Tutorial

A tutorial is any part of a game whose main purpose is to introduce the player to the controls and game mechanics. It commonly involves text, but necessarily involves other visual, audio, or interactive elements. As such, it is distinct from a manual.

Secondarily, a tutorial may also help to establish characters (including the player character), setting, plot, or other non-mechanical elements of the game.

Most tutorials are optional, in case the player already knows how to play the game, or prefers to figure things out on their own.

Tutorials may be strictly passive - e.g., a cinematic sequence with a voiceover - or they may require the player to actually use the game controls to explore the mechanics directly.

Tutorials sometimes require the player to demonstrate that s/he understands the concepts that have been presented, by completing simple challenges in order to proceed. For example, a tutorial which introduces a shooting mechanic might require the player to hit several targets.

It has become increasingly common to integrate tutorials with the main gameplay. For example, a 2D platformer might have a sign explaining the double-jump mechanic, located next to a chasm which can only be crossed by using that mechanic.

Tutorials are usually encountered when the player first begins the game, but one sometimes encounters additional mini-tutorials when new mechanics are introduced.