My process with playtesting, my proof of playtesting.

Games have been a major part of my career, so showing how I quantify player experience through playtesting matters. These examples are auto-ethnographic, but they're built on the same frameworks I'd apply with 20 to 100 participants. Same methodology, bigger stage.

Comparing the first 120 minutes of ELDEN RING to those of THE WITCHER 3.

Both are open-world, third-person fantasy games—but with very different design philosophies. While I tracked more variables than are shown in the charts below, the visualized data tells a clear story. Additional metrics included learning how to play, feeling like quitting, and how often I died.

Elden Ring delivered high challenge and high frustration, paired with low clarity and minimal onboarding—conditions that only worsened over time. I rarely understood what I was supposed to be doing, and died frequently and easily. It felt as though the game was designed to punish rather than guide, making progress feel earned but exhausting.

Meanwhile,The Witcher 3’s design consistently set me up for success.

From the start, I had clear direction, minimal deaths, and strong, consistent guidance. I always knew what I needed to do and where to go. Any dips in fun were typically due to long, unskippable cutscenes rather than gameplay issues.

Conclusion.

Assuming FromSoftware’s goal is to broaden Elden Ring’s appeal and increase long-term engagement among newer or more casual players, the data suggests that playtime could be improved with the addition of optional, clearer in-game guidance.

This might include better cues for the alpha path, reminders that running away is a valid strategy, and brief pop-ups to reinforce combat basics/strategy. These could ease early frustration without sacrificing the game’s core challenge.

To put a cap on this analysis, let’s compare one more rating: wanting to stop playing.

I also tracked my desire to stop and quit playing at regular intervals. When charted, this metric reinforces the broader analysis—though it’s compelling to see the same story unfold through a different emotional lens.

Over the course of two hours with Elden Ring, my urge to quit steadily increased. Despite the time invested, I had learned very little and still didn’t understand what I was supposed to be doing (and no—I didn’t look up tips online). The game offered minimal guidance, which compounded my frustration.

In contrast, The Witcher 3 rarely made me want to stop. When I did feel that urge, it was typically during long cutscenes that I couldn’t easily skip—not because the gameplay lacked clarity or momentum. In fact, the frustration came from the game insisting I focus on its story, rather than giving me the agency to dive into the experience on my own terms.