Valve's "Secret Weapon"

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Valve is famous for crafting games that are polished and intuitive. But that's no accident: the developer has a near-religious obsession with playtesting. Learn more, in this video.

=== Before you watch ===

Content warning: Blood, Combat

=== Sources ===

[1] Valve reflects on The Orange Box, ten years later | PC Gamer
www.pcgamer.com/valve-reflects-on-the-orange-box-t…

[2] Developer Commentary | Portal
store.steampowered.com/app/400/Portal/

[3] Portal Beta 2005 & More 2006 Content | Logan on YouTube
   • Portal Beta 2005 & More 2006 Content

[4] Beyond the Box | 1UP
Archive: web.archive.org/web/20110524000033/http://www.1up.…

[5] Kim Swift - 'Our Journey From Narbacular Drop To Portal' | IGS 2007
   • IGS 2007: Kim Swift - 'Our Journey Fr...

[6] Narbacular Drop | Digipen Institute of Technology
www.digipen.edu/showcase/student-games/narbacular-…

[7] Valve's Design Process for Creating Half-Life 2 | GDC 2006
www.gdcvault.com/play/1013237/Valve-s-Design-Proce…

YouTube mirror:    • Valve's Design Process for Creating H...

[8] Valve’s philosophy with User Research... | Steve Bromley
www.stevebromley.com/blog/2011/09/01/valves-philos…

[9] The Science of Playtesting | GameSpot
www.gamespot.com/articles/the-science-of-playtesti…

[10] Opening the Valve | Eurogamer
www.eurogamer.net/i-valve-060606

[11] Valve Is Finally Ready to Talk About Its Games Again... | The Escapist
www.escapistmagazine.com/valve-ready-to-talk-about…

[12] Thinking With Portals | Game Developer Magazine
[PDF] ubm-twvideo01.s3.amazonaws.com/o1/vault/GD_Mag_Arc…

[13] 126 - Josh Weier Interview | Kiwi Talkz
www.listennotes.com/podcasts/kiwi-talkz/126-josh-w…

[14] The Cabal: Valve's Design Process For Creating Half-Life | Game Developer Magazine
Mirror: www.hl-inside.ru/magazines/gdm/GDM_1999-12/

[15] Handbook For New Employees | Valve
[PDF] cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/apps/valve/Valve_NewEmp…

[16] The 100 greatest video games of all time... | GQ
www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/best-video-games-all…

[17] The Final Hours Of Half-Life 2 | Gamespot
www.gamespot.com/articles/the-final-hours-of-half-…

[18] Why Are Valve's Games So Polished? | IGN
www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/27/gdc-09-why-are-val…

[19] Half-Life 2: Episode One Update Released | Steam
store.steampowered.com/oldnews/681

[20] How fidgeting playtesters convinced Valve... | PC Gamer
www.pcgamer.com/how-fidgeting-playtesters-convince…

[21] Christine Phelan - Creating a Nightmare... | Konsoll 2021
   • Konsoll 2021: Christine Phelan - Crea...

[22] Integrating Narrative into Game Design... | GDC 2008
   • Integrating Narrative into Game Desig...

[23] RPS Interview: Portal's Kim Swift... | Rock Paper Shotgun
www.rockpapershotgun.com/rps-interview-portals-kim…

[24] Meet the minds behind Half-Life 2 | PC Gamer
www.pcgamer.com/meet-the-minds-behind-half-life-2/

[25] The Final Hours of Portal 2 | Steam
store.steampowered.com/app/104600/Portal_2__The_Fi…

=== Chapters ===

00:00 - Intro
01:25 - Playtesting Portal
05:47 - Valve's History
08:38 - Playtesting Tips
15:43 - Conclusion

=== Games Shown ===

Portal (2017)
Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
Far Cry 3 (2012)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021)
Portal 2 (2011)
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023)
Narbacular Drop (2005)
Half-Life 2 (2004)
skate. (Unreleased)
Left 4 Dead (2008)
Half-Life 2: Episode One (2006)
Half-Life Alyx (2020)
God of War Ragnarök (2022)
Untitled Magnet Game (Unreleased)
Superliminal (2019)
Viewfinder (2023)

=== Credits ===

Music provided by Epidemic Sound - www.epidemicsound.com/referral/vtdu5y (Referral Link)

Narbacular Drop - Full Walkthrough | COG in the Game
   • Narbacular Drop - Full Walkthroiugh -...

Konsoll 2021: Christine Phelan - Creating a Nightmare in Half-Life: Alyx | Konsoll
   • Konsoll 2021: Christine Phelan - Crea...

F-Stop (After-Image) - "lab_intro_scripted2" | fstop
   • F-Stop (After-Image) - "lab_intro_scr...

Portal 2: F-STOP PROJECT CAPTURE - Full Walkthrough | Bolloxed
   • Portal 2: F-STOP PROJECT CAPTURE - Fu...

Exposure by LunchHouse Software | LunchHouse Software
   • Video

Mirror: www.playground.ru/portal/news/anons_exposure_serii…

=== Subtitles ===

Contribute translated subtitles - amara.org/videos/MyGYKu72hcPs/