This is a Talk About Tutorials, Press A to Skip

I'll sit this one out.

00:50 Press A to skip 01:40 What to avoid: First stuff -> Pop ups 02:34 Avoid Controller Schemes 04:30 Avoid Walls of text 05:20 What to do -> TEACH GRADUALLY THROUGH EXPERIENCE 11:14 Testing your tutorials 14:07 No tutorial option 15:03 Make things easy to understand by using STANDARDS 16:30 Directing attention 17:25 Localization (not about translate) 17:54 Controllers 20:40 Conclusion + Q&A ======================================================= We are # yolostudiogame - a small indie game studio. We are seriously learning about the game industry. So we tweet a GDC video summary every Tuesday. Happy making game, everyone!

4:15 Sooooooooooo much thanks for sharing this !

I'm just so glad someone mentioned the PlayStation's X-confirm vs O-confirm problem... There are Japanese games that are designed to use X as jump and O as pick up... And when they get ported to US... well...

Grade A talk. Amazing. The point is focused and clear!

So many amazing insights in this video. It's been a while since I first watched it but I come back to it now and then just because observations like the timer taking focus away from the player and the like is amazing.

That bit at the beginning was pure gold

Great talk as always Xelu.

This was the best talk to far!

...Except Starseed Pilgrim, the example game with "no tutorial" actually has a one minute tutorial to make sure you know the controls :D It helps a lot and breaks no mystery!

Some games just don't do well with the "immersive" approach to tutorials. Imagine how a game like ARMA or Dwarf Fortress would do without popups and wiki guides, respectively, just to tell you some of the options that are available. Also, some players actively avoid learning how to play a game, then get mad when they don't know how to play, which can be a bit rage inducing...

A reminder to accomodate for non-qwerty keyboards so people don't have to start using AutoHotKey just to play a game that's hardcoded WASD. Personally my favourite button-mapping experience was Hat in Time PC, not counting the times my DS4 wasn't being recognized for some reason.

You know what I don't like in games? when you just stare at a destination and ignore everything created in a level, to reach the destination. Yes, I like to know where to go, but I think something like a compass would be better. Outer Worlds just came out and I think the main selling point is the visuals in the environment, but i find myself not seeing the environment, while just trying to hurry and get to the next map marker. I think it you just had 3 dots on the cross-hairs like < · > where you are told go left, straight or right, you could then relax and enjoy the scenery, while always knowing which way you are supposed to go, and not worry about getting lost or create tons of backtracking on accident, due to wanting to adventure and explore.

I don't really agree with saying "don't take away mechanics after the prologue". That is what Metroid Prime does, and imo, it makes the game better. It gives you a goal, you start with those awesome powers and taking them away from you gives you a reason to go get them back.

Top Tier Presentation! Here in Germany the keys of "Y" and "Z" are switched on the keyboard. Often this leads to lots of frustration when playing a game that has e.g. a "Z/X/C"-scheme mixed with fast gameplay on top of not offering changing the input.

BOTW has done a pretty good job with the tutorial part.

Out Standing, yes Developer's Should follow his Video!

Good Talk, thx !

Great talk

The iconic line "It's dangerous to go alone. Take this. *gives you a sword*" is memorable because none of us remember that it's actually the best tutorial we've ever seen. In one screen, they tempt you with a cave. In one line of dialogue, two short sentences they tell you "this game is dangerous, and entirely about combat and overcoming dangers." then "You will be on your own, and will have to solve the game's challenges (puzzles) by yourself, alone." and then follow that up by driving the point home with an order "take this" while granting you a weapon to defend yourself with a fanfare that would become the most iconic item acquisition audio medley in video game history. Getting that sword screams "this sword is cool. this is what you need to learn to use next". By reusing the same fanfare and pose throughout the game they continue to remind you of that lesson: "This is the item you need to learn to use and master next", or "this is important, watch how this item changes your health or the functionality of your candle." It's amazing, and inspiring, and I never even realized how much of a tutorial it was until just now.