Onboarding Tutorial Design
Purpose
Teach the player the game clearly, gradually, and in a way that supports retention rather than overload.
Use When
- new players churn early
- systems are hard to learn
- a feature needs tutorialization
Inputs
- core loop
- player friction points
- UI flows
- failure states
Process
- identify what players must know immediately versus later
- sequence learning by relevance and readiness
- teach through action whenever possible
- design revisitable help for complex systems
- test whether onboarding creates understanding or just compliance
Outputs
- onboarding flow
- tutorial beat list
- help-system requirements
- first-session improvement targets
Quality Bar
- supports the core fantasy and player goals
- defines readable rules, edge cases, and feedback
- creates concrete hooks for tuning, telemetry, and QA
Common Failure Modes
- adding systems that do not serve the core loop
- shipping vague rules that QA and engineering must guess at
- tuning without instrumentation or hypotheses
Related Agents
- ui-ux-designer
- systems-designer
- level-designer
Related Commands
- onboarding
- playtest-report
- ui-flow-review
Notes
- Keep this skill aligned with the relevant rules layer and current project documentation.
- If engine-specific constraints materially change the workflow, hand off to the matching engine skill or engine-specific reviewer.

