The idea of incorporating player feedback into the game design process has strong intuitive appeal. Rather than just guessing what players want, why not ask them directly? In fact, while the theory may be simple, the practice of gathering authentic, balanced, and actionable feedback can be quite challenging. How do you test a game when its still rough and incomplete? How do you get play testers to tell you what they think, not what they think you want to hear? Most importantly: how do you stay true to your personal vision while still being open to external opinions? On Episode 45 of Vertical Slice we’re exploring these questions and more as we learn how to make player feedback a productive part of the design process.