Two-week human playtesting phase
About 25–35 minutes for both games
Play one or both games and tell us how clearly they signal that play is approaching its end.
Pinyin Tiles: build connected words on a board and choose the correct tones to score points.
Pinyin Puzzle: use clues to complete a Pinyin crossword. Hints are switched off for this playtest.
Try one or both games, then answer the short questions that apply to each completed game. Every response helps. We are testing the games, not your Mandarin.
Playtest closes Monday 19 October 2026.
Two-game perception playtest
We hope you will try both games, but completing either one gives us useful feedback. We are testing whether the ending of each game feels clear. We are testing the games, not your Mandarin.
How to begin
On the next screen, leave all the options exactly as they are and press Start match. Finish the game, then answer the short questions that appear on the results screen.
Word-building board game
Build Mandarin words from Pinyin sound pieces, choose their tones and reveal possible English meanings. Complete one game, then answer the short survey on its results screen.
Playtest closes Monday 19 October 2026.
Pinyin crossword
Use the clues to complete words across and down. Choose the correct tones to match each word’s meaning, then answer the short survey on the results screen.
Meet the games
Word-building board game
Combine Pinyin initials and finals, choose the correct tones and discover the possible meanings behind every valid play.
Pinyin crossword
Complete a crossword built from Pinyin sound units, then use tones and meaning clues to distinguish Mandarin words that share the same written letters.
Word and meaning matching game
Find the matching Mandarin word and English meaning tiles, then choose the tones to clear the pair.
Why take part
Your experience will directly shape how Pinyin Tiles and Pinyin Puzzle guide future players through the final stages of a game. We include every valid response in that game's findings. When you complete both games, we also compare your experiences. Questions about phases you did not encounter are skipped, and serious difficulties are flagged for immediate review even if only one player reports them.
Your answers show whether players can tell when each game is nearly over—and understand why.
Your sense of pace helps us tune warnings so they arrive when they are useful, not too early or too late.
Your feedback helps us make the same endgame cues understandable without relying only on colour or animation.
Contact us