Tutorials as Onboarding: A UX Retrospective

So, you’ve poured your heart and soul into your indie game. But how do you ensure players actually get it? The first few minutes are critical.

Let’s talk tutorials, specifically when tutorials are the onboarding, and why this is often a terrible idea. I’ve seen too many promising games sink because of tutorial design that suffocates players instead of empowering them. This is a post-mortem of sorts.

The Tutorial Trap: Information Overload and Agency Deprivation

The biggest mistake I see indie devs make is thinking they need to explain everything upfront. This leads to walls of text, hand-holding that insults player intelligence, and a crushing lack of player agency. Nobody wants to feel like they’re in school when they’re trying to have fun.

Think about it: your meticulously crafted game systems, the combat mechanics you obsessed over, the story nuances you carefully wove. They’re all rendered meaningless if the player is too overwhelmed to engage.

A prime example? Imagine a complex RPG starting with a 30-minute unskippable tutorial, explaining every stat, every skill, every UI element. By the time the player finally gets to play, they’ve forgotten half of what they were told and are completely drained.

The issue isn’t necessarily the information itself; it’s how and when it’s delivered. Throwing everything at the player at once guarantees nothing will stick.

Another common pitfall is restricting player freedom too early. “Do this,” “Press that,” “Go here.” While guidance is necessary, railroading the player through a linear sequence of instructions can kill their motivation to explore and experiment.

I worked on a roguelike where we initially forced players through a rigid tutorial sequence, demonstrating each weapon type. Playtesters hated it. They wanted to find their own preferred style, not be told what to like. We ended up scrapping the tutorial in favor of contextual tooltips and letting players discover the game organically.

Alternative Onboarding Strategies: Context and Emergence

So, if infodumps and forced marches are bad, what’s the alternative? The answer lies in contextual learning and emergent gameplay.

Contextual learning involves introducing mechanics as the player encounters them naturally within the game world. This way, the information is relevant, timely, and easier to remember.

Imagine a crafting system. Instead of explaining it in a separate menu, the player stumbles upon a broken-down workstation and a helpful NPC who guides them through the basics. The player learns by doing, and the knowledge is tied to a specific moment and location.

Emergent gameplay takes this a step further. It’s about designing systems that allow players to discover strategies and techniques on their own. The game provides the tools, and the player figures out how to use them.

A classic example is Breath of the Wild. There’s no explicit tutorial on how to cook. Players learn by experimenting with different ingredients and discovering combinations. This fosters a sense of discovery and ownership, making the experience far more rewarding.

Another compelling example is Baba is You. The core mechanic is manipulating rules written as blocks in the environment. The game doesn’t tell you how to solve puzzles. It presents the rules and lets you figure out how to break them. This creates a deeply satisfying sense of intellectual challenge.

Indie games often excel at this because they are built with a single, elegant mechanic.

Lessons from Indie Success Stories

Look at Hades. It introduces new mechanics gradually, after multiple runs. Death isn’t a failure, but an opportunity to learn something new. Each run presents a different set of challenges and rewards, keeping the player engaged and motivated.

Celeste has no explicit tutorial at all. The level design itself teaches the player the mechanics. Each screen introduces a new concept and gradually increases the complexity. This is onboarding through gameplay at its finest.

These games understand that onboarding isn’t about delivering information; it’s about creating a sense of discovery and mastery.

A Practical Checklist for Designing Effective Tutorials

Alright, let’s get down to brass tacks. Here’s a checklist to guide your tutorial design:

1. Identify the core mechanics: What are the essential elements players must understand to enjoy your game? Focus on those.
2. Prioritize contextual learning: Can you integrate tutorials into the game world itself? Think environmental storytelling and NPC interactions.
3. Introduce mechanics gradually: Don’t overwhelm the player with too much information at once. Space out the learning curve.
4. Embrace emergent gameplay: Design systems that allow for experimentation and discovery. Let players find their own solutions.
5. Provide optional help: Offer tooltips, hints, or guides for players who need them, but don’t force them on everyone.
6. Allow for player agency: Give players choices and freedom, even within the tutorial. Let them explore and experiment at their own pace.
7. Iterate based on playtesting: Watch how players actually interact with your tutorial. Gather feedback and make adjustments accordingly.
8. Consider skipping. Make sure experienced players can skip all or part of the tutorial.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a tutorial that feels like a natural extension of the game, not a separate, obligatory chore. Onboarding should be seamless, intuitive, and, above all, fun.

Don’t treat the tutorial as a necessary evil. Treat it as the first, critical, interactive experience a player has with your hard work. Get it right.