一句话：以开放世界游戏为极端案例，揭示封闭世界测试假设的局限，并提出面向不确定性系统行为测试的新愿景。
传统软件测试研究通常假定封闭世界：状态空间有限、执行可复现、测试预言稳定。然而，许多现代软件在不确定、非确定和持续演化的环境中运行，使这些假设不再成立。本文以开放世界游戏作为极端案例，基于既有工作归纳出四类反复出现的测试难题：行为空间不可穷尽、执行结果非确定、行为边界难以界定、测试预言不稳定。在此基础上，作者提出超越封闭世界假设的软件测试愿景：测试应支持在不确定性下刻画和解释系统行为，并围绕自动测试生成、评价指标和实证研究设计讨论未来方向。尽管开放世界游戏是动机领域，相关挑战与方向可推广到更广泛的动态不确定环境。
Software testing research has traditionally relied on closed-world assumptions, such as finite state spaces, reproducible executions, and stable test oracles. However, many modern software systems operate under uncertainty, non-determinism, and evolving conditions, challenging these assumptions. This paper uses open-world games as an extreme case to examine the limitations of closed-world testing. Through a set of observations grounded in prior work, we identify recurring characteristics that complicate testing in such systems, including inexhaustible behavior spaces, non-deterministic execution outcomes, elusive behavioral boundaries, and unstable test oracles. Based on these observations, we articulate a vision of software testing beyond closed-world assumptions, in which testing supports the characterization and interpretation of system behavior under uncertainty. We further discuss research directions for automated test generation, evaluation metrics, and empirical study design. Although open-world games serve as the motivating domain, the challenges and directions discussed in this paper extend to a broader class of software systems operating in dynamic and uncertain environments.
DOI 原文 · arXiv · PDF（开放获取） · DBLP
@inproceedings{abs-2604-04047,
title = {Software Testing Beyond Closed Worlds: Open-World Games as an Extreme Case},
author = {Yusaku Kato and Norihiro Yoshida and Erina Makihara and Katsuro Inoue},
booktitle = {FSE},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1145/3803437.3805587}
}