Most Game Tutorials Suck

But why?

Because they feel like boring homework instead of an adventure.

• Limiting the player’s freedom
• Making you do obvious things
• Requiring reading lots of dull text
• Nullifying challenge, excitement, and the sense of flow

Yet, players still need the necessary context to understand the rules, objectives, and controls.

So how do you do it right?

Here are the key principles for creating effective tutorials:

1. Teach through gameplay 🎮
Let players learn by doing and experimenting.

2. Use visuals 🖼
Arrows, interface elements, and lighting work better than walls of text.

3. Minimize tutorial steps 🕒
Keep it short and engaging.

4. Avoid “hard” tutorials  🔓
Don’t lock controls unless it’s absolutely necessary.

5. Skip the obvious 🤔
Don’t teach what players already know (familiar controls, or tutorials for features the player has already seen).

6. Make actions intuitive 🧠
Ensure the required actions are naturally understandable during the tutorial.

By following these principles, you can create tutorials that are fun, engaging, and effective.