I tell?

 

[MushroomCake28]

@Poryg Yeah of course that would be ideal, but when you have a story that can take up to 20 hours (for the me, the dev), it can be very long to play test before releasing. I mean, realistically, most people don't finish a long jrpg.

@Andar I agree that the estimation may vary depending on the game, but similar games tend to have about the same estimation formula. Like if a dev makes many game, chances are that his games will be similar with similar puzzles, meaning it should take approximately the same time to figure it out.

So it would be x2 to x3 according to @bgillisp and @TheoAllen. Thanks guys!

 

[Wavelength]

This was asked a couple of months ago - see this thread for some extra answers in addition to what you get here.

 

[Milennin]

I take 1.5-2x my playtime for players who kind of just follow the main path and don't struggle too much anywhere along the way.
About 3-4x my playtime for the players who like to take their time and do a fair bit of exploration.

 

[MushroomCake28]

@Wavelength Thanks!

@Milennin So pretty much similar to other people here. Good to know.

 

[Finnuval]

or find someone with a lot of time that will playtest for you
They must be out here somewhere

 

[MushroomCake28]

@Finnuval I'll try to find that tester after I'm done with the story part of my project, which shouldn't be too long.

 

[Finnuval]

You do that

 

[Kupotepo]

@MushroomCake28, I suggest you a way to find players gameplay time estimation by finding the average of all of your data. Statistically, your game composed of puzzles, combat time, dialogue time, and estimated free walking time.
(All testers time of the Puzzle solving + All testers time of combat time + All testers time of dialogue happening + All testers time of estimated free walking time) / Total number of testers = The average player times.

I hope that happens the more people, more the accurate the prediction. You can play or anyone can play because you will never get exactly from everyone. Some players are struck and some players go faster.

 

[MushroomCake28]

@Kupotepo Yeah I know, but that only works if you have a large pool of people testing the entire game before you release the game, which, let's be honest, probably won't happen.

 

[Kupotepo]

@MushroomCake28, are you still try to predict what estimation player gameplay time? However, you can keep playing from a beginning multiple times. I think you still get similar resolution as a large pool of testers. However, you have played a normal speed every time.

I do not think players would care much about how the length of the game. Many games like to stretch length or short length of games which I find choppy or meaningless. Just start the new story, I said. Sorry for going off topic.

 

[MushroomCake28]

@Kupotepo That's what I'm doing, but I'm obviously completing the game much faster than an average player since I know the answers to all the puzzles, exactly where to go, the optimal strategies in battles, chest locations, etc. And that's kinda the point of thread, to know what is people's experience regarding the ratio dev playtime / player playtime (which seems to sit around x1.5 - x3 times).

Yeah I know people don't bother with play time, and to be honest it's not that important to me. It's just that I have a couple of achievements that are based on play time, so just need to have a general idea.

 

[Kupotepo]

@MushroomCake28, you are made the achievements on your game base on timing. Interesting! I think it would be pressure than reward. I think you the scoring would be a great idea or how much money the player has at the end of the game would be a great idea. lol, do not sell your game short. Many of the games in Steam have achievements. Achievements would be fun for some players I guess. I just try to keep a thing realistic, so my prediction is accurate and it might sound like I am serious.

 

[MushroomCake28]

@Kupotepo It's just a completely optional little achievement system (like on Steam). It's not mandatory, and rewards aren't that amazing. Conditions to gain achievements are highly variable, it could be player step, completing a quest, play time, or anything else. I'm using one of my plugin that is available for public usage (anyone can use it). If you're interested (yes I know, shameless advertising):

https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?threads/mush-advance-achievement-system.93569/

 

[TheoAllen]

Ya know, there was a game claimed to be 1-hour length demo, it indeed didn't have many contents to explore, but despite being that, I finished it in 2 hours and 10 mins including getting lost and ask the developer for the direction.

 

[MushroomCake28]

@TheoAllen I suppose the "getting lost and asking dev" was the majority of that 2h10mins? That's bad design, not gameplay playtime, well at least the desirable gameplay lol.