Mobile

Onboarding:
How to Improve
Your App Flow

1
Getting mobile app onboarding right

We all know first impressions make quite an impact. No matter how great
or unique the overall experience of your app might be, users want to be
able to understand it immediately upon install.

If they find that difficult, you’ve lost them before you even have the chance
to lure them in with the full force of what your app can do. With this in
mind, developers should aim for a simple, intuitive onboarding
experience.

Effective onboarding techniques with simple and clear tutorials are

absolutely inherent to your mobile app’s success. In fact, a study by ITR
revealed that 26.8% of users cite “poor instructions” or “confusion” as the
main reason for uninstalling an app from their mobile phone.

The set-up process is effectively the first impression your app makes on a
new user, and you want to ensure you make a good one.

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September
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Getting mobile app onboarding right

As is always the case with UX-oriented services, there are different kinds of
tutorials, all of which have their own advantages and disadvantages based
on the kind of app or game they cater to. While tutorials are essential for
all ranges of apps, they are most critical when applied to the gaming
category.

A mobile game often draws in a variety of users, from novice to

experienced players, and your tutorial needs to appeal to both. It should
clearly explain the game’s features in order to avoid any confusion, while
remaining concise so it doesn’t bore your more experienced users.

A gaming tutorial should be skippable for those who wish to jump right into
the game, but also accessible at all times for those who need clarification.

Next is an exploration of the variety of onboarding and tutorial options to

help developers comprehend which would work best for their gaming app.

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September
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 1. Exposition tutorial

An exposition tutorial is often considered the easiest type of tutorial to

implement. It is presented right before gameplay and explains the different
situations and features of a game step-by-step. While these tutorials are
really easy to design, they tend to contain a lot of information.

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 1. Exposition tutorial (cont’d)
Developers would be better off abiding by the rule “show, don’t tell”. This
enhances the user’s experience and not only explains the game, but also
teaches by way of example. If your goal is to get users to actually learn
gameplay and not only understand it theoretically, this tutorial will fall short,
but it can be a useful stand-in if you don’t have the time or resources to
invest in a more complex tutorial.

Above all, make sure it is clearly skippable yet easily retrievable so users
can always consult the tutorial if they’re confused.

Advantages: Users receive in-depth information about the game to

eliminate any confusion they might have. Developers find this tutorial
easiest to design.

Disadvantages: These tutorials can irritate users with an overdose of text

and information. Furthermore, developers tend to frontload these tutorials
and overwhelm players with every single feature, with users likely forgetting
most of these details by the time they encounter them in the game.

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 2. Training room tutorial
The training room tutorial is a leg-up from the above – consider it an
interactive version of the exposition tutorial. While also watched before
gameplay, users enter a “training room”, where players are guided through
the gameplay mechanics and can usually practice moving around and
playing the game.

In Firebird Games’ Wedding Escape, a simple puzzle game, users go through a training room where one
of the characters (bride or groom) explains the functions in the game and all of the different features,
such as special tiles and boosts. To move forward in the training room, players have to act upon
instructions such as tapping a coin or dragging a diamond across the board.

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 2. Training room tutorial (cont’d)
These tutorials usually take users through several “scenes” and introduce
all the features or situations users will come across in the game.

Training room tutorials are usually optional and should be easily

retrievable for the users. It is imperative for the training room tutorial to
have the right balance between activity and information. Too little
instruction and the player may simply opt out and end up learning nothing
at all.

Keep in mind that a training room tutorial is not a good idea for a game that
constantly offers new features to its players. Presenting too many different
components in one sitting is overwhelming and inefficient.

Advantages: Users receive a realistic and active illustration of the

gameplay and understand the functionalities of the game before playing.

Disadvantages: Creating these tutorials tends to take considerable time

and effort to design, and to watch. Since users watch it before the game,
they can often get overwhelmed.

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 3. Contextual tutorials
Contextual trailers are essentially short lessons that are inserted
organically throughout gameplay. As the title suggests, this type of tutorial
instructs users only when relevant to a specific context – so that
developers can educate players without interrupting gameplay and share
only small amounts of information at a time.

In Zynga’s Looney Tunes Dash, players

are presented with instruction blurbs
during gameplay. The game offers
tidbits of information just before the
user needs to utilize them.

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 3. Contextual tutorials (cont’d)
The advantage here is also that it solves the problem of information
overload. Unlike the Training Room Tutorial, the Contextual Trailer is
perfect for more complex gaming apps in which players accumulate
different skills and encounter diverse obstacles throughout gameplay.
Timing is an extremely important factor here, as the right features need to
be introduced at the right time.

Advantages: The contextual trailer is a straightforward, relevant and

effective tutorial for all kinds of players, from novice to professional. It
walks users through difficult moves and educates them on upcoming
obstacles. When implemented correctly, it also minimizes confusion and
aids game progression.

Disadvantages: As effective as the contextual trailer appears, it does have

some shortcomings if not implemented properly. Repetitive or unclear
instructions will irritate and confuse the players and consequently also
interrupt gameplay. Rule of thumb should be to consider the user as an
equal, and not condescend them.

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 4. Hidden tutorials
Hidden tutorials include briefing dialogues during gameplay, in-game
tasks or supported animations. Hidden tutorials are very similar to
contextual trailers in that instructions are doled out in bite-sized pieces
within the relevant context. However, these tutorials up the ante with
thematic design that fits seamlessly in the gameplay – at times, most users
won’t even realize that they are being fed instructions.

In Zeptolab’s game, Cut the Rope,

users are encouraged to jump right
into gameplay. The first few levels
include tips designed into the
background of the game so
instructions never disrupt gameplay.
To ensure their users really grasp the
game’s features, a hidden tutorial is
usually integrated early on into an
easier level.

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September
20162016
 4. Hidden tutorials (cont’d)
Hidden tutorials include briefing dialogues during gameplay, in-game tasks
or supported animations. Hidden tutorials are very similar to contextual
trailers in that instructions are doled out in bite-sized pieces within the
relevant context. However, these tutorials up the ante with thematic design
that fits seamlessly in the gameplay – at times, most users won’t even
realize that they are being fed instructions.

Advantages: Hidden tutorials are easy to implement and enhance the

user’s experience.

Disadvantages: The only drawback from a hidden tutorial is that, as the

name suggests, they are hard to retrieve. A player that wants to revisit a
certain lesson must return to the level, and usually by then the instructions
will have disappeared.

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