Using itch.io for playtesting
2 min read
By Eduardo Orellana ·
itch.io works well for small playtests. Set the project to Restricted, which hides it from browse pages, search, your profile and search engines; then let testers in with a page password (one at a time, and it can go in the link) or individual download keys, which attach to their itch.io accounts and can be revoked. Draft pages work for HTML5 games but not downloadable ones. For a large open test on a game with a Steam page, Steam Playtest suits better.
A private page in five minutes
itch.io is where many developers first share a build, and its Restricted setting turns any project page into a private test: no store, no review, no waiting.
Setting it up
- Upload the build and set the project's visibility to Restricted.
- Choose how testers get in: a page password for a group, or download keys for named testers.
- Share the link; a password can be included in the URL so testers do not type it.
Limits to know
- One page password at a time; changing it locks out everyone using the old one.
- Download keys require each tester to have an itch.io account.
- Draft mode's secret URL works for HTML5 games, not downloadable builds.
- No built-in crash reporting or telemetry: add your own, or ask testers for logs.
itch.io or Steam Playtest
itch.io suits small, private, early tests and games without a Steam page. Steam Playtest suits larger tests of a game with a store page, with a signup list and batches. Many developers use itch.io first, Steam later.
Where Flockbay fits
Flockbay's playtest links add what itch.io lacks: the tester's crashes, errors and frame times come back to your game's chat automatically, with bug reports and, when the tester allows, a clip. Playtest links are free in beta until 1 December 2026.