How games teach through play
Some games have great tutorials that are innovative whiles some are so bad they become memes. Teaching users how to play your game can make or break the player experience. In this post, we will explore some of the best ways of understanding players learning styles and some tutorials and teaching mechanics found in games.
Some people are visual learners and prefer watching videos or reading step-by-step instructions. Others are more hands-on and must try things out for themselves before understanding. The best way to cater to both types of learners is to offer both options whenever possible.
When it comes to tutorials, many games take the traditional route of having the player follow along with on-screen text or arrows. This can be effective, but it can also be quite boring. A more innovative approach is to use gameplay mechanics as a way of teaching players how to play. For example, in the game Portal, the player is introduced to the concept of using portals by being given opportunities to experiment with them in a safe environment. This kind of trial-and-error learning is more fun and allows players to discover things for themselves rather than being told what to do.On the other hand we have tutorials like Farcry 3 Blood Dragon.
Non-verbal ways games teach players
Games are a great way of teaching and learning. Video games by nature require developers to find innovative ways of teaching players the controls, rules and systems of a game in order for them to play correctly. The reverse can also be true, that education can also benefit from interactive software as a teaching tool. Here is an awesome Ted talk but Mathew Peterson does into this topic in more detail.
Some great examples of how video games can be used in education are:
Using game engines to create simulations for educational purposes such as historical events or scientific phenomena.
Developing educational video games that teach specific skill sets or knowledge sets required for a particular job or trade.
Creating Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences that immerse the user in an environment where they can learn more hands-only.
Scripted Tutorials
Rocket League
It's always great to find a game with a well-done tutorial. That's why I was so pleased to discover that Rocket League has an excellent opening tutorial. Rather than simply showing a text popup or a video, the game's tutorial features interactive moments that emphasize learning by doing. This makes it much more engaging and fun, while also ensuring that players really understand the mechanics before they jump into the fray.
Deliberate practice
Mortal Kombat’s Practice challenge
Fighting games are notorious for their complex inputs and learning curve. But the rebooted Mortal Kombat series has a smart user-focused way of teaching players its systems. Its tutorials are designed around getting players to learn quick lessons and then get them straight back into playing the game. It’s focused on quick lessons that are meant to push you back into playing as quick as possible.
Affordances
Teaching game mechanics and controls can be very hard for new users. This is where having a well-designed affordance can help. As discussed in another post, affordances can be the foundation for a great user experience.
A well-designed affordance will help new users understand the game mechanics and controls. By providing clear information on how the game works, new users can quickly learn and be successful.
What are affordances and how can they Improve Player Experience?
http://www.iabdi.com/designblog/2022/6/25/what-are-affordances-in-game-design
Teaching through replays
Call of Duty: Kill Cams
They say that failure is the best teacher and a great example is the kill cam from Call of Duty games. Just like how atheists during or after a game study the replay highlight moments to improve their performance. The Killcam does the same thing for CoD players.
A Killcam is a replay of the moment that you were killed by the other player’s perspective along with their loadout of weapons and perks.
This is great information that can be used to see what strategy they are using and an opportunity to formulate your own counterplay.
A great way to teach players is through nonverbal invisible situations that are well crafted and designed. Think of the saw blades in Half LIfe 2. These are some of the cleverest and most innovative hidden tutorials and situations.
A great way to teach players is through non-verable invisible situations that are well crafted and designed. Think of the saw blades in Half LIfe 2. These are some of the cleverest and most innovative hiden tutorials and stituations.
Learning styles
The Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic VAK learning system
Although learning styles can be contested theory, the VAK can be a useful tool to help us get a basic understanding of learning styles that we should think about as developers and designers. A big part of designing great gaming experiences is the enjoyment of learning new things so If players don’t understand your systems and features then it can be a major roadblock. So it is important to craft great tutorials, FTUEs and training levels for users. This is why I think designers and developers should have a good understanding of players’ different learning styles and cognitive capabilities.
Visual learning
A visual learner prefers to use images, graphics, colours and maps to communicate ideas and thoughts to solve problems or learn new ideas. This could be done with a well-designed map or tutorial video instead of just giving them just text instructions. This could also be done through clean written in-game instructions or way-points. For more information about how to present information visually to players, you can view my post on HUD design. http://www.iabdi.com/designblog/2022/6/1/nier-automata-chips
Auditory learning
An auditory listener likes to information by talking about it with others or hearing about it through stories. games can give auditory information and feedback through speech, dialogue options or sound effects is also a great idea for accessibility.
Kinesthetic learning
This involves movements of body parts like the figures. It's a special type of learning where it connects both the visual and auditory learning systems. This helps learners to know how to do things, and mostly they use had in executing the progress. The best example is virtual reality, where a gamer connects both hands, eyes and ears. This kind of learning technique is mostly associated with touching sense.
You can find out your learning style with this questionnaire. https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire
Scripted and practice
Offworld has a great example of giving users a great way to learn to play with both scripted tutorials and practice challenges that give you the opportunity to practice and learn by doing.
I think that Offworld does a great job of giving users a way to learn how to play the game. The scripted tutorials and practice challenges help you understand the mechanics of the game and how to use them to your advantage. I also like that you can see how other people are playing the game and what strategies they are using.
conclusion
different games will also have different ways of teaching, so it is important for developers to look into how they can utilise this when designing their game. For example, stealth games often teach through exploration and trial-and-error, while more action-oriented games may opt for tutorials that slowly introduce new mechanics. There is no one perfect way to do things, but by thinking about these issues developers can help players learn more effectively and enjoy their games more. Thanks for reading.