When to Use Tutorials Instead of In-Game Text

“I Quit After 30 Minutes!” When Tutorials Beat In-Game Text

“Spent an hour wandering around, no clue what to do. UI is cluttered, tooltips are useless. Refunded.”

Ouch. That’s the kind of player review that keeps indie devs up at night. Onboarding is crucial, and teaching your game’s mechanics effectively is part of designing them well. Should you rely on in-game text, or create separate tutorials?

Let’s explore when tutorials triumph over in-game text.

5 Times Tutorials Triumph Over In-Game Text

Here’s a breakdown of situations where tutorials are the superior choice, along with actionable advice for your indie game.

1. Complex Systems: Deep Dives Without Distraction

Imagine explaining a multi-stage crafting system with resource dependencies through tooltips. Nightmare fuel, right? Complex mechanics demand focused learning.

Tutorials excel here. They provide a dedicated space to break down systems into digestible chunks. Think step-by-step guides, interactive simulations, or even short video demonstrations. This allows players to learn at their own pace without the pressure of immediate application.

Actionable Tip: Prototype your onboarding using both in-game text and a dedicated tutorial. Compare how long it takes playtesters to grasp the core concepts.

2. Out-of-Scope Lore: Enriching, Not Obstructing

Worldbuilding is awesome, but burying essential gameplay information in lengthy lore dumps frustrates players. Is the history of the Great Goblin War vital to knowing how to swing your sword? Probably not.

Keep in-game text focused on immediate needs. Move deep lore, optional backstory, and world details to external sources like a game wiki or a dedicated “lore library” within the tutorial section.

Actionable Tip: Identify the “need-to-know” versus “nice-to-know” information in your game. Separate lore from mechanics.

3. Pre-Release Feedback: Iterate Without Breaking the Game

In-game text is often hardcoded or deeply integrated. Making adjustments based on early player feedback can be a pain.

Tutorials, especially video tutorials hosted externally, offer flexibility. You can update them quickly based on playtest sessions without patching the game itself. This is especially useful during Early Access.

Actionable Tip: Use external tutorials during development. This is a great way to react to community feedback while maintaining a stable codebase.

4. Mastering Advanced Techniques: From Novice to Pro

Your game has a hidden mechanic, like a complex combo system or an exploit that adds depth. In-game text risks overwhelming new players, and may be easily missed.

Tutorials provide an avenue for players to deepen their knowledge after they have grasped the basics. Create advanced tutorial sections that unlock as players progress, or make them entirely optional.

Actionable Tip: Consider an “Advanced Techniques” tutorial area that is only available after the player has reached a specific level or completed the main tutorial.

5. Accessibility Options: Customizable Learning

Not all players learn the same way. Some prefer reading, others prefer visual demonstrations.

Tutorials can accommodate different learning styles by offering multiple formats. Think text guides, video tutorials, interactive simulations, and even audio explanations. In-game text is limited in this regard.

Actionable Tip: Include both text and video options for your tutorials to cater to diverse learning preferences.

The Power of Documenting Your Design Process

Successfully balancing tutorials and in-game text requires careful planning and iteration. This brings us to the importance of capturing your design thoughts and experiments.

As you prototype onboarding methods, track your decisions. Why did you choose a tutorial over in-game text for a particular mechanic? What were the initial player responses? What changes did you make, and why?

Documenting these decisions is invaluable. It helps you understand your own design process, track progress, and identify areas for improvement. It also ensures that the critical reasons that drove core gameplay decisions aren’t lost. The best way to ensure this is to use a dedicated game dev journal.

It’s tempting to skip this step, but trust me: you’ll thank yourself later.

Track Your Game Development Progress

Maintaining a game development log is crucial for solo developers and students. It provides a structured way to record your progress, stay consistent, and organize your creative process. A good game dev journal will not only save you time, but it will clarify your vision for the game. It can be as simple as a text document, a spreadsheet, or a dedicated tool.

Consider these benefits:

• Tracking bugs and fixes
• Capturing design decisions
• Monitoring progress on tasks
• Storing design ideas and concepts
• Logging playtest feedback

Stay Consistent With Devlogs

Publishing devlogs regularly helps keep you accountable and builds community engagement. Even if it’s just a weekly summary of what you’ve accomplished, consistent devlogs show your commitment and attract potential players. Avoid these common mistakes when creating a devlog.

• Not setting realistic goals
• Failing to proofread posts
• Being negative in the devlog
• Not keeping consistent updates

Organize Your Creative Process

The creative process in game development can be chaotic. A well-maintained game dev journal can help organize your thoughts, manage tasks, and make informed decisions. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds. When was it that you changed the attack speed on the main character? Why did you decide to add in the new questline? These things may seem obvious at the time, but a few weeks later you will be kicking yourself if you didn’t record the answer.

Ready to Level Up Your Game Design?

Stop relying on scattered notes and start documenting your game development journey. A dedicated tool can make all the difference. Keep track of your design decisions, prototype results, and player feedback in one organized place.

Start tracking your progress today with our game design journal and transform your game development process from chaotic to controlled. Start your game dev journal