Hello adventurer! In today’s quest, we’re going to explore the difference between a games Onboarding, Tutorials and FTUE, what they mean, how they are used and what they are good for. They are a very important part of the UX of a game and a big focus area for many to get right, so players don’t quit within the first 15 minutes.

In video game design, helping players understand how to play is just as important as the mechanics themselves. Three closely related concepts: Onboarding, Tutorials, and FTUE (First-Time User Experience) work together to introduce players to a game, but they are not the same thing. Understanding the differences helps designers create smoother, more engaging experiences and makes you a better UX designer for a team.

Onboarding is the broad, holistic process of easing players into a game. It includes everything that helps a player feel comfortable, oriented, and motivated during their early moments with the game. This goes beyond teaching what keyboard or controller buttons to click; it also introduces the game’s tone, sets up goals, simple gameplay, and what expectations the player can have on the rest of the game. The onboarding can be played several times by a player if they choose to replay it for practice or when they create a new character.

Onboarding can include early level design, narrative framing, world building, setting game and player goals, basic gameplay or combat, difficulty ramping, and feedback systems. A well-designed onboarding experience makes players feel smart and confident without overwhelming them.

👉 Think of onboarding as the entire journey of getting a new player from “What is this game?” to “I know what I’m doing.”
It answers: “What is this world?”, “What is my goal?” and “What is the story?”

A tutorial is a specific, focused teaching tool within onboarding. Tutorials explicitly explain mechanics, controls, or systems, often through text prompts, guided actions, or restricted scenarios where the player needs to do very specific things.

Tutorials can be:

👉 Tutorials answer the question: “How do I do this?” and “What button do I press“.
Tutorials are useful, but too many or poorly timed tutorials can feel intrusive, overwhelming, and break immersion.

FTUE refers specifically to the very first interaction a player has with the game. Usually, the first session, first level, or first 0–30 minutes. It includes things like the first launch flow, settings setup, initial UI exposure, first gameplay moments, and early rewards. This is the time when games want to hook players in and make them invested enough to keep playing and get through the onboarding and tutorials.

FTUE is narrower than onboarding but extremely critical. It sets first impressions and heavily influences retention, especially in mobile and live-service games. A confusing or boring FTUE can cause players to quit before the game really begins.

👉 FTUE answers: “Do I want to keep playing this?”

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