• Hey Guest! Ever feel like entering a Game Jam, but the time limit is always too much pressure? We get it... You lead a hectic life and dedicating 3 whole days to make a game just doesn't work for you! So, why not enter the GMC SLOW JAM? Take your time! Kick back and make your game over 4 months! Interested? Then just click here!

Design In-Game Tutorials

O

Oyakiiv

Guest
Hello o/

I would like to inquire about the various styles of in-game tutorials. the two I can come up with off the top of my head are:

1.) Diagrams: with or without text, I find them to be very plain, but they work as a quick way to jump into a game, though I can imagine many 'players' would simply skip over it since reading seems to be such a chore.

2.) Forced tutorial: these are usually done on the first time start-up of a game and tend to go into a bit more detail on the mechanics of the game. they also tend to be interactive. these are better for games with a bit more complexity, but can be very tedious and annoying in simpler games.

----------
Anyway, the reason I bring this up, is because of my current project, a pong rpg; which would be a bit complex so I feel a tutorial is a must!

so what are everyones thoughts? are there styles of tutorials I have missed or forgotten? what have you used in the past/currently? what are the best game tutorials you have gone through? what are the worst?

generally if it's about tutorials, I would love to hear it, all information has value to me!

--sincerly, Oyakiiv
 

Nocturne

Friendly Tyrant
Forum Staff
Admin
In my game Skein I have an "optional" tutorial. This is simply a menu option under "Play", and so if the user wishes to find out how to play before actually getting started then they can, or they can jump straight in and just see what happens.

upload_2017-4-29_8-29-34.png
 
O

Oyakiiv

Guest
hadn't even thought of that one. I would totally still play the tutorial, mostly because I'm the sort of person who, when I get a new game, will read the ENTIRE manual before playing it. But I can see the appeal. I feel the main flaw to that would be most players that skip the tutorial could miss out on crucial information that isnt obvious in any way. this could be avoided by simply putting a little tag, indicating the associated button/key, onto hud icons; so the player will know at a glance what does what at any time. so this method works well for games without advanced/complex mechanics.

( really liked your blog on skein, btw )

another tutorial I thought of is the beginning story tutorial: it will walk you through how to play the game while simultaneously getting the player accustomed to characters, locations and introducing the plot. Unlike the forced tutorial, some games allow you to skip over it if you already know how to play, and additionaly tutorials come up at various points throughout the game; instead of all at once.

I have seen games use this one very well...and very poorly. The worst taking the form of an hour long tutorial session that you just cant skip and with more to come later!
 
J

joqlepecheur

Guest
Given that the game is complex and there is need for a tutorial, Nocturne approach is clean and great.
If you are afraid the player missed something, maybe an help button to complement the approach?

Worst tutorial are those where you wait and wait and wait before just playing the game.
There is a zelda where I hated the tutorial, I think it was Twillight princess not sure.
 
O

Oyakiiv

Guest
sorry if it seems like I bashed it, I like to analyze things with pros and cons, helps me learn. It's not a bad method at all!

lets see, twilight princess...hmm...I remember that game being very interactive with the early tutorials...though I suppose it did keep you in the starting area for a good bit of time.
 

Yal

šŸ§ *penguin noises*
GMC Elder
Worst tutorial are those where you wait and wait and wait before just playing the game.
There is a zelda where I hated the tutorial, I think it was Twillight princess not sure.
I'd say every Zelda game since OoT until BotW did this, possibly with the exception of MM (since it was a direct sequel to OoT and most players were assumed to be familiar with the mechanics). You run around in your hometown for ages with no real danger, doing a bunch of chores... it's fine the first time, but when you replay it and are forced to do everything AGAIN and realize just how linear things are. TP in particular (most modern 3D Zelda game I've played) feels extra bad because it feels like the tutorial never ends - it takes hours to get to the first temple, and you're forced to collect light orbs and run errands and fetch stuff before you can get to the second... and then you're forced to do the same stuff again before you can get to the third... and so on. When the game finally gets the ball rolling they'd already run out of development time, so everything is rushed and uninspired... which just makes the tutorial part be the only part you really can remember.

Also, watch this analysis of the dungeons and be prepared to get your mind blown with how they're ALL FOLLOWING THE SAME FORMULA.


This whole thing was a bit of a tangent, but TLDR Twilight Princess is a good example of how to not design a tutorial.

My favorite tutorials are those you can just skip, I'd say Dark Souls II's tutorial is one of the best ever. Not intrusive, but you can just run past it anyway and enter the hub world right away; the first areas you can access are easy and teaches you more in-depth stuff by "learn by doing" (the first part of Forest of Fallen Giants lets you face off against various iterations of normal zombie enemies, the second part teaches you about ambushes and being on the lookout for hidden items, the third part teaches you about dodging projectiles, the fourth and longest part about unlocking shortcuts and exploring; once you're done with that you face your first boss and then you're pretty much able to go anywhere you want.
 
J

joqlepecheur

Guest
@Yal
they're ALL FOLLOWING THE SAME FORMULA.
Wow.

Another tutorial that pissed me off was Mario & Luigi : Dream Team.
Every 10 minutes you have a new power with a tutorial that lasts forever. The power will barely be used anywhere else in the game.

@Oyakiiv
If you are really afraid of messing up tutorial, chose the approach you feel most confident with and confront your game to early testing.
 
O

Oyakiiv

Guest
@Yal
If you are really afraid of messing up tutorial, chose the approach you feel most confident with and confront your game to early testing.
sorry, I really mainly made this post to just have a discussion on tutorials. I'm not actually worried about my game since it's still early in developement. though now that I think about it I dont really remember what inspired this topic...

though so far, I would totally go with Nocturns example, maybe with a slight variation; since my project is an arcade game, not just an rpg.

anyway love the discussion so far! lets keep it up!

and as far as long tutorials goes...Star Ocean for the ps2. The tutorial was blended with the story and I'm sure we all know how square does there story...
 
Top