The Anti-Tutorial: Rethinking How We Teach Players to Play Games
Is it time to rethink how we teach players to play games? Are we holding their hands too tightly, stifling their natural curiosity and problem-solving skills? Let’s explore a radical idea: what if games deliberately hid their mechanics, forcing players to explore, experiment, and collaborate to uncover the secrets within?
The Anti-Tutorial: An Interview on Obfuscation and Engagement
We’ve gathered insights from two experts on opposite sides of the game design spectrum to explore the provocative concept of the anti-tutorial. Dr. Evelyn Hayes, a cognitive psychologist specializing in learning in game environments, and Kenji Tanaka, the enigmatic lead designer of “Unravel,” a game praised for its intuitive yet unspoken mechanics, will help us discuss the merits, challenges, and ethical considerations of this approach. Get ready to challenge some assumptions.
Interviewer: Welcome, Dr. Hayes and Mr. Tanaka. Dr. Hayes, can you define the anti-tutorial and explain why it’s gaining traction in certain design circles?
Dr. Hayes: The anti-tutorial is essentially a design philosophy that prioritizes player discovery over explicit instruction. Instead of walking players through every button press and mechanic, it throws them into the game world with minimal guidance, encouraging them to learn through experimentation, observation, and collaboration. It taps into the intrinsic motivation that drives human learning.
Kenji Tanaka: From a design perspective, it’s about creating a sense of mystery and rewarding players for their curiosity. In “Unravel,” we wanted the players to learn by experimenting with the character’s abilities. The core mechanic was based on manipulating the game world. We wanted players to organically discover the game’s systems.
Interviewer: That seems inherently risky. What data suggests withholding information improves engagement, rather than just causing frustration and abandonment?
Dr. Hayes: The key is in the type of information withheld and the context in which it’s presented. Research published in Cognitive Science (Brown & Burton, 2021) indicates that "desirable difficulties"—challenges that require effortful processing—can lead to deeper learning and better retention. This is because the brain is forced to actively engage with the material, forming stronger neural connections. A game that forces you to figure out how to play taps into this idea.
Kenji Tanaka: We closely monitored player feedback. We found that the player who discovered a hidden mechanic felt a great sense of accomplishment. The community then started to work together to solve the more difficult problems. This created a much greater sense of satisfaction than if they had simply read about it in a manual.
Interviewer: What practical strategies exist for balancing rewarding discovery with the possibility of alienating a significant portion of your audience?
Dr. Hayes: Guided discovery is crucial. Offer subtle cues, contextual hints, and opportunities for safe experimentation. Breath of the Wild masterfully does this. It presents a vast open world. But it subtly nudges players towards key locations and challenges.
Kenji Tanaka: In “Unravel,” we heavily relied on visual communication. The character’s animations and the environment’s reaction to the player’s actions needed to be crystal clear, even without explicit instructions. This way, the player understands exactly how to interact with the game’s world. Playtesting becomes even more critical.
Interviewer: Could you offer a specific example of an intentionally obfuscated mechanic in “Unravel” and the reasoning behind that decision?
Kenji Tanaka: The interaction between the yarn and water was initially not clearly defined. Players had to figure out how the yarn reacted to water, whether it would float, sink, or dissolve. We did this because we wanted players to be careful about traversing watery areas. The player was then forced to experiment and learn from the consequences of their actions.
Interviewer: What are the most common mistakes developers make when trying to implement an anti-tutorial approach?
Dr. Hayes: One mistake is confusing deliberate obfuscation with simply bad or incomplete design. The core mechanics must be solid, logical, and internally consistent, even if not immediately obvious. Another mistake is not providing adequate feedback. Players must be able to tell what they are doing is having an effect.
Kenji Tanaka: We initially had problems with the players being confused about the game’s goal. We were able to refine the cues to make the game less frustrating. Playtesting is key to this sort of design.
Interviewer: What about accessibility? Doesn’t an anti-tutorial approach inherently disadvantage players with disabilities or those who prefer a more structured experience?
Dr. Hayes: This is a very valid concern and needs careful consideration. It’s essential to provide alternative avenues for learning and understanding. Perhaps an adaptive hint system or more extensive customization options. It shouldn’t be about excluding players.
Kenji Tanaka: We included options to highlight important objects. We also worked to make the controls as intuitive as possible. Accessibility should be a primary concern from the start of development.
Interviewer: What is one action item a developer can consider for their next project to implement an anti-tutorial effectively?
Dr. Hayes: Implement a robust system for tracking player behavior and identifying pain points. Use telemetry data to understand where players are getting stuck and adapt the design accordingly. This includes where they are exploring, experimenting, and solving problems.
Kenji Tanaka: Do extensive playtesting. Watch how players interact with the game without providing any instruction. Observe their behavior and pay attention to their reactions.
Interviewer: Are some game genres more suited to the anti-tutorial approach than others?
Dr. Hayes: Puzzle games, exploration-based games, and immersive sims naturally lend themselves to this approach. These genres emphasize player agency and reward curiosity. Action-oriented games that require quick reactions may be less suitable.
Kenji Tanaka: The critical aspect is that the game design encourages exploration and discovery. Action games are less suited to hiding information from the player. A puzzle game can really benefit from this design approach.
Interviewer: How could a developer subtly hide a key mechanic in a first-person shooter to encourage discovery?
Kenji Tanaka: Perhaps a weapon with an alternate fire mode that isn’t explicitly mentioned. The player can only discover it through experimentation, such as firing the weapon at different surfaces. This would allow the player to organically uncover the weapon’s full potential.
Dr. Hayes: Or perhaps environmental clues. A specific type of enemy that can only be defeated using a specific weapon or tactic. This will force the player to adapt their playing style.
Interviewer: What are the ethical considerations involved? Is it ever unethical to deliberately mislead or confuse players?
Dr. Hayes: The core is that it should not trick or exploit them. The mechanics should be consistent even if hidden. There needs to be a way to learn the mechanic.
Kenji Tanaka: Don’t create mechanics that rely on information that is impossible to discover. Be transparent about the game’s approach.
Interviewer: Beyond player engagement, are there other benefits to the anti-tutorial approach?
Dr. Hayes: It can foster a stronger sense of community. Players will share discoveries, create tutorials, and collaborate to solve challenges. This strengthens the game community.
Kenji Tanaka: It can lead to emergent gameplay. Players may discover uses for mechanics the developers never intended. The game then has a life beyond the developer’s initial design.
Interviewer: Are there any games that perfectly embody the spirit of the anti-tutorial?
Dr. Hayes: “Dark Souls” is a great example. The game gives you very little instruction, instead relying on the player to learn through trial and error. “Minecraft” does this as well.
Kenji Tanaka: I would add “The Witness.” It provides a series of puzzles and does not explicitly explain the rules to the player.
Interviewer: What is the future of the anti-tutorial? Will it remain a niche approach or become more mainstream?
Dr. Hayes: I believe it will become more popular. As players become more sophisticated, they will desire more engaging experiences. The anti-tutorial provides a means to achieve that goal.
Kenji Tanaka: Developers will use this style of design more often. Developers need to understand the style and the potential.
Interviewer: Dr. Hayes, Mr. Tanaka, thank you for your time and insights.
Deconstructing the Anti-Tutorial: A Practical Example
Let’s consider a developer working on a Metroidvania-style game. They initially planned a traditional tutorial system. They decide to embrace the anti-tutorial, but face some immediate hurdles. Players might not understand core movement abilities, leading to frustration. The challenge lies in subtly teaching these abilities. The solution would be to design the early levels to force the player to experiment with these moves. A low wall would force players to jump, or a gap would require them to dash.
Actionable Steps: Implementing the Anti-Tutorial
Ready to integrate anti-tutorial elements?
Environmental Design is Key: Design the environment to subtly guide and teach.
Iterative Hint System: Create a system for hints that provide progressive reveals.
Telemetry Monitoring: Track player behavior for challenges and adapt.
Progressive Difficulty: Introduce mechanics incrementally, layering challenges.
Community Building: Facilitate player collaboration and knowledge sharing.
The path of the anti-tutorial is not for the faint of heart, but it offers the potential for creating unique and unforgettable gaming experiences.
Conclusion: Embracing the Unknown
The anti-tutorial is not about arbitrary difficulty. It’s about trusting the player’s intelligence, rewarding their curiosity, and empowering them to actively engage with the game world. It elevates the player beyond a passive consumer to become an active explorer and discoverer. By embracing this approach, we can create games that are more engaging, more rewarding, and more memorable. Dare to step back and allow your players to discover the magic.