Practical Game Design

Don't kill (with) the messenger

Our attempts at teaching the player are at constant risk of making them either bored or overwhelmed. If possible, your tutorial sections should blend in seamlessly with the rest of the game. Longwinded training missions and practice rounds all run a risk of tiring (when does this end?) and even patronizing your audience (I know this already!). The latter was especially true when it came to Clippy, the paperclip from the old Microsoft Office. The obnoxious, intrusive, and seemingly clueless nature of Clippy became a running joke. Yet, similar training became much more approachable when delivered by an adorable yellow puppy. The tutor, the method, and the ability to skip ahead all play a role in making a less ...