Antidote - UX for Games

Moderating a playtest sounds simple, until you try it 👀

There’s a fine line between guiding players and influencing them. Knowing when to speak up (and when to stay quiet) is what makes great research happen.

That’s why so many studios trust us to handle it 😎

Launching a game is tough, but dealing with post-launch can be even tougher.

In our latest episode, we share tips on handling player boredom, stalled growth & unexpected issues. All from our own experience 😉



Watch here: antidote.gg/how-to-keep-...

Player Creativity in Gamification Discover how players reshape games through creative play. Learn why treating players as co-creators can keep games alive for years.

Why do players love breaking games? 👀

In our latest podcast, we explore what happens when players take ownership. Speedruns, DIY tournaments and even turning games into infinite sandboxes.

🎧 Listen here: antidote.gg/player-creat...

Addressing Security in Remote Playtesting Security in remote playtesting doesn't have to be scary. We share practical strategies we use at Antidote to protect your IP during playtests.

Security is a big deal in playtesting.

You’ve spent months (or years) building your game, so testing it shouldn’t put it at risk.

In our latest podcast, we share how we keep your builds safe.

🎧 Watch here: antidote.gg/addressing-s...

3️⃣ If you're building something and want real feedback (without spending months setting it up) check if you qualify 👇

antidote.gg/indies/

2️⃣ It gives small studios free access to:

- Our full playtesting platform
- A ready player community
- A chance to be featured across Antidote

And yes, Star Racer was part of it!

1️⃣ If you're an indie dev trying to playtest your game but limited by budget or reach, we hear you.

That's exactly why we created the Indie Program.

Star Racer has officially launched on Steam 🚀

But the story behind it?

A journey every indie dev will relate to, that involves uncertainty, tough calls and passion.

We sat down with Whatnot Games' founder to hear it all.

Full interview: antidote.gg/the-story-be...

3️⃣ Most reports are free

Yep. You can browse many reports for free.
And if you're on a platform subscription, everything is included.

Just log in and head to the Intelligence tab to start exploring. See you there 📊

app.antidote.gg#!/signup/

2️⃣ Pre & post-launch data

Access reports that include insights like:

🧭 How players discovered the game
🛒 What pushed them to hit “buy”
🎮 Which game mechanics did they love most
🔁 What kept them coming back

1️⃣ Real insights from real players

We’ve been running research with our global player community on some of the biggest titles this year:

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Helldivers 2
Black Myth: Wukong

These reports reveal what players actually think!

We just dropped a new feature inside Antidote 👀

Intelligence gives you instant access to player insights from top titles like:

- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Helldivers 2
- Black Myth: Wukong

Here is what you can get 👇

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold 3.3m+ copies🤯

A record 9.7 Metacritic user rating score and 80k+ Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam. Just wow!

Huge congrats to the Sandfall team 👏

We are proud to have supported the playtesting process through our platform.

Indie Program for Small Game Studios Join Antidote’s exclusive Indie Program! Playtest your games, gain valuable insights and build a loyal community from the start - for free!

Hey indie devs, we know playtesting can get expensive.

But with our Indie Program, you can get FREE access to:

🔧 Our playtesting platform
🎮 A player community to test your game
🌟 Feature your game to 250k+ players

See if you qualify: antidote.gg/indies/

Massive game files shouldn’t delay your playtest.

With the Pre-Installs feature, players can download the build in advance, so your session starts on time and stays secure.

Yes, that means way less stress 😌

More on our security: antidote.gg/antidotes-se...

Playtest analytics alone won’t tell you the full story.

Yes, they show ‘what’ is happening, but not ‘why’.
Watching players in action fills in the gaps that metrics leave behind.

Joan Costa explains why a solid playtest analysis needs both data and real in-game behavior.

Balancing UX and Business Goals in Game Development In our latest episode, we explore how UX and business goals can work together in game development (without ruining the playing experience).

UX researchers, how do you balance great player experiences with business goals?

In our latest podcast episode, we talk about what it really takes to align UX with business without compromising player experience.

🎧 Listen here: antidote.gg/balancing-ux...

R.E.P.O. hit a peak of 266K+ concurrent players on Steam in under a month 🤯

We wanted to learn what made it such a breakout hit.

We ran a market research study with our community to learn what made players buy and keep playing.

Download the full report 👇

antidote.gg/mkt-research...

Playtest feedback shouldn’t live in a messy doc or someone’s memory.

With Annotations on Antidote, your team can comment, collaborate and cut through the noise.

All on one timeline.

Learn more: lnkd.in/dpmh8dBY

Repetitive gameplay is one of the most common issues we see in playtests.

If players get bored or feel like they’re doing the same thing over and over, they’ll drop off (fast).

Lucy shares some practical ways to keep players engaged through variety, pacing and challenge 👈

If your tutorial feels like a separate chore, players will treat it like one.

The best onboarding doesn’t pull players out of the experience - it is the experience.

In this clip, Costa shares what great onboarding looks like: teaching players as they play, without ever breaking immersion 🙌

P.S. Unfortunately, not all Antidoters made it into the photo 🥲

P.S.S. We promise our Slack channels are 100% professional. We totally don’t share memes, debate movies or become food critics.

Antidote team photo

Seven countries. Multiple time zones. One team.

This is Antidote 🧡

As a remote-first company, distance doesn’t divide us - it connects us and makes us stronger.

With teammates from different cultures and backgrounds, we bring fresh ideas to the table and grow stronger together.

#playtesting

Lauren "T-Dog" Temos, Next Gen Leader

Glen Henry, Velocity Cohort

Ricardo Aviles, Velocity Cohort

🎉Are you ready to meet more of our #GDC2025 program grantees?

Today we’re introducing you to Ricardo, @tdogextreme.bsky.social , and Glen @spritewrench.com .

Thanks again to our partners at GDC and @doublefine.com for supporting this program!

#GDCScholarImpact #gamedev

5️⃣ The takeaway

A game without a community is just a product. A game with one? That’s a movement. Start today and give players something to believe in.

4️⃣ Engage, listen and adapt

A community isn’t just about broadcasting updates. Make players feel heard. Respond to feedback. Ask questions. Celebrate their involvement.

3️⃣ Run iterative playtests

Involve players in the development process. Early feedback helps improve the game and players who contribute feel a stronger connection.

2️⃣ Share dev diaries

Players love behind-the-scenes content. Show progress, challenges, and sneak peeks - it builds excitement and emotional investment.

1️⃣ Start a Discord

Give players a dedicated space to connect, share thoughts, and get updates. A strong community starts with real conversations.

A game without a loyal community is just another game

If you wait until launch to build a community, you’re already behind.

Players won’t feel invested and your game risks becoming just another title in the crowd.

The good news? It’s never too late to start. Here’s how you can start building a loyal community 👇

#gamedevelopment #videogames