Learn to Play

Introduction Video Games Video Game Tutorials Cheat Sheet The Tutorial What Is a Tutorial? Why Tutorials Are Necessary How Tutorials Teach Three Tutorials in the Wild Examples of Existing Tutorials in Current Games You've Said Right and Wrong: Why? Cheat Sheet Learning Things How People Learn Stuff Why People Choose to Learn Stuff How to Teach People Stuff Cheat Sheet Rage-Quit Frustration and Boredom Cognitive Apprenticeship "Flow" and Other Reasons People Keep Playing Balance Feedback Clear Outcomes Summary Cheat Sheet Facts about Players Age and the Education Gap (Experience + Skill)/Challenge = Fun It Is Never Okay to Throw the Controller The Big Five Motivational Factors and Games Summary Cheat Sheet Eyes and Ears Visual Stuff in Games Audible Stuff in Games Why Does This Matter? Mayer's Principles: Designing Learning for Our Eyes and Ears Summary Cheat Sheet Return of the Tutorial: Escape from Skull Island Escape from Skull Island Overview of Mechanics and Gameplay Controls and Inputs Overview Interface Structure and Overview Tutorials and Learning in Escape from Skull Island Summary Bullet Point Learning Design There Are Really Three Things No Exclusionary Mechanics No "Club" Behaviors Offer Learning Support Follow the Cognitive Principles Let Skilled Players Be Skillful as Fast as Possible Reward Failures No Small Punishments No Small Rewards Immediate Feedback on All Inputs Massive Explosions of Juiciness Harsh and Brutal Corrections of Unwanted Behaviors Rewards Must Scale in Their Splendor and Awesomeness Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Test and Retest Player Skill Level Use Just-in-Time Tactics to Reward Continued Play Procedural and Dynamic Rewards and Punishments You Cannot Have Too Many Data Collection Hooks Summary Appendix: Further Reading Index