Tutorials as Onboarding: Design the Funnel, Not Just the FAQ
Stop Building FAQs, Start Onboarding Players
Too many indie games treat tutorials as an afterthought, a static FAQ crammed into the first five minutes. This is a mistake. Your tutorial is your game’s first impression, your chance to hook players and teach them to love what you’ve built. Don’t waste it.
Treat your tutorial not as a list of features, but as an onboarding funnel.
The Tutorial Funnel: Guiding the Player’s Journey
A funnel isn’t about forcing players down a single path. It’s about gently guiding them, introducing mechanics in a logical order, and ensuring they understand each concept before moving on.
The core idea is progressive disclosure. Don’t dump every control and system on the player at once. Introduce mechanics incrementally, building on previously learned concepts.
For instance, if your game involves movement, jumping, and attacking, teach movement first. Then jumping. Then combine movement and jumping before even thinking about combat.
The sequence matters. A poorly designed tutorial can overwhelm the player, leading to frustration and abandonment.
Context and Challenge: Keeping Players Engaged
A dry explanation of “Press X to jump” is boring. Contextualize the mechanics within a small, engaging challenge.
Instead of a floating tooltip, create a short obstacle course that requires the player to jump. Make it rewarding. A shiny collectible at the end, a visual flourish, anything to reinforce the learning.
This is where game design shines. Tutorials aren’t just about explaining rules; they’re about creating compelling experiences.
I saw one indie game, a roguelike platformer, make this mistake horribly. The opening level was just a series of text boxes explaining the control scheme while the character stood still. Zero engagement. I uninstalled it after five minutes.
Don’t be that game.
Balancing Guidance and Player Agency
Over-tutorializing is just as bad as under-tutorializing. Nobody wants to feel like they’re being led by the nose through every single step.
The key is to strike a balance between guidance and player agency. Give the player enough information to succeed, but leave room for experimentation and discovery.
Consider optional tutorials. Allow players to skip sections they already understand. Or implement “tooltips” that can be dismissed and re-accessed later.
A good example of this is Celeste. The game introduces mechanics gradually, often through optional “B-side” challenges that reward mastery of specific techniques.
Testing and Iterating: The Feedback Loop
Tutorial design is not a one-and-done task. It requires constant testing and iteration. Watch how new players interact with your game. Where do they get stuck? What mechanics do they struggle to understand?
Use analytics to track player progress through the tutorial. Identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement.
Ask for feedback. Show your game to friends, family, or other developers and watch them play. Pay close attention to their reactions and ask them direct questions about their experience.
One time, I was working on a puzzle game where the tutorial involved rotating blocks. I thought the mechanic was clear, but playtesters consistently struggled with it. Turns out, my visual representation of rotation was confusing. I had to completely redesign it based on their feedback.
Don’t assume your tutorial is perfect. Be willing to adapt and iterate based on player feedback.
Examples of Tutorial Fails and Wins
Fail: A text-heavy RPG that throws walls of lore and stats at the player before they even move their character.
Win: A puzzle game that introduces mechanics one at a time, in self-contained levels designed to teach specific concepts. Each level is short, sweet, and rewarding.
Fail: An action game with a complex combo system that expects players to memorize a long list of button inputs.
Win: An action game that allows players to learn combos gradually, through optional challenges and a training mode with detailed explanations and visual aids.
Fail: A simulation game that provides no guidance whatsoever, leaving players to figure everything out on their own through trial and error.
Win: A simulation game that offers a series of structured scenarios that gradually introduce different aspects of the game, with clear objectives and helpful tips.
Actionable Tips for Better Tutorials
Start with the basics: Assume the player knows nothing.
Focus on core mechanics: Prioritize the systems that are essential to understanding the game.
Keep it short and sweet: Respect the player’s time.
Contextualize the learning: Frame mechanics within engaging challenges.
Provide clear feedback: Let the player know when they’re doing things right (or wrong).
Offer optional tutorials: Allow players to skip sections they already understand.
Test and iterate: Watch players play your game and gather feedback.
Use visual cues: Highlight important elements and provide clear instructions.
Don’t be afraid to experiment: Try different approaches and see what works best for your game.
Remember, onboarding is everything: Your tutorial is the player’s first experience. Make it count.
Tutorials aren’t just about explaining the rules. They are an integral part of the game design. Invest the time and effort to create a tutorial that is both informative and engaging, and you’ll be rewarded with happier players and a more successful game.