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A bug is a fault in a game’s behavior — a mismatch between what’s intended and what actually happens. It can affect logic, visuals, audio, progression, or performance — and always signals a break in the player’s trust.
A bug isn’t just a coding mistake. It’s a systemic deviation from design reality.
1️⃣ Definition
A bug is any unintended or incorrect behavior in a game’s code, visuals, audio, UI, or logic — causing inconsistency, confusion, frustration, or crash.
📍If something behaves in a way you didn’t plan — and the player can notice — it’s a bug.
2️⃣ Common Types of Bugs
Type | Description | Example |
Gameplay | Mechanics behave incorrectly | Can roll during stun |
Visual | Art doesn’t display as intended | Floating trees, missing textures |
UI | Interface is broken or misleading | HP bar doesn’t update on damage |
Audio | Missing or wrong sound | No SFX when hitting enemy |
Collision / Physics | Movement breaks world logic | Fall through terrain, stuck in wall |
AI | Enemies act irrationally | NPC runs in circles |
Progression | Player can't advance | Quest doesn’t trigger after item pickup |
Network | Sync issues, desync, lag | Enemy teleports during PvP |
Crash / Freeze | Hard failure or exit | Null reference, infinite loop |
📍Bug = intent mismatch + player impact. A “weird but harmless” glitch? Still a bug.
3️⃣ Bug Lifecycle
Stage | What Happens |
Discovery | QA, devs, or players spot unexpected behavior |
Reproduction | Try to trigger it reliably (repro steps) |
Documentation | Record with title, steps, expected/actual result |
Triage | Assign severity (Blocker → Cosmetic) |
Fix | Devs implement a correction |
Verification | QA retests and confirms it’s gone |
📍A good bug report = clear title, exact steps, expected vs actual, and priority tag.
4️⃣ Example Bug Report
ID: #2381Title: Player falls through bridge on Level 3
Steps: Sprint from east side → jump mid-bridge
Expected: Player crosses bridge
Actual: Player falls and dies
Priority: Major (softlock risk)
Build: Unity v0.9.4
5️⃣ Severity Levels
Level | Impact |
Blocker | Game can’t start or progress |
Critical | Core system broken |
Major | Serious, but not game-breaking |
Minor | Noticeable, but tolerable |
Cosmetic | Purely visual or audio issue |
📍Don’t ignore cosmetic bugs — they erode trust, even if they don’t break systems.
6️⃣ Designer’s Role in Bug Handling
Task | Why It Matters |
Define expected behavior | So devs & QA know what’s intended |
Test edge cases | Rapid input, weird timing, max/min values |
Collaborate with QA | Translate design intent into test logic |
Design failsafes | Reset triggers, softlock escapes, visual clarity |
Log cleanly | Especially in systems like quests, dialogue, timers |
📍Every mechanic needs an "if something goes wrong" branch.
7️⃣ Tools for Bug Tracking
- Jira, Hansoft, Notion, Trello
- Unity/Unreal in-editor logging
- Build dashboards with regression tracking
- Automated playtesters or crash analyzers (e.g. Backtrace, Sentry)
✅ Bug Review Checklist
📍Bug fixing is design refinement under a microscope. Treat it like a second round of design.
Summary
Term | Bug |
What it is | Any unintended behavior that breaks logic, fairness, or immersion |
Why it matters | Undermines trust, flow, usability, and polish |
How it's handled | Through discovery → documentation → triage → fix → verify |
Design goal | Reduce friction between system intent and system reality |
📍A bug is not just broken code. It’s a signal that something the player trusts — just failed. And fixing it is part of the craft of caring.