Indie Game Release QA Checklist: 10 Gates Before You Call a Build Ready
A practical release-candidate checklist for indie teams covering blockers, smoke tests, saves, regressions, patch notes and rollback readiness.
1. Freeze the exact candidate build
Record the exact version/build ID and target platform. Do not combine evidence from older internal builds with the candidate you plan to ship.
2. Resolve or explicitly accept critical blockers
Every critical/high issue needs an owner and a release decision. A low total bug count is not a release gate by itself.
3. Run a short smoke-test pass
Verify launch, main menu, settings, core gameplay loop, pause/quit and the fastest path to a meaningful gameplay state.
4. Re-check save/load and persistence
Test new saves, loading, overwrites, autosaves/checkpoints and at least one recovery or migration case if your build supports them.
5. Retest risky fixes
A fix that was once verified can regress after later changes. Keep a small regression queue for high-impact systems.
6. Check input and UI navigation
Verify the input methods you actually claim to support. Check back/cancel behavior, prompts, focus, empty/error states and long text where relevant.
7. Check performance in representative scenes
Use the same route/settings/profile when comparing a release candidate to a known baseline. Record regressions instead of relying on memory.
8. Verify known issues and patch notes agree
Public notes should match the actual build and should not expose sensitive implementation or security details.
9. Prepare rollback or recovery where possible
For updates, know what you can revert, restore or communicate if the release introduces a serious problem.
10. Make the release decision from evidence
A date is not evidence. If a required gate is blocked or an accepted risk is not documented, the release process is not closed.
What this checklist does not prove
It does not certify platform compliance, guarantee a bug-free release or replace source control, engine profilers, platform certification or legal requirements. Use it as a repeatable decision aid and verify the actual shipped build.