Regression testing re-runs a defined set of checks against every new build to confirm that previously working behaviour still works. It is the safety net that lets a team ship changes quickly without quietly breaking the game underneath.
Every closed bug should produce a regression case. When a crash is fixed, the exact repro steps that caused it become a permanent test, run against future builds forever. Over a project's life this accumulates into a regression suite that encodes the team's entire history of mistakes.
Because suites grow large, prioritisation is essential. A smoke test — twenty to forty minutes covering launch, main menu, first level, save, load, quit — runs against every single build. The full suite runs before a milestone. Risk-based selection targets whatever the changelog actually touched.
This is where automation pays off most. Scripted checks can launch the build, walk a fixed path, assert that key objects exist and capture a screenshot for comparison, every night, without a human. Automation will not evaluate whether the game feels right, but it is tireless about noticing that the shop button stopped opening.
This is the format you will be marked on throughout the course.
Regression testing is one of eight disciplines covered in the 12-week course.
