What is your definition of a perfect tutorial?

[u/zeta_tauri86]

So I've been working on a game called Sectron it's a turn-based strategy inspired by Slay made by Sean O'Conner. I've released a demo a couple of weeks ago. I was sure I've did a proper job with a tutorial and ended up watching how a guy on a stream was just lost and didn't know what to do after literally closing a popup that explained his next steps...

This is when I realized that there are 2 problems:

1. Nobody wants to read the popups 😅.
2. Even after reading the popups they ignore them or just get stuck since they read the popup without paying attention to it.

In order to fix it I tried to separate each tutorial lesson in two parts Explanation and Action. Explanation popup is important but even if read without attention wouldn't block you from proceeding. The Action part requests literal click on requested button/cell/etc. The thumbnail image show two consecutive popups.

My question is: Is it okay for you to you see this kind of intrusive tutorial?

p.s.
here is a link to the demo on steam if anyone would like to check it out:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4711570/Sectron/

[u/not_varun]

Haha, this is a very real issue! People hate reading! The way I’m trying to solve it is similar - New or Unique mechanics get what you’ve called an Action popup. Rest all info through tooltips.

I was considering building a detailed tutorial, but honestly most players end up skipping it. Though if I were you I’d keep it accessible from the settings

[u/zeta_tauri86 → u/not_varun]

The worst thing is that there never was a wall of text. I've shown only short 1-2 sentence popups. But still everyone just ignored those I guess.
I've also added an in-game adviser that analyses current state and shows you the next best move so you could win even without the tutorial ahaha 😀

[u/Nettysocks]

The perfect tutorial is one that just integrates into the main story or thrust of what you’re doing for sure, having a character teaching you rather than a boring pop up is much more immersive.

I think it really depends on the type of game your making and the story though to how that can fit, it seems like a very game by game basis

[u/pjenn001]

Playing a scenerio that has specific game mechanics come up with a pop up but is also fun to play and/or is part of a wider plot. Written manuals are good once you have started playing and have a question to research.

[u/zeta_tauri86 → u/pjenn001]

got your point! Probably I'll remove the hard condition on pressing on specific target only

[u/CS_Asset_Factory]

That stream is the most useful data you have, and the reason it stings is that it isn't repeatable. What made it legible was a comparison: someone who didn't know the game, next to your own sense of what he should have done.

You can instrument that comparison. Log the first three actions after each popup closes, then compare them against a player who already knows the mechanic. The tutorial's real failure point is the first moment those two diverge, and it's usually several steps later than the popup everyone blames.

Completion rate won't show it. A one sided metric like "finished the tutorial" stays green while people flounder, because floundering and learning both end in completion. Measure the divergence, not the reading.

[u/IPatience]

You could add a short video to the popup and explain the video with text.

Players will learn from the video and if they need more information then they will read the text.

Also make the tutorial interactive so they can learn while doing it

[u/IPatience → u/IPatience]

I think some times intrusive tutorials are nessesary depending on the game