The No-Nonsense Guide to Tutorial Design as Game Design

Okay, let’s talk tutorials. How many times have you bolted them onto your game as an afterthought, a necessary evil to be endured rather than a carefully considered design element?

I’m Anya, and across from me is Ben. We’re both indie devs, and we’ve both been there: wrestling with unwieldy tutorials that feel like lectures interrupting the fun. We’re here to argue that tutorials aren’t separate from game design, they are game design.

Anya: Ben, you’ve shipped a few games. What’s the biggest tutorial mistake you see indie devs making?

Ben: Definitely treating tutorials as a separate phase. Core mechanics are locked, art style is set, and then we think, “Oh crap, how do we teach this?” The result is often clunky walls of text or jarring interruptions. It’s like building a house and then figuring out where to put the front door.

Anya: Exactly! It’s not intuitive. It needs to be part of the initial design. Let’s break down how to actually do that, starting from the very beginning.

Step 1: Prototyping with Teaching in Mind

Ben: Okay, so you’re saying even in the prototype phase, we should be thinking about how players will learn the game?

Anya: Absolutely. When you’re experimenting with core mechanics, ask yourself: how will a player naturally discover this? Is the action readable? Is feedback immediate and clear? Can I introduce it in a low-stakes environment?

Ben: Give me an example.

Anya: Let’s say you’re making a platformer with a double jump. Instead of just telling the player “Press X to double jump,” design a small gap that’s just out of reach with a single jump. The player will experiment, discover the double jump, and immediately understand its purpose. Learning by doing!

Ben: That makes sense. So, less “info dump,” more “experiential discovery.”

Anya: Precisely. And this is where iterative playtesting becomes crucial.

Step 2: Playtesting for Comprehension

Anya: Ben, what’s your playtesting process like?

Ben: Usually a friend or two, maybe my partner. I watch them play, offer hints if they get stuck. Standard stuff.

Anya: Here’s the key: resist the urge to offer hints immediately. Let them struggle a bit. Observe where they get stuck, what they misunderstand, and what they figure out on their own. That’s gold.

Ben: So, silence is golden?

Anya: Often, yes! And focus your questions after their play session on why they made certain choices. “What were you expecting to happen when you did that?” Their answers will reveal flaws in your mechanic’s clarity or tutorial design.

Ben: I see what you mean. It’s about understanding their thought process, not just whether they completed the level.

Anya: Exactly. And don’t just test experienced gamers. Test people who are completely new to the genre. They’ll highlight the most fundamental comprehension gaps.

Step 3: Designing Mechanics for Teachability

Ben: This is interesting. You’re suggesting we might actually change our mechanics based on how easy they are to teach?

Anya: 100%. If a core mechanic is incredibly difficult to explain or understand, maybe it’s not a good mechanic, period. It could be overly complex or poorly communicated.

Ben: Okay, that’s a tough pill to swallow. We get attached to our ideas.

Anya: I know. But think about it: a brilliant mechanic that no one understands is useless. Sometimes simplifying a mechanic slightly makes the game exponentially more accessible and enjoyable.

Ben: So, if a double jump is confusing, maybe consider a glide mechanic instead? Something more visually clear.

Anya: Exactly! Or find another way to introduce the double jump in a more controlled, understandable manner. Design with the player’s learning curve in mind.

Step 4: Environmental Storytelling & Subtle Guidance

Ben: Okay, playtesting has given me the feedback I need to modify my mechanics. What about the actual implementation of tutorial elements? How do we avoid those jarring info dumps?

Anya: This is where environmental storytelling shines. Guide the player through level design. Use visual cues, lighting, and subtle barriers to direct their attention and teach them new concepts without explicitly telling them.

Ben: So, instead of a floating text box saying “Press Space to Jump,” I could place a clearly visible platform slightly above the player, prompting them to experiment.

Anya: You got it! Or use destroyed versions of the environment to show failure. For example, create obstacles that have clearly been crashed through to demonstrate a certain skill or ability.

Ben: It’s like the game is teaching itself.

Anya: Precisely! The game world becomes the tutorial. It’s more immersive and less disruptive.

Step 5: Document Everything, Iterate Constantly

Ben: This sounds like a lot to keep track of. All these design changes, playtesting feedback, tutorial ideas…

Anya: That’s where a good game design journal comes in. Seriously, start one now. Document your thought process behind every mechanic, every design decision, every playtesting session. Note what worked, what didn’t, and why.

Ben: So, it’s more than just a list of bugs to fix?

Anya: Way more. It’s a record of your design evolution. It helps you stay consistent with your vision, avoid repeating mistakes, and clearly communicate your ideas to any potential team members.

Ben: What do you put in yours?

Anya: Everything from initial concept sketches to playtesting notes to potential tutorial implementations. Screenshots, code snippets, audio memos… whatever helps me capture the essence of the design. Especially when I come up with new tutorial ideas and how they will integrate with the core mechanics.

Ben: That makes a lot of sense. It’s easy to forget why you made a particular choice months down the line.

Anya: Exactly. And when you’re revisiting a mechanic or tutorial, you can quickly see the history of changes and understand the reasoning behind the current design. It’s a huge time-saver. You can also use it as a game development log to keep track of your progress and stay motivated.

Ben: Okay, you’ve convinced me. I need a game dev journal. Where do I even start?

Anya: That’s a great question. To help you keep track of your tutorial design process, and really your whole game design process from prototype to post-launch, we’ve built a simple game design journal to help you track your mechanics, playtests, and ideas. Start documenting your journey there, and your tutorials will be better for it.

Ben: Thanks, Anya. This has been… enlightening. I’m actually excited to rethink my approach to tutorials now.

Anya: That’s the goal, Ben. Let’s make games that teach themselves, seamlessly and enjoyably.