How To Fail At Tutorials

[@Artindi]

What topic or genre should I cover next? 0.0

[@cheepcheep2204]

How to fail at inspiration. show us how most indie games will be stuck in mediocrity because their inspirations are stiff and forced directions in a genre or gameplay feature that doesn‘t even fit the game. e.g.: crafting systems, stamina bars, having a metroidvania that is either shooty shoot aliens like metroid or slashy slash dark themed hollow knight

[@Artindi]

Hm... most of these will be touched on as each genre is discussed, but might be good to eventually make a video just for that topic over all genres. Thanks for the idea! :D

[@alu2901]

Maybe Card Games?

[@StrakBlue]

Maybe how to fail at including branching story paths, or "player choice?"

[@asthalis]

How To fail at balancing a game ?

[@fiddleriddlediddlediddle]

"The best way to fail at indie game development is to never try, but if you never try you'll never fail so let's assume you do try. Here's how to fail." I love this dude's intros.

[@BrickThought]

Too many people have followed these steps!

[@Artindi]

Must be a really good tutorial then yeah? ;)

[@DrGiggleTouch67]

Fr

[@DrGiggleTouch67]

69th like

[@BrickThought]

@@DrGiggleTouch67 Nice!

[@AlexPBenton]

For a level design class, my group created a first person rocket-jumping game. After the first class-wide playtest, the main gripes with the game were that the first jump was too hard. We suddenly realized that the rest of the class wasn’t aware of how our main mechanic worked, even though we all had thought it was obvious. Next playtest we put a Dev-art png at the first obstacle which showed a very basic example of a person rocket jumping, and that was actually the last of our negative feedback from then on. We later enhanced the tutorial by turning it into a video of someone performing the jump, rather than static hand drawn images

[@AkiDevelops]

good to know, thx for the tip

[@fumetsusozo]

Should've added a unavoidable annoying NPC who chases you around telling you how to do basic stuff like how to jump after you already had to learn to jump by the time you even came across the NPC... but then the same NPC never teaches you anything actually complex about the game you would want help with later on.

[@Skeffles]

Great video. Who even needs a tutorial when you can add a wiki page?

[@Artindi]

That's how you know if a game is good, it has to have it's own wiki. lol. :)

[@pointyorb]

Looking at you, Terraria

[@justusP9101]

@@pointyorbWhen i first started Terraria i almost quit it after 20 minutes of walking left and right and dying, luckily i gave it a second chance and now i finished it

[@pointyorb]

@@justusP9101 Yeah Terraria is a very good game, just cryptic at times

[@Yorikoification]

Any Fromsoft game, impossible to grasp without looking shizzle up. A-tier game design obviously

[@artman40]

Oh...make sure that if the players are doing the right thing, they think they're not doing the right thing. That's how they can "enjoy" your tutorial longer. Example: There's a block that must be hit 20 times but there's no indication of any feedback (such as the block cracking as you whittle away its hitpoints) so players think it's not something they have to do.

[@MamaTrixxieAsmr]

Oh and let’s not forget tutorials for obvious things showing up the first time you come across a thing, and then making said thing skippable/missable so you suddenly get told about this thing like 5 hours into the game after doing it 60 billion times already

[@329link]

Jokes aside, never underestimate how useful a codex or encyclopedia of some kind can be to a player. If you have anything remotely complex, be it a game mechanic or a concept in the world you're making, it won't hurt to make an explanation that's easily accessible. Also note that game explanations and world building should *always* be put in separate categories within, even if that means making two different entries for the same thing in each of those categories. Some people just need to know what button they need to press, no need to flood them with exposition.

[@mandisaw]

This. While some folks blitz through a 100hr game in a long weekend, many folks stop & come back to a game over weeks, months, or even years. And then there are the plays-everything fans & returners, who might forget how _this specific game_ handled some common mechanic that has slight variations across a genre or franchise.

[@StepanKorney]

These videos are pure gold. They're both entertaining and useful.

[@Artindi]

Thanks! Glad to hear it. :)

[@amimirmimir512]

don't follow these steps and make your tutorial as short as possible and you made a godly tutorial

[@Artindi]

No! Don't listen to him! Follow all these steps! It is your destiny! ;)

[@amimirmimir512]

to failure

[@upsidedown-pug1974]

I actually want to say about game that has a *_really_* good tutorial. The Witness is a puzzle game and the tutorial for the set mechanics is perfect... Once you get past the first 2 straight line puzzles your actually able to move around and to get out of the tutorial area, you need to open a gate, to panel the gate you need to solve 3 puzzles and these puzzles are pretty hidden *_unless you follow the wires connecting to them._* This shows you that wires can be very useful when finding puzzles, next is the puzzle themselves. The simplest puzzle in the area is staring right in the face as soon as you enter into the area. The first "set" of panels are three panel connected together by wire (teaching you that panel can be connected), The second panel has 2 start points and one is impossible (teaching you that start points give more options), and finally the most hidden one the third panel has 2 end points, each end point activates a different wire, the path you need to cross to get to the wire you want is only possible by going *_directly past_* the other exit... I pretty hard to explain this game in just text so if you are interested in it try not to look too much up, it is very easy to get spoiled

[@329link]

Another example of a masterful tutorial is Baba is You. It starts off with the most basic of basic things, using the interactive words as simple instructions, then progressively introducing the more complex things like how words can be moved and linked in different ways. The best part is when they do a complete copy of a previous level with all of the nouns shuffled around to show you how there isn't anything inherent to an object without words affecting it. Genius design to get players thinking outside the box early on without a single tutorial box.

[@ZarroTsu]

Recently some old friends of mine released a game whose tutorial is approximately 2 hours long. Thank you for giving them this insight, they've happily used it as a shield against criticism. 😬

[@TheMamaluigi300]

The best tutorials span the entire first-hour prologue and are assigned to the brand-new partner character you wanted to people to like, ensuring they’re *so* unliked by everyone who played the game that you have introduce a replacement character in the sequel.

[@GunSpyEnthusiast]

what i have learned: the WII and GC Zelda games had the best fucking tutorials known to man.

[@Gabu_]

Wait a minute... is this a complex game tutorial to a game without tutorial that wants a bad tutorial? Suspicious.

[@Artindi]

O.o

[@chazz3316]

The spirit breaker was hilarious lmao

[@Artindi]

As I read the words and asked myself what I could draw for that, there was really only one thing 0.0 perhaps few will get it, but for those that do... :)

[@strangecolouredbird]

There's been so many tutorials that just... suck. I've been practising Unreal for the first time and there's been so many "tutorials" that either show the finish product and say "go with it, bitch" or gloss over a section that could go wrong and not explain the slightest what to do if it does. And the sheer *AMOUNT* of Tutorials that click on things so fast you have to watch them at x0.25 just to see what button they clicked... I'm lucky I found a good tutorial channel or id've gone back to Scratch.

[@bonbon5000]

The moment when these meme videos are unironically more helpful and to-the-point than most other game development tutorials

[@顔boom]

0:31 While a highly polished tutorial would be a bad start, I feel like a playground of sorts is usually useful for developing gameplay mechanics. If done right it could then be adapted into a tutorial, or that power-tripping intro before you lose all your power-ups. Or would it still be easier to just make it from scratch in the end?

[@mandisaw]

Serves different purposes. Something like a whitebox arena to test out new abilities, check out your outfit/avatar from different angles is its own thing, mostly separate from a tutorial. You could blend the two, or have the tutorial "steal" from the whitebox-mode, but that's game-specific.

[@KitsuneFaroe]

0:41 the last thing I would have expected on these videos is a Dota reference lmao that caught me out of guard.

[@Artindi]

Obviously I don't play the game at all. ;)

[@KubinWielki]

2:27 - Absolute mastery of phrase illustration right there. I love it!

[@Carbon4ppleJuice]

Good tutorial, i plan on making games in the future, and I had never even considered tutorials in games.

[@Artindi]

Thanks! Glad to hear it was helpful to you. :)

[@imzary]

Bud you're so underrated your content is so excellent

[@Artindi]

Why thank you. :)

[@victoryvictorious633]

“You’ve always wanted to write a novel. Here’s your chance” 😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂🤣😂

[@Aaron067]

Just got recommended this video, was completely suprised to see that it has only 12k views, I think thi channel will definitely blowup soon keep up the great work man!!

[@snailofkale]

i think (some of?) the mario and luigi games do some of the absolute best job of tutorials, with the ability to actually practice attacks instead of having to risk a first try in an actual battle, doing badly because you had no practice, and then never using that attack again because you didn't have the timing down.

[@TheMamaluigi300]

And ironically some of the Mario & Luigi games have some of the most obtrusive first-hour tutorials I’ve seen in an RPG (granted, I didn’t play too many of those, but sheesh…)

[@snailofkale]

@@TheMamaluigi300 yeah but i mostly remember attack practice! ttyd remake spoilers even though most action commands in ttyd are quite easy, the ability to practice (even if its only with the battle master toad) is really good as well.

[@froodlenoodle]

watching this right before I need to make my game's tutorial, I think the best way to do it in my scenario is basically what you said - make it skippable, easy to understand and have ways for people to re-lean the mechanics halfway through

[@rmt3589]

One popular step you forgot: Require beating the tutorial to load your data to a new device. While we're at it, we should make the tutorial take 3 days to beat because of an energy mechanic, and require money to refill sooner. Don't worry, these purchases disappear when you load your previous save.

[@TheGallantDrake]

0:42 as a former hard support, that Spirit Breaker sound gave me anxiety lmao

[@CrazyRiverOtter]

Portal's almost entirely tutorial, and it's regarded as an all-time great.

[@zegtronic]

i loved the Bara reference! its nice to see another dota enjoyer

[@xomvoid_akaluchiru_987]

I'm glad "crap" was the final word, makes me feel really fulfilled for staying the extra 20 seconds

[@phosfasium2587]

Followed this. Scrapped it, and just made the first level the'tutorial' where the player learns in a natural way how to proceed by noticing changes and cues depending on their actions and the state of the UI

[@DaikoruArtwin]

1:20 Okay, now I actually want to see a full-on tutorial that assumes the player have never seen a machine in his entire life :')

[@jacopomalatesta4913]

My philosophy is trying to make the player understand mechanics by just seeing them in action before the part where you need to be accustomed to them comes: For example: you need to show that red attacks break your shield… now, you could: make enemies have shields and get hit by different red attacks, you could make the player experience that without taking damage or being punished for it, so maybe make him shield while he’s under an invincibility effect, so the player will go into a shield break animations without taking damage Or you could design specific enemies of elements of level design that heavily resemble the shield and that break when an arbitrary red attack from a monster comes And much much more, even just dubbing a dialogue and being straight forward with it is fine. Obviously it depends on the game but… wall of texts are truly something, pso2 New Genesis offers a damn 8 pages wall of text when entering a new type of quest for the first time and it’s absolutely horrendous

[@nicreven]

wasn't expecting bara to show up but I'm happy he did 0:42

[@EvilMariobot]

Vangers devs: What if this; but backstory and lore?

[@LinuxPlayer9]

One of your best video, reminds me how bad is the tutorial of the not well known game megaglest

[@Dominexis]

I caught that glimpse of No Time For Caution in my ear.

[@Artindi]

It's such a good song. Even though it's a meme now. :)

[@Sirius-Nightstream]

im glad i was getting mixed signals. i kept wondering if most of those things are actually bad practice

[@Artindi]

No, there are all really good things to do. ;) In all seriousness. hopefully it wasn't too confusing. Most people list what to do, so I'm trying to list what not to do while still off handedly mentioning what should be done, sometimes it can help give perspective on things. :)

[@notsam2270]

@@Artindi a part i was confused about was 1:20 while it does seem to be something you shouldn't do based on the tone of voice and such, it is still a good idea to include very basic things for example i had literally no idea what "r3" is on a playstation controller because the icons for the button press would usually just be... a circle like the joystick was from topdown. i will also mention multi-key things such as shortcuts, because perhaps people interpret their first use of a shortcut as "ctrl, the plus sign button, R... must hold all 3 of those for CTRL + R ... oh wait its in caps maybe i also need caps locks on or shift held too...." i find correct icon creating to be a good solution to this, as boxing in things to make them clearly separate turns CTRL + R into |CTRL| + |R|, and joystick icons can be better than just a circle (ex, the mushroom-like shape you can see on a sideview of a joystick with a down arrow on top of it)

[@rxndomfxndom7405]

2:07 I love Plants versus Zombies and I am SO glas the first game didn't do this with the almanac...

[@thekingofcats27]

You could allow them to skip the tutorial using extremely advanced and precise info that would take thousands of hours to learn for your linear 10 hour game

[@TheMamaluigi300]

Oh yeah, protip: Pop-up tips are always great and never annoying, especially when you’re trying to just trying to do something off script and the pop-ups are shouting at you like “Hey! Listen!” (Although that’s not to say they’re *always* annoying), but to make them even better, the player should already be halfway into a solution they spent a half hour trying to figure out by the time the pop-up tip finally pops up to tell them about the brand new mechanic that is essential for the solution.

[@maxmustermann-zx9yq]

this reminds me of the board game gloomhaven where the big expension was essentially just a tutorial campaign for the main game XD jokes aside, an open tutorial campaign where each scenario introduces mechanics at a slower pace instead of getting smacked across the face with an encyclopedia was really nice especially for non board game players, you even start out with a smaller premade deck in the first scenario that is made up of cards with info texts for help on them

[@Artindi]

That's a clever way to do it. And also reminds me of Skyrim, where you have to escape the fortress where the dragon first appears. It is it's own little mission with a guy there to guide you along the way. Makes you feel like you are playing but actually learning everything you need to know.

[@slavsquatsuperstar]

2:16 “Michanic” xD

[@JuicyBurger29]

My game tutorial will be unskippable for a GOOD reason, it is basically an important part of the game, and it’s not just something like “press 7 to shoot your gun” and junk like that for 10% of the game, it is mainly the Exposition, you meet the basic characters, the basic enemies, the setting, some Easter eggs here and there, 3 levels. And it’s only could be considering a Tutorial because it has ghostly otherworldly text that says “Press 7 to shoot your gun”

[@dandymcgee]

i'm having deja vu..

[@SoshuTheGnome]

this is a gem mine.

[@illuminoeye_gaming]

we've been duped! this IS a tutorial

[@RedzicMuharem]

Bro upgraded to a gamer chair, he must be really good at failing!

[@Fefe-vp9yk]

Laughs in Dr. Robotnik's ring racers

[@LateNightPerson]

Accurately describes the first level in postal 3

[@Fluxuation]

sonic frontiers would like to know your location

[@Slimedev56]

fav part: 1:07

[@blueshell292]

I wish most games had, like, a recap mechanic, where you get a small movement/fight tutorial and story recap after not playing for a very long time. Or at least the opportunity. PLEASE I AM AN ADULT WITH RESPONSIBILITIIIIIIIIIIES

[@Yorikoification]

Yeah, screw teaching the player how the game works. This is a [insert genre here] let's assume everyone knows how to play those! Never mind that it could be the first type of game they're playing of the genre, or that there are things unique to this game that we won't explain. Real gamers who have the intelligence, willpower and guts will stick with the game anyway, or else they're casual scrubs who wants their hands held at all times! Besides, we gotta keep fextralife in business. Give people a reason to visit their wikis every step they take

[@colemanbubar5098]

2:13 minor spelling error. Video ruined. Immersion shattered. Argument invalid. I'm going to make a text wall now.

[@TheMamaluigi300]

What if you did a video on “How to fail at prologues”, like how to ruin the first hour/half hour of the game experience. I feel like aside from a bad tutorial and other stuff you covered, there can be a few unique pointers for specifically the “hour one” experience

[@Artindi]

Might be cool, it is a pretty important part of any game. :)

[@TheMamaluigi300]

@@Artindi Subsequently, the last hour (of the main story mode at least) is also an important part to fail; gotta put a sour taste in the player’s mouth so they reconsider going for 100%. Which is good, because you didn’t program any completion reward

[@cristoelmago]

1:43 ¿Qué es eso? Love it

[@microdavid7098]

fun video

[@widrolo]

Someone has to show this video to paradox

[@jefverstraete8574]

joseph strife hayes has made a great video about game tutorials.

[@JohnSmith-uk6wh]

99% of wargames do all of this unironically. If you want to make a wargame and are wondering how to make it stand out, having an actual decent tutorial will put you head and shoulders above your competition. Most of the genre is so dense and impenetrable that it's very easy to see why it remains so niche. The original Advance Wars is the gold standard here. It assumes absolutely no knowledge on the part of the player, letting them start with trivial missions that involve only the most basic steps, then gradually adding new elements. It walks you through everything you need to learn, but knows when to let go of the leash and let you handle things on your own so that you learn how to apply the principles it's taught you. The tutorial is also mostly skippable (only the final mission is mandatory), but it takes the form of a mini-campaign with its own storyline and a goofy villain that's so entertaining that I occasionally replay it just for fun.

[@raidev_]

this feels like terrible writing advice but for game design

[@Artindi]

Yeah, while making the first episode I realized part way through some of the similarities. So I'll for sure take inspiration, but hopefully still have my own spin on things. :)

[@poorme1art]

Pine Tree

[@poorme1art]

Crap!

[@enderfire3379]

adding the ability to skip the tutorial isnt always a good idea. a good tutorial dosent just teach mechanics, it teaches about the world and story (especially in an RPG), a good example would be the Half Life games

[@noona7701]

Pine tree 🌲

[@spaghettiisyummy.3623]

Pinetree.

[@The_hepe]

Got it, if I do the opposite of whatever this video, I will succeed in something

[@passthedonuts]

Pinetree

[@Louis14022]

yes

[@divVerent]

Why explicit tutorials when you can just introduce new game mechanics as you go by making the player solve a really easy problem using the new mechanic once it becomes available? Like, in a Quake mod, put a way too high wall for a regular jump directly leading to the exit right after the first rocket launcher item, while also providing a never ending supply of health packs in that same room. Of course make sure there is no other way to leave the current room by closing doors behind the player. Sure will teach the player about rocket jumping.

[@mothramaster1837]

If you want to be really patronizing and intrusive, make it so that way parts of the tutorial are unavoidable gameplay interruptions AFTER the game demonstrates the system the tutorial is about. Because surely a player can't learn "My legs break from a high fall" without stopping everything and explaining that with a verbose thesis! Heaven forbid they have fun, people don't play games to have fun!

[@vanillaexe3066]

pine tree

[@damie9412]

N8ce

[@ShadyBand22]

wait isn’t that 2 words nah of course not

[@Ratex1]

PINETREE

[@Phoenix42.0]

Lol!

[@cmmpr111]

Meth

[@NiftyriftyLoL]

craptree

[@hpbecraft]

Video giving me anxiety. Constant talking isn't helping, I wouldn't edit every single breath pause out.

[@Artindi]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll keep shooting for the right balance. :)

[@Ferkeshu]

Good,keep the anxiety

[@Mikewee777]

I prefer the fast paced tutorial without skips towards a pause that would allow my brain to settle . Being alone with my own haunted thoughts is a horrifying experience that I would not wish on my worst enemies . After all , we came to youtube to be entertained . Not to improve our lives as mature adults . It is why my coworker screamed the word " Penis " at a police officer before being hand cuffed to a tree ( at least until they snapped out of their psychotic trance) .

[@Microwaveoficial]

Pinetree.

[@DsiakMondala]

Pinetree

[@Artindi]

I tried.