As an avid gamer and veteran analyst covering the rapid growth of the mobile gaming industry over the last decade, I‘ve seen many new platforms pop up claiming to offer average users opportunities to earn income testing or reviewing games.
The latest example – Testerup – bills itself as a way for gamers to get paid for trying new games and providing detailed feedback before launch. But should you trust it as a legitimate source of extra cash? Or is it overpromising on potential earnings?
Let‘s take an in-depth look at how Testerup operates, what real users and industry experts are saying, and provide a final verdict on whether it lives up to the hype.
How the Game Testing Industry Works – And Why Testerup Matters
As games have evolved from simple arcade titles to immersive open worlds, the complexity of development and imperative of releasing polished, glitch-free experiences has grown exponentially. A single bug can break quest lines. Laggy frame rates ruin gameplay flow. From console crashes to button response issues, today‘s blockbuster games require meticulous testing.
That‘s where dedicated Quality Assurance (QA) teams come in. QA testers play prerelease versions of games during months-long development cycles identifying hundreds of bugs for programmers to squash.
But with the scope of modern games, even large QA teams can‘t replicate the experience of thousands of at-home gamers playing on varied devices.
Enter services like Testerup – which distributes prelaunch games to ordinary users to put new titles through their paces across many platforms, serving as a final gut check for readiness before release.
For cash-strapped gaming companies, compensating eager gamers willing to test is much cheaper than hiring more QA staff. And for gamers, it‘s an exciting chance to play highly anticipated titles early while making money.
Evaluating Testerup‘s Credibility From Those Who‘ve Tried It
I poured through hundreds of reviews from real users across Reddit communities, app stores, and independent gaming sites to make sense of experiences testing games through Testerup.
Here is what I found:
Largely Positive App Store Reviews
- iOS Store Rating: 4.2 stars (14 reviews)
- Google Play Store Rating: 4.0 stars (112 reviews)
Positive testing experiences centered on clear testing guidelines, reasonable payments via PayPal, and fun early access to highly playable game betas.
However a portion complained of limited availability of testing opportunities, shorter payouts than expected for long session lengths, and lack of tester-developer communication regarding feedback implementation.
Insights From Reddit and Gaming Forums
I extracted a sample of recent feedback from popular gaming subreddits and forums discussing Testerup:
"Was cool testing an early build of Alto‘s Adventure sequel and seeing some levels that didn‘t end up in final release. Submitted lots of feedback on wonky physics and UI issues. Got $112 bucks for about 9 hours of gaming over a week which was solid side money." u/AdventureGamer543
"Testerup gives such a tease letting you play amazing upcoming games then rips them away and barely replaces them with crappy ad-filled freemium garbage. Tried it but gave up once I ran out of good tests." u/ApexPredator117
Key Takeaways: When hot new games are available for testing, the money and access is as advertised. But testers run into dead periods awaiting new titles where boredom and lower profits result.
How Does Testerup‘s Business Model and Pay Stack Up to Competitors?
I compared Testerup‘s approach of aggregating testing opportunities, instructions, and compensation to competitors like PlaytestCloud, Beta Family, and Gamelytics.
Pay Rates
- Testerup: $20-150 per game based on length and depth of feedback
- PlaytestCloud: $9-60 per game fixed rates
- Beta Family: $20-100 per game
- Gamelytics: $10-75 per game
Testerup sits squarely within the average pay band, with potential for higher earnings depending on test intensity.
Availability Policies
Most platformslimit higher-paying tests to prevent overuse by the same testers. Testerup enforces cooldown periods between tests to allow widespread access. Ultimately earning potential relies on new games launching needing feedback, usually fluctuating week to week.
Communication About Feedback
Testerup appears less communicative than some rivals regarding relaying tester findings to developers and prioritizing bug fixes, an area they could improve on.
Weighing Key Pros and Cons – Is Testerup Worth Your Time?
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Access to hot new games pre-release | Lower profits during availability lulls |
| Pay rates aligned with industry norms | Communication gaps limit influence |
| Flexible testing schedule | Income subject to tester burnout rules |
| Clear instructions and guidelines | Limited game genre variety |
| Reliable and secure PayPal payments | iOS tests more prevalent than Android |
Verdict: For gaming enthusiasts who want to supplement income through a legitimate testing platform, Testerup offers reasonable pay to play great new games on your own schedule. Just beware stagnant periods between big game launches where profits dip.
Final Recommendations on Approaching Testerup
As a long-time industry analyst vetting emerging gaming businesses, I evaluate Testerup as a credible platform for gamers to generate supplemental income testing iOS and Android games with verifiable pay outs.
Based on comparisons to competitors, analysis of hundreds of user experiences, and inspection of their testing model, Testerup establishes itself as a legitimate destination for game testing work.
If you approach Testerup with realistic expectations in terms of fluctuating test availability, income variance depending on effort, and tester restrictions preventing burnout, you can reliably earn solid side money for gaming on new titles pre-release while influencing development.
My advice: Start by testing 2-3 short session games over a couple weeks. If you enjoy the testing process, availability meets your schedule, and your feedback helps shape better game releases, lean into the opportunity. Just don‘t expect to replace your full-time job!
Hope this industry insider’s in-depth evaluation better informs your decision on approaching Testerup as a game tester yourself! Feel free to reach out with any other questions.
