Horror Hits Different When you Know What's Working
Private playtesting for indie horror developers who want to know where the tension holds, where the experience fights back, and what an actual player notices along the way
What You Get From a Gravenox Playtest
This isn’t a score, a review, or a checklist filled out after the credits roll. I play through your build as a player first, while documenting where the experience pulls me in, loses me, confuses me, or makes me hesitate. You get those observations back in a structured report built around what actually happened during play.
Player Experience
Where did the game pull me in, and where did it lose me? I document moments of tension, confusion, hesitation, frustration, surprise, and engagement as they happen during play.
Horror & Pacing
Does the tension build, hold, or disappear? I track how scares, atmosphere, downtime, encounters, and repetition affect the horror experience across the playthrough.
Friction & Clarity
Where did I get stuck, misunderstand what the game wanted, or fight the controls instead of the horror? I flag navigation, objectives, mechanics, interactions, and other points of friction.
What Lands in Your Inbox
After the playtest, you receive a private written report documenting the playthrough and the moments worth looking at again. The goal isn’t to redesign your game for you. It’s to give you a clear record of what one outside player experienced, where problems surfaced, and what may deserve another look
- Playthrough Summary: A concise overview of the experience and the strongest patterns I noticed.
- Timestamped Observations: Specific moments tied to when they happened during the playthrough.
- Player Friction: Navigation, objectives, mechanics, interactions, or controls that caused confusion or frustration.
- Horror & Pacing Notes: Where tension built, dropped, surprised me, became predictable, or lost its effect.
- What Worked: Mechanics, scares, environments, interactions, or moments that landed particularly well.
- Priority Takeaways: The observations I think are most worth your attention after the playtest.
How It Works
1. Send Your Build
Send access to the build along with any context you think I should know. You can also tell me whether you want a completely blind first impression.
2. I Play & Document
I play as a player first, recording what happens and documenting reactions, friction, pacing, confusion, and moments that work.
3. Get Your Report
You receive a private written playtest report with the observations organized into clear findings you can reference during development
Playtest Options
First Look
Up to 60 minutes of play
$35
Built for demos, prototypes, vertical slices, and shorter horror experiences.
Includes:
- Private written playtest report
- Timestamped observations
- Player experience & friction notes
- Horror & pacing observations
- What worked
- Priority takeaways
Deeper Dive
Up to 2 hours of play
$59
Built for longer demos, substantial vertical slices, and short-form horror games where more of the experience needs testing.
Includes:
- Everything in First Look
- Extended timestamped observations
- Broader pacing observations across the playthrough
- Recurring friction and experience patterns
- Expanded priority takeaways
Custom Scope
For playtests beyond 2 hours
Priced by Scope
Need multiple chapters, a specific mechanic, several areas of focus, or a larger portion of your build tested? We can define the scope before I start.
Scope can include:
- Longer play sessions
- Specific levels or chapters
- Targeted mechanic testing
- Multiple areas of focus
- A report structured around the agreed test scope
Before You Send a Build
You don’t need a polished build. Demos, prototypes, vertical slices, and works in progress are welcome. I just need enough information to access the game and understand anything that could affect the playtest.
What to Send
Build Access
A Steam key, itch.io link, download link, or another way to access the build.
Basic Context
Let me know the expected playtime, current development stage, and anything I need to know to run the game.
Testing Focus, If Any
Have a mechanic, level, pacing concern, or other area you specifically want observed? Tell me. Otherwise, I can approach the build blind.
What I Need to Know
Known Issues
Tell me about bugs or technical problems that could prevent progress through the build.
Embargo or Confidentiality
If the build is private, unreleased, under embargo, or shouldn’t be discussed publicly, let me know when you submit it.
No Review Required
A private playtest is separate from Gravenox editorial coverage. Sending a build for testing does not guarantee or require a public review, preview, video, or social post.
Ready For An Outside Set of Eyes?
Tell me what you’re working on, where the build is in development, and what kind of playtest you’re looking for. If you’re not sure which option fits, send the details and we can figure out the scope from there.