Mobile Game QA Analyst (contract)

First Fun; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 58,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

First Fun is seeking a Mobile QA Analyst to own testing workflows across feature development, live-ops events, and global releases. You will work with Designers, Engineers, and Producers in an agile setting to analyze client-server interactions, identify bottlenecks, and optimize the live production pipeline using modern tools and AI-driven workflows.

The role requires 3–5+ years in mobile game QA, experience with QA tooling, and a passion for testing live-service titles.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of mobile game QA experience (iOS & Android).
• Experience with QA tools, debugging, network analysis, and bug tracking.
• Familiarity with live-ops testing, app store submission, and CI/CD is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Execute functional, regression, and integration testing for iOS/Android builds.
• Inspect client-server API payloads and verify live server responses.
• Fetch device logs, capture crash dumps, and assist in root-cause analysis.
• Manage release validation: App Store/Play, TestFlight, hotfixes, Live-Ops gating.
• Test across devices, OS versions, resolutions, networks to ensure compatibility.
• Validate player progression and save state integrity across accounts.
• Create test plans and bug reports with detailed reproduction steps.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Communication

Mobile QA

Tools

Charles Proxy

Fiddler

Xcode

Android Studio

ADB

Unity Editor

Job description

Employment Type: Contractor (1-Year Contract)

Schedule: Flexible 20–40 hours/week (20 hrs/week minimum, 3 days/week Onsite in Santa Clara)

Pay Rate: $42.00 – $58.00 / hour

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced, detail-oriented, and passionate Mobile QA Analyst to join our team. In this role, you will be the quality guardian of our core game, taking full ownership of testing workflows—from early feature development and dynamic core gameplay, to live-ops events and global release validation.

You will work closely with Game Designers, Engineers, and Producers in an agile environment. Rather than just following checklists, you will analyze client-server interactions, catch performance bottlenecks, and help optimize our live production pipeline using modern tools and AI-driven workflows.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute functional, regression, integration, sanity, and A/B testing across iOS and Android builds for new features, game mechanics, UI/UX, and live-ops content.
• Utilize network sniffing tools (e.g., Charles Proxy, Fiddler) to inspect client-server API payloads, mock edge cases, and verify live server responses.
• Leverage developer tools (Xcode, Android Studio, ADB, Unity Editor) to fetch device logs (Logcat, Console), capture crash dumps, analyze remote logging errors and warnings, and assist engineers in root-cause analysis.
• Manage release validation processes, including App Store / Google Play submission compliance, TestFlight/Internal Track distribution, hotfix deployment, and Live-Ops event gating.
• Oversee device compatibility matrix testing across various screen resolutions, OS versions, GPU specs, as well as testing under fluctuating network conditions (latency, disconnection, packet loss).
• Validate player progression, account data state transitions, and save integrity across different account profiles, levels, and unlock states.
• Create, maintain, and structure clear test plans, test cases, and bug reports in Asana with detailed reproduction steps, logs, and screenshots.
• Partner with Producers and Leads during sprint planning to assess QA scope, identify risks early in the design phase, and safeguard game stability.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of hands-on experience in mobile game quality assurance (iOS and Android), preferably on F2P (Free-to-Play) live-service titles.
• Solid understanding of the mobile game release lifecycle, including TestFlight, Google Play Console, hotfix processes, and app store compliance standards.
• Experience with QA tools and technical workflows for bug/test tracking, debugging tools, and network analysis.
• Familiarity with client-server architecture in multiplayer or online mobile games.
• Strong communication skills with an analytical, problem-solving mindset.
• Passion for playing and analyzing mobile games.

Nice to Have

• Experience with game engines (Unity or Unreal Engine) for basic scene navigation or inspecting asset bundles.
• Experience leveraging AI productivity tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor) to assist in test case generation or automation scripting.
• Basic understanding of test automation frameworks (Appium, Python, C#) or CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Jenkins).