What are some effective ways to design tutorials that teach without boring the players?

Use Urgent & Important matrix. 1. Urgent & Important – Do it! Tutorials requiring immediate action or button press. 2. Not Urgent & Important – Show it! Information players need for later in the game, though they don't see its importance yet. 3. Urgent & Not Important – Reinforce it! Features or mechanics that simplify the game, highlighting optional mechanics. 4. Not Important & Not Urgent – Cut it! Consider if the tutorial is necessary. Can the community teach it? Applies to supporting systems or mechanics outside core gameplay, with some menu tutorial exceptions. Kudos: Lauryn Ash.

Rule #1 of game design — gamers hate reading. Yes, some of it may be necessary as they get a handle for controls. But wherever you can, have the shape of the world point to a solution, rather than text dictate it. Have a double jump mechanic? Put a canyon so large a single leap won't make it. A crafting system? Give them two items that clearly go together. Create obvious impasses that lead to obvious solutions. Not only is it a more fun way to pick up mechanics, it leads to a stronger understanding of the basics before you move on to more complex interactions.

Simple: Leverage creators. They will likely be a familiar face to much of the game's audience and even if they aren't, they will (detectably) be part of the game's community. Beyond that, they probably already know nearly as much about the game and its mechanics as any dev would. Top that off with the fact that this person is a professional entertainer and professional game player. Showing primarily gameplay is still fundamental to any good tutorial but the accompaniment of a cheery pro's feedback is oh so much better than a stale VO read.

Una de las mejores maneras de ense?ar es empezar desde lo básico e ir agregando elementos core del juego a medida que el jugador se familiariza, sin olvidar estar siempre picando la curiosidad del jugador para que sienta una motivación intrínseca a seguir en la experiencia.

Soft tutorials that Show instead of Tell are the best way to introduce players to new mechanics. Instead of writing the following instructions: chop down trees, collect apples, put in basket… why not teach the player visually? Use an axe icon on a glowing tree, then highlight a falling apple and show a hand icon to show you can pick it up, then use a visualized dotted path to direct players to the basket. There is always a better option than lengthy written instructions.

Incorporating influencers can significantly impact tutorial engagement, as having a familiar face guide players can keep them engaged long enough to learn. Finding the right balance between challenge and guidance is key, employing the scaffolding technique to gradually introduce new elements and increase difficulty, ensuring players aren't overwhelmed. Super Mario Bros exemplifies this, starting with simple levels to teach basics before adding complexity. This method keeps players motivated, leveraging the influencer's familiarity to maintain interest while progressively challenging them, fostering a sense of achievement as they advance.

El nivel de dificultad al principio del juego siempre va a depender de las expectativas y el tono del juego. Por ejemplo, en Super Mario, al ser un juego familiar, se espera que hayan ni?os jugando por lo que el comienzo del juego debe llevar de la mano al jugador. Pero para audiencias más maduras que esperan retos más grandes, llevarlos de la mano les causa impaciencia y desespero y prefieren sentir que estan descubriendo un reto, por lo que en este caso, menos tutorial es más atractivo.

Usually, when designing a game, challenges are introduced strategically. The curve is decided by the game designer and won't always follow a pattern (sin or cos). The best way to introduce guidance/tutorials is when a new element is introduced which is unknown to the user. It should be balanced in a way, that it does not overdo what it is supposed to do. Let's take Royal Match, as a classic example. Guidance/coach marks pop up whenever the progression introduces a new element on the grid, birds are one of them.

Creating an effective game tutorial requires a delicate equilibrium between challenge and guidance to ensure an engaging and educational experience for players. The instructional process should follow a progressive complexity model, introducing basic concepts before incorporating more advanced features. Contextual guidance is vital, delivering instructions within the game’s context to maintain relevance. Hands-on learning is encouraged, allowing players to apply new knowledge immediately through interactive elements. Lastly, encouraging exploration within the game fosters a sense of discovery, ensuring that players remain engaged throughout the learning process!

It's a tightrope walk between hand-holding and overwhelming the player. I strive to provide just enough guidance to prevent frustration, while still allowing them the freedom to experiment and discover things on their own. Think of it like learning to swim – you need a life vest at first, but eventually, you want to feel the exhilaration of gliding through the water on your own.

A mí me encantan los juegos que te ense?an a través de la derrota intensionada. Básicamente perder es parte del proceso y no un castigo. Con cada derrota aprendes los castigos y no necesitas que un tutorial diga que si te caes por un precipicio vas a morir. Esto es importante en la vida real porque debemos ense?arle a la gente que no debe tener miedo a perder, lo cual es sumamente común en los ambientes corporativos.

While designing a first-time user experience, for a game with decent enough depth, one has to be careful about when and how to teach the user what to do next. This is where we observe a significant drop. This has to be done for every new mechanic/element introduced. An ideal way to look at it is to notice if the player understood the task and keep guiding the player for n number of times (personalized) and a simpler and broader way would be to run an a/b experiment to figure out optimal iteration over a cohort of users. Additionally, a how-to section can be added (wherever necessary), with a clear instruction on how to access it.

Flexibility is key, allowing players to engage with tutorials on their terms, whether it's skipping ahead, taking a deeper dive, or tweaking the experience to fit their needs. A personalized and open approach ensures that tutorials are not just a one-size-fits-all solution.

Adapting a game tutorial to a player’s skill involves dynamic systems for assessment and adjustment. Begin with a skill evaluation phase, progressively introducing complexity based on the player’s performance. Provide interactive feedback, optional advanced sections, and adaptive challenges to cater to varying skill levels. Allow customization of tutorial settings, implement contextual guidance during gameplay, and establish a dynamic feedback loop for continuous evaluation. Track progress and gather player feedback through surveys to refine the tutorial over time. These adaptive strategies ensure that the tutorial is personalized, engaging, and effective for players with diverse skill levels!

Forget lengthy tutorials! Gamers are smart; respect their time. Keep it Simple: Don't overcomplicate things. Focus on core mechanics and basic controls. Players are here to play, not get a trophy for memorizing a textbook. Skippable by Design: ALWAYS allow players to bypass parts or the entire tutorial. Respect their existing skills and preferences. They can always revisit it later if needed. Let players learn through in-game action. Focus on clear, concise communication and engaging gameplay to create tutorials that inform without feeling like a chore. This keeps players engaged and prevents them from jumping to the next game because your intro felt like homework.

This is subjective and varies from game to game. If you're building a deep and progressive game, you would be playing around with a lot of elements, powerups, etc, and these elements/products ideally unlock at various progression levels. Let's take a basic racing game's story mode to dive deeper into the progression. - The game begins with a basic tutorial and controls. - While you're adapting to the current map and controls, you are introduced to nitro/power-gas - While you're settling in, now you can jump over some wedges on the street Say, you need to teach the player how to collect and use a nitro, stop the gameplay, drop a narrative, or hover a marker on top of the gas on the street. Avoid bombarding, try doing it aesthetically.

Make your game tutorial catchy. Here's how: Quick & Fun: Nail that perfect balance. You don’t want players bouncing before the real fun begins. Story is Everything: Let players in on the grand adventure. What’s the big win they’re chasing? Instantly Engaging: Skip the lengthy tutorials. Teach on the go. Like, if a player bites the dust in a battle, that’s your cue to introduce: Ad-Powered Comebacks: A nifty revive option. Power-Up Pitstop: A quick detour to the armoury for upgrades. Loot for Loyalty: Guide them to those daily freebies and keep them returning for more. In essence, make learning your game as intuitive and engaging as singing “A, B, C.” Keep it playful, embed the story, and teach through action.

Effective tutorials seamlessly integrate learning into the gameplay experience, ensuring players remain engaged and immersed. Developers achieve this by leveraging the game's narrative, environmental cues, interactive demonstrations, and inventive techniques. This approach enables players to learn game mechanics naturally, avoiding the feeling of tedious study while maintaining enjoyment and excitement.

Respect your audience. You should know what the game is about, why it's fun, and how to get the player to do that as quickly as possible. The opening tutorial is the first experience and is the demonstrable embodiment of your elevator pitch. It shouldn't "feel" like a tutorial, rather it should feel like where you'd want to start if you'd played the game from scratch a hundred times.

Tutorials shouldn't feel like a mandatory chore, a jarring interruption to the game's flow. I weave them seamlessly into the narrative and visual style, creating a cohesive and immersive experience. The tutorial could be disguised as a training montage, a dream sequence, or even a playful interaction with a quirky character. This approach not only makes learning more enjoyable but also reinforces the game's world and atmosphere.

If you're not shipping the game on a Blu-ray (without servers and add-on capability), you often have the option to run experiments over everything. There are various tools out there, Firebase, GameAnalytics, PlayFab, etc which let you configure experiments to figure out which design/intro/tutorial works best for the use case. Once the best tutorial is identified, scale it to all the users.

Real player feedback provides invaluable insights into what works well and what needs improvement. Playtesting allows developers to observe how players interact with the tutorial in real-time, identifying pain points, confusion, or areas where players might get stuck.

The perfect tutorial isn't born in the 1st time, it's crafted via testing and community feedback. Here's why this combo is a winner: Beyond the Data: While analytics and playtesting data are valuable, they don't capture the full picture. Real players offer invaluable qualitative feedback – their frustrations, suggestions, and "aha!" moments during the tutorial. The Feedback Loop: Use player insights to iterate and refine your tutorial. Did a step feel confusing? Discord servers and Facebook groups are great places to gather this kind of feedback and use it to improve your tutorial. Learning from the Best: Analyze tutorials in similar games. What works well? Borrowing best practices can improve thebtutorial's design.

Testing a game tutorial can be done in different ways! Implement A/B testing to compare different tutorial versions and refine based on player responses. Test with players of diverse skill levels to ensure adaptability. Utilize iterative design, making regular adjustments based on feedback. Monitor onboarding metrics like completion time for efficiency. Integrate analytics tools for real-time data on player behavior during the tutorial. Ensure accessibility by testing with diverse groups. Finally, perform cross-platform testing to ensure the tutorial functions seamlessly across different devices. This comprehensive testing approach ensures a well-crafted and effective game tutorial!

Desk research helps build the new user experience/tutorials later in game but the only way to know how your users will deal with your tutorial is to let them deal with your tutorial. Run playtests, over and over and over. Be meticulous to the point of frustration in tracking and testing your findings -- what is a moment of clarity for a consumer might be something you didn't notice and would never notice. Playtest, playest, and playtest.