Tutorial as UX: Our Level One Design Flub
The First Five Minutes: Why Your Tutorial is Killing Your Game
The first few minutes of your game are sacred ground. They are where players decide if they will invest hours, or close the application and forget you exist. Far too many indie games fumble this crucial moment, and itâs almost always because of a poorly implemented tutorial.
The Tutorial Trap: A Level One Design Flub
Weâve all been there. You excitedly download a promising indie title, launch it, and are immediately greeted by a wall of text.
âWelcome, hero! To save the kingdom, you must first understand the intricacies of our deeply flawed resource management systemâŚâ
Itâs the tutorial trap. Information overload presented in the least engaging way possible. This is a UX nightmare disguised as helpful guidance.
Agency? What Agency?
A common mistake is stripping the player of agency. You might think youâre being helpful by holding their hand through every step, but youâre actually making them feel powerless.
They want to experiment, to explore, to play.
Think back to Breath of the Wild. The Great Plateau, the gameâs tutorial zone, doesnât shove information down your throat. Instead, it gives you objectives and lets you figure things out. The game guides you, but it doesnât control you.
Death by Dialogue Box
Imagine this: youâre playing a pixel art RPG. A character pops up. Dialogue box after dialogue box assaults you with exposition and instructions.
âTo open the menu, press the âEscâ key. To access your inventory, press 'Iâ. To equip an item, drag it from your inventory to the equipment slotâŚâ
Itâs excruciating. This is textbook information overload. The player is too busy trying to remember keybinds to absorb anything about the world or story.
We did this in our first game. We were so proud of our intricate crafting system that we forced players to learn it within the first five minutes. The result? Player churn was through the roof.
Seamless Integration: The Key to Tutorial Nirvana
The best tutorials donât feel like tutorials. Theyâre woven seamlessly into the gameplay experience.
Think of it as environmental storytelling, but for mechanics. Instead of telling the player how to jump, create a small gap they need to jump over. Instead of explaining combat through a text box, throw a weak enemy at them.
Subnautica is a masterclass in this. The game throws you into an escape pod in the middle of the ocean. There is no hand-holding. You learn by doing, by exploring, and by desperately trying to survive.
Learning by Doing: The Feedback Loop
Learning by doing is essential. Players retain information far better when they actively engage with it.
This means creating clear and concise feedback loops. The player performs an action, and the game provides immediate feedback that reinforces the lesson.
For example, in a platformer, if the player fails a jump, the game should show them why they failed. Was the jump too short? Did they mistime their input? Clear visual cues are vital.
Practical Steps: Auditing Your Tutorial
So, how do you fix your tutorial? Hereâs a step-by-step guide:
Play your game from start to finish, focusing only on the tutorial. Be brutally honest with yourself. Are you having fun? Or are you bored and overwhelmed?
Record your gameplay. Watch it back and note every instance where the tutorial feels clunky, intrusive, or confusing.
Identify walls of text. Replace them with visual cues, environmental storytelling, or interactive elements.
Reduce information overload. Prioritize the absolute essential mechanics. You can introduce more complex systems later.
Embrace âlearning by doing.â Create scenarios that force the player to use the core mechanics in a natural and engaging way.
Get feedback. Have fresh players play your game and pay close attention to their reactions during the tutorial. Ask specific questions about their understanding of the mechanics.
A Real-World Example: The UI Conundrum
In our current project, a top-down strategy game, we struggled with the UI tutorial. We initially bombarded the player with tooltips and explanations. Playtesters hated it.
We realized we were trying to teach them everything at once. We scaled back dramatically. We focused on the most essential elements: selecting units, moving them, and issuing basic attack commands. We introduced the rest of the UI gradually as the player progressed.
The result? Player comprehension skyrocketed, and the tutorial became significantly more enjoyable.
Ditch the Crutch
Tutorials are a crutch. Theyâre a necessary evil, but they should be as minimal as possible.
Your goal is to empower the player, not patronize them. Give them the tools they need to succeed, and then let them loose.
Remember, the first five minutes are critical. Make them count. A well-designed tutorial can hook players and keep them coming back for more. A poorly designed one can send them running for the hills. Donât let your tutorial be the reason your game fails.