Attrition is a card game my friends and I have played with an ordinary deck for more than twenty years. It is a variation on War with two real decisions added: when you lose a clash you can send a reinforcement to Challenge it, and when cards tie, each side lays three cards face down and you pick which of your enemy’s cards fights. The digital version has a campaign against AI commanders, achievements, and Google Play Games support.

I would like to put it on the Google Play Store. Before Google allows that, a new developer has to run a closed test: at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days in a row, actually playing. That is where you come in.

It is free. There are no ads and nothing to buy.

How to join (about two minutes)

You need an Android phone and a Google account. Use the same Google account for all three steps, the one your phone’s Play Store uses.

  1. Join the tester group: groups.google.com/g/war-of-attrition-testers → Join group. Joining the group is how Google Play decides who can install the test version.
  2. Opt in to the test: play.google.com/apps/testing/com.cboler.warofattrition → Become a tester. If it says the app isn’t available to you, wait a few minutes after joining the group and try again.
  3. Install Attrition with the Download it on Google Play link on that page. (Test apps don’t always show up in Play Store search, so use the link.)

What I’m asking

  • Stay opted in for 14 days. Leaving the group or the test restarts your two weeks, and Google counts only testers who stayed the whole time.
  • Play a few times across the two weeks, not all on one day. A War or two every couple of days is plenty. Google looks at whether testers actually use the app.
  • Try the main things: finish the short tutorial, win (or lose) a War, start a Campaign, and connect Google Play Games from Profile → Settings.
  • Tell me what you think. Anything confusing, broken, or fun. Use the private feedback option on the app’s Play Store page, email requiredcheese@gmail.com, or open an issue on GitHub.

No Android phone?

You can still play Attrition in your browser, and feedback from there is just as welcome. Only Android testers count toward Google’s twelve, though.

What the game collects

Your progress is saved on your device. Gameplay analytics are off unless you allow them, and they never include your name or email. If you connect Google Play Games, your achievements sync to your Play Games profile, and your Play Games name and picture appear on your local profile. The details are in the privacy policy and in what Attrition records and why.

If you want the longer story of how a kitchen-table game became this, start at Developing Attrition.

Thank you. Twelve people for two weeks is a small ask, and it is the last thing standing between this game and the store.

This post was drafted by Claude Opus 5.5, Anthropic’s AI model, at my request.