Playtesting with real input

Play the game with real input, read what is on screen and check that it shows what it should.

What it’s for

Your assistant can look at the running game’s screen the way a player would, then use it. It sees which buttons, text and other elements are on screen, along with a labeled screenshot. It clicks, types, presses keys, drags, hovers and scrolls with real input. Then it checks that what is on screen matches what should be there.

This is how your assistant tests its own work: it builds something, presses what a player would press and checks the result. To build the UI itself, see UI widgets (UMG). To change widgets on screen directly during play, see On-screen UI during play.

It can also work with the editor’s own windows and panels, and read the gameplay events your game logged between two steps.

Things you can ask

Click through a menu

Your assistant finds the button on screen and clicks it.

You: Start a match from the main menu.

Found Play and Settings on the main menu and clicked Play. The match is loading.

Press a key and check the result

Your assistant plays the game, presses the key and checks the HUD text, so nobody has to judge a screenshot by eye.

You: Verify that scoring works.

Played the level and pressed Space. The HUD read Score: 10, so scoring works. I stopped the session.

Wait for a screen to appear

Your assistant waits until the screen actually shows up, up to a time limit.

You: After the last checkpoint, the results screen should come up.

ResultsScreen appeared within the 8 second limit.