Can we Improve Tutorials for Complex Games?

Summary of the video

The problem

• The speaker describes trying complex strategy/management games (e.g., Total War, Crusader Kings, Endless Space) and repeatedly losing interest during the tutorial.
• They typically zone out after about 20 minutes, arguing this is a major barrier: tutorials for “complex games” (RTS, grand strategy, city builders) can stop players before they reach the fun parts.

Why some tutorials work in simpler games

Tutorials in less complex genres have often evolved to be:

• Subtle and well paced
• Integrated into narrative/world
• Delivered as needed, rather than all at once

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Core improvement ideas

1) Don’t front-load the tutorial

• Use “sprinkled” or delayed tutorials so players learn only when they’re ready.
• The speaker notes that willingness to learn tends to increase with player investment (e.g., Plants vs Zombies).
• This also lets players access the real game sooner, and sometimes teaches mechanics implicitly (e.g., Portal’s early chambers).

2) Complex games need design support to spread learning out

• In many complex strategy games, designers start with many systems active, so players must learn everything before they’re invested.
• The video contrasts this with genres where complexity naturally grows over time through unlocks.

3) Use “organic complexity growth” (example: Civilization)

• Civilization is used as a model for gradually increasing complexity.
• The “inverted pyramid of decision making” idea:
  • Early turns have few decisions
  • Later turns explode into many decisions as the empire grows
• Because complexity ramps naturally, the game can teach systems bit by bit as players encounter them.

Practical design patterns for complex games

1. Teach campaign mechanics one-by-one during play (e.g., Frostpunk introduces major mechanics when you start using them).
2. Scale UI complexity over time
   • Mini Metro starts with almost no UI, adding more later.
   • Animal Crossing: New Horizons paces controls by making inventory/tool complexity emerge through progression (e.g., buying the tool wheel).
   • The speaker notes some games already do this (e.g., Total War: Troy), but wants broader adoption.

4) Add tutorial “brackets” and breaks

• The video suggests using fighting game tutorial structure as a better model.
• Example: Mortal Kombat 11 segments players by skill type (couch players, dabblers, connoisseurs, online PvPers) and provides basics / advanced / strategy in separate brackets.
• Players are kicked out between segments so they practice instead of binge-learning.

5) Put tutorials between playthroughs, not inside one run

• The speaker proposes zooming out: rather than sprinkling tutorial content across a single campaign, use progressive “training rounds” between full runs.
• Real-world analogy: Civilization V expansions (e.g., Gods & Kings, Brave New World) reintroduce missing complexity in a way players can learn after understanding the baseline.

6) Prefer learning by doing—make the hands-on meaningful

• The speaker criticizes “follow the arrow / click here” tutorials:
  • They can involve action but fail to produce learning (“the game advances, but the brain learns nothing”).
• Better approach: convert instructions into small puzzles requiring reasoning (e.g., Threes).
• Examples:
  • Planet Zoo: welfare guidance becomes less explicit, so players must fix additional animals themselves.
  • Offworld Trading Company: objectives-based steps reduce constant “click here” prompting, encouraging real decisions.

7) Fix slow feedback cycles in strategy games

• In action games, mistakes show up immediately; in strategy games, consequences can take hours.
• Suggested solutions:
  • Add faster “training tools” modes (e.g., Civilization quick game as training).
  • Use advisor characters that warn about harmful choices and explain the reasoning (e.g., stock market warnings).

8) Explain the “why,” not just the “what”

• Telling players which buttons to press is easier.
• Explaining what to build / when / where is harder—so the video emphasizes advising the “why.”
• Advisors and faster feedback help bridge the gap.

9) Use real-world knowledge and familiar UI patterns

Tutorials can become less necessary when mechanics feel intuitive through familiar concepts:

• Plants vs Zombies: leverages cause/effect intuition (even if not taught explicitly).
• Grounded themes and familiar UI conventions help (e.g., swipe interactions inspired by Tinder; list sorting like web apps).
• Cautionary example: in Total War: Troy, some players couldn’t find end turn because an hourglass icon didn’t match their expectations (loading vs. end-turn/time). The developers changed it to an arrow before launch.

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Additional tactics

• Show, don’t tell: use animations/demos instead of long text (e.g., weapon previews in Into the Breach).
• Reduce jargon and wordiness: keep wording consistent and concise; avoid meaningless flavor talk.
• Provide multiple ways to get help: tooltips, layered tooltips, encyclopedias, and the ability to replay tutorial parts.
• Support different learning styles: offer multiple paths (e.g., scripted tutorials and practice challenges in Offworld Trading Company).

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Conclusion / takeaway

• Tutorials are often undervalued, but they’re essential for the growth of franchises.
• The speaker’s proposed techniques:
  • Break up tutorials (within campaigns and/or across campaigns)
  • Teach via doing and reasoning (not just arrow-following)
  • Make systems intuitive and welcoming
  • Use faster feedback and advisor guidance where needed

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Closing

• The speaker jokes that they still can’t get through the Crusader Kings tutorial without falling asleep.
• They recommend an indie game: Narita Boy.

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List of speakers (identified from the subtitles)

1. Mark Brown (main speaker; host of Game Maker’s Toolkit)
2. NANCY (Planet Zoo in-game dialogue)
3. ECONOMIC ADVISOR (in-game advisor dialogue)
4. HOMER (spoken flavor dialogue)