blend the tutorial in the game (learning is fun)

• the chamaleon tutorial
• “this isn’t the tutorial your’re looking for”

better have the player do something than to read about it

• try things in a safe enviroment that conditions the learning

spread out the teaching of game mechanics

• player investment proportional to willingness to learn
• context is important
• let players play with their toys before introducing new ones
• in-game shops can teach

just get the player do an action once: it’s all it takes for him to understand

• first coin drop has a bouicing arrow.
• blinking game parts ask for interaction
• teaching the sunflower resource economy:
  • they are cheaper than all the other items
  • works well with the highlighing of available to buy (press shiny object)
  • walnuts start in recharge so they appear later as they cost the same

use fewer words

• max of 8 words on the screen at any moment
• max of 1 sentence
• sophisticated caveman:
  • shoot pease at enemies
  • you got the shovel
  • blows all enemies in an area
• break chunks in little pieces and feed them after a click (think mario galaxy)

use unobstrusive messages if possible, don’t break flow

• passive messaging (in background wall, like braid, and scrolls out when don’t need it anymore)
• adaptive messaging
  • watch players play
  • less than 3 sunflowers after a while: “try planting at least 3 sunflowers…”
  • for repeated failure show incremental hints
  • show only if player is doing wrong and really needs help
  • but don’t rob the sense of discovery

don’t create noise

• understand what you want your player to be focused on
• early achievements are noise
• don’t cry wolf: irrelevant messages decrease player trust in them

use visuals to teach

• graphic of the object should comunicate the function (screen door = shield)
• if not possible, it should remind what it does after you see it once.

leverage what people already know in the theme

• plants: tower defense genre, stationary towers wiht personality
• zombies: move slowly, single screen, no scrolling
• house/street shown at the beginning but centered in the arena
• coffe: waking up
• zombies helments: metal is tougher than plastic that’s tougher than nothing at all
• sun: plants needs it
• money: buys stuff (instead of dropping brains)
• money: small silver coin, medium gold coin, large diamond (size + material = known relative value)
• naming of the plants reflect/contain function: sunf-elower, wall-nut, puff-shroom, magnet-shroom.

Note: the help screen is a joke (sent by the zombies)

Speaker: George Fan