Hello adventurer! In today’s quest, we’re going to explore the map for how to make great Tutorials in your games! Tutorials are a part of the first things the player learns about the game, so it's important to design them so players wants to keep playing.
Tutorials can seem hard to design, but follow these steps to ensure success!
GUIDE FOR GREAT TUTORIALS
1. Teach Through Play, Not Instructions
Instead of explaining mechanics with text boxes, let players discover them naturally.
Examples:
Place an obstacle that can only be overcome by jumping. This can guide and show players what they can expect more of in the game.
Lock a door that opens only when the player interacts with an object nearby.
Use level design (plants, enemy placement, lighting) to guide players intuitively.
👉 Result: Players feel smart for figuring things out on their own.
2. Turn Tutorials into Mini-Stories
Wrap mechanics inside a short narrative moment. This makes learning feel natural and a part of the game story.
Examples:
Learning stealth while sneaking out of a guarded prison where you are held captive. (Adds tension and suspense).
Learning crafting while repairing a broken tool needed to help an NPC. (The mood of the NPC can tell you about the game’s world).
Learning combat while defending a village under attack. (That’s more fun than hitting straw puppets all day).
👉 Result: Players remember mechanics because they’re tied to story beats.
3. Use NPCs as Teachers (Not just UI Pop-ups)
Characters can teach mechanics in diegetic and entertaining ways. While a mix of NPC dialogue, Button prompts and larger Pop-up texts is commonly used, some games can keep it simple and fun without using too much text.
Examples:
A mentor who explains abilities while fighting alongside the player.
A sarcastic robot that complains every time you mess up. (Portal)
A child NPC you need to copy, or who copies the player’s actions, reinforcing learning.
👉 Result: Instruction feels like natural dialogue, not homework.
4. Reward Curiosity and Experimentation
Encourage players to try things without fear. You do this by showing players early on that there are things to be found across the world if they explore. It’s important not to have harsh punishments if they fail here.
Examples:
Give small rewards for trying optional mechanics or paths early. This can be a funny dialogue, some gold, or a collectible item.
Include safe “sandbox” areas where failure has no consequences. This can be a Training area that lets players practice for however long they want.
👉 Result: Players feel empowered to be curious, not restricted.
5. Clear expectation & interactions
A great Tutorial should guide, show, and explain to the player what they should do to learn the core mechanics of this world. So make interaction, actions, and buttons really clear. If you think: “everyone knows how to do X, so I don’t need to tell players“, you will probably leave players confused and annoyed. Better to be clear so they get a change to learn.
Examples:
Show clear button prompts on screen, even for simple actions. Yes, that also includes: Walk, Jump, Sprint, Crouch, and Interactions. (in the Tutorial, not all the time)
Set a clear goal where players need to go or do. This gives them context for what they are doing in the game and the Tutorial. (Don’t make players feel lost in the Onboarding phase.)
👉 Result: Players are clear on what to do and how to do it.
TLDR: Tutorials can be more than just a long text of instructions. Make the Tutorials a fun part of the game and story while clearly teaching players how to play the game. This will make them confident and eager to continue playing!
Thank you for reading!
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