Hi, my name is Nekonyancer. I've written over five hundred tutorials for BGA and I often see people asking how to make their own. I got tired of explaining to them one after another and decided to write this post so I can just link them to it instead.
STEP 1: FINDING A GOOD GAME TO MAKE A TUTORIAL FOR.
If you want your work to be meaningful and helpful for other people, you’ll need to find a game that needs a tutorial. To find one, I suggest consulting this list: https://boardgamearena.com/tutoriallist ... notutorial
The "Games Without Tutorials" tab lists all games that do not have Alpha, Beta, or Live tutorials, leaving just games with no tutorials AND games for which the only tutorials were rejected by developers.
You may also consider clicking on the Games tab at the top of BGA’s interface and then scrolling down to the Beta Games section. Many of the games at the TOP of that list do not have tutorials yet. Making a tutorial for a game that’s in Beta is often advantageous because the developer is more likely to be active and appreciate your efforts!
You cannot make tutorials for Alpha games. The website will not let you publish a tutorial for an Alpha game. Wait for it to enter Beta.
If you select a Beta game to make a tutorial for, be sure to cross-reference that game with the aforementioned list! It might have an Alpha tutorial that hasn’t been linked on the main page yet!
Finally, I suggest visiting the Tutorial Makers group. Expand the posts by clicking "See more..." at the bottom a few times, then do CTRL+F and search for the game you want to make the tutorial for to make sure nobody else is already working on it. If your search yields no results, post an announcement with your intention to make the tutorial. Other creators will then know to leave the game alone. Some people might say that competition is healthy, but most tutorial makers prefer to avoid it whenever possible.
STEP 2: MAKING A SUITABLE REPLAY
Each tutorial is made from a game replay. Before starting your tutorial, you should find or make a suitable replay.
Suitable replays...
- Have as few players as possible (unless doing so is not recommended for that particular game). Fast forwarding through a replay takes time because the replay has to progress through every move in the game log. Fewer players means the user's turn will come up sooner, which means less waiting time overall!
- showcase game mechanics. When thinking about this, you should also think about the perspective from which the user will view the replay. It's best to have one player in particular perform the actions that showcase the mechanics. The tutorial user can then take the place of this player. Again, to cut down on downtime, it's best if mechanics are showcased early in the replay.
To get a replay with both of these characteristics, I find it's easiest to simply make a replay yourself. Make a secondary BGA account, invite it to a game, and play against yourself. A premium subscription makes this easier - you can simply log in on another browser, or incognito mode on the same browser. You don't have to finish the whole game if you don't want to. When you think you've played through enough of the game to demonstrate all the rules, you can abandon the game.
Do NOT use Hotseat mode for this. Hotseat replays do not work correctly, making it very difficult to write a tutorial.
You should be aware that if one account beats another account too often and too quickly, BGA may think that you're intentionally inflating your ELO rating, resulting in account restrictions. To avoid this, make sure you are playing in unranked mode (with no time limits) or abandon each game before one account wins.
STEP 3: FINDING THE REPLAY YOU'VE MADE (or just finding one in general.)
Okay, so you played a game against yourself. Now what?
1. Go to your user profile. https://snipboard.io/mDsVrw.jpg
2. Click on games played. https://snipboard.io/FjTyXc.jpg
Now you should be able to see all the games you've played recently. However, abandoned games will NOT show up in this list!
3. Click on games history. https://snipboard.io/XNtOL2.jpg
You should be able to see all recent games now, including abandoned games. There are search tools available if you need to search for the replay.
4. When you find the replay you're looking for, click on it! https://snipboard.io/iaSc5W.jpg
5. Click on View Game Replay. https://snipboard.io/xPce1R.jpg
6. Click on the player from whose perspective you'd like the user to view the tutorial. https://snipboard.io/hmcExi.jpg
You'll now be in the replay itself.
7. Click on Advanced Replay Features. https://snipboard.io/AW74pt.jpg
Then click on Add a Comment. You're on your way!
For some games, a random replay will work just as well as one you made yourself. In that case, you can find a random replay by clicking on the number of games played in the game's main page: https://snipboard.io/SNzkLR.jpg
STEP 4: MAKING THE TUTORIAL
BGA already has a nice tutorial on this, so I'll just link it here. https://boardgamearena.com/tutorialfaq
STEP 5: BUT IT'S NOT WORKING
Sometimes games just don't work correctly in tutorial mode. The most common issue is the message that the user must perform the next action. When you encounter this, check to make sure that the move you're having the user perform is indeed the next action in the game log. Next, make sure there aren't any confusing duplicate meeples or cards. Maybe the game needs you to play Coin Card #3 instead of Coin Card #4, even though they're identical. Sometimes, the game will only accept something if certain objects are selected in a specific order. You may need to experiment with it to finally find the right way.
If it still doesn't work, then there's nothing else you can do. Some games are just like that in tutorial mode. Make the textbox you're working on a "continue" step instead of a user-action step and move on.
STEP 6: ALPHA TO BETA TO LIVE
So you've published the tutorial! Now what?
Well, I suggest you start by posting in the Tutorial Makers group, which you can find here: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=10196677
People in this group will often give you helpful tips or point out errors in your tutorial. Be sure to thank them!
Your new tutorial will have Alpha status. Other people can access it, play through it, and rate it. However, no one will find the tutorial unless they consult that list! Random users will usually never find it.
Beta tutorials are linked on the game’s main page. Anyone who clicks on the “Learn” button will be linked to it! However, if there are multiple Beta or Live tutorials for a game, each user will be randomly linked to one of them. Thus, tutorials in Beta will accrue more ratings on their own, without advertising, even if a Live tutorial already exists.
To reach Beta, you'll need the game's developer to promote your game, but they will only be allowed to do so if it has at least 10 ratings with an average of at least 4.2. I suggest sending a message to the Dev when your tutorial has met those criteria. To get ratings, it's up to you to advertise your own tutorial. Ask friends to go through the tutorial. Ask people in the Tutorial Makers group. Start a game with randos, and ask the people you get matched with. Be aware, though, that any rating with less than 5 stars will hurt your tutorial. If the average rating falls under the 4.2 limit, it will not get promoted. Randos are more likely to give your tutorial poor ratings, so don't be too pushy when you talk to them!
Many game developers are not aware of how the tutorial system works. They won't know that they can promote it, or what promoting will mean for the tutorial. You may have to explain it to them yourself. If they ask you how to promote it, give them this link: https://boardgamearena.com/tutoriallist?section=dev
If the developer does not respond, you will have to wait the system to recognize that your tutorial has enough ratings to be promoted. I don't know how this works exactly, but BGA seems to run a sweep for this every couple months or so.
If a tutorial reaches 100 ratings with a 4.2 average, it can be promoted to Live by the game's developer or an administrator. Once it’s Live, you will immediately receive 100 gift points, which can be redeemed for 1 month of free premium subscription service. The tutorial will continue to grant you 100 points each month, up to a maximum of 6 months and 600 points. In addition, the tutorial will appear in your user profile, and the tutorial’s text boxes will be added to the list of needed translations into other languages.
You can modify your tutorial at any time, no matter what the tutorial’s status is. It is worth noting, though, that any text box you modify in a Live tutorial will then have to be re-translated. To create less work for everyone, you should try to eliminate mistakes before the tutorial reaches Live status.
One last thing to mention: Tutorials can be "thumbs-downed." If this happens, the tutorial will basically be in a perpetual Alpha status. It will stay archived on the website, but it will not be shown to anyone unless you personally link someone to it.
------
Okay, that's it! Again, I mostly wrote this just so I can link people to it, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
STEP 1: FINDING A GOOD GAME TO MAKE A TUTORIAL FOR.
If you want your work to be meaningful and helpful for other people, you’ll need to find a game that needs a tutorial. To find one, I suggest consulting this list: https://boardgamearena.com/tutoriallist ... notutorial
The "Games Without Tutorials" tab lists all games that do not have Alpha, Beta, or Live tutorials, leaving just games with no tutorials AND games for which the only tutorials were rejected by developers.
You may also consider clicking on the Games tab at the top of BGA’s interface and then scrolling down to the Beta Games section. Many of the games at the TOP of that list do not have tutorials yet. Making a tutorial for a game that’s in Beta is often advantageous because the developer is more likely to be active and appreciate your efforts!
You cannot make tutorials for Alpha games. The website will not let you publish a tutorial for an Alpha game. Wait for it to enter Beta.
If you select a Beta game to make a tutorial for, be sure to cross-reference that game with the aforementioned list! It might have an Alpha tutorial that hasn’t been linked on the main page yet!
Finally, I suggest visiting the Tutorial Makers group. Expand the posts by clicking "See more..." at the bottom a few times, then do CTRL+F and search for the game you want to make the tutorial for to make sure nobody else is already working on it. If your search yields no results, post an announcement with your intention to make the tutorial. Other creators will then know to leave the game alone. Some people might say that competition is healthy, but most tutorial makers prefer to avoid it whenever possible.
STEP 2: MAKING A SUITABLE REPLAY
Each tutorial is made from a game replay. Before starting your tutorial, you should find or make a suitable replay.
Suitable replays...
- Have as few players as possible (unless doing so is not recommended for that particular game). Fast forwarding through a replay takes time because the replay has to progress through every move in the game log. Fewer players means the user's turn will come up sooner, which means less waiting time overall!
- showcase game mechanics. When thinking about this, you should also think about the perspective from which the user will view the replay. It's best to have one player in particular perform the actions that showcase the mechanics. The tutorial user can then take the place of this player. Again, to cut down on downtime, it's best if mechanics are showcased early in the replay.
To get a replay with both of these characteristics, I find it's easiest to simply make a replay yourself. Make a secondary BGA account, invite it to a game, and play against yourself. A premium subscription makes this easier - you can simply log in on another browser, or incognito mode on the same browser. You don't have to finish the whole game if you don't want to. When you think you've played through enough of the game to demonstrate all the rules, you can abandon the game.
Do NOT use Hotseat mode for this. Hotseat replays do not work correctly, making it very difficult to write a tutorial.
You should be aware that if one account beats another account too often and too quickly, BGA may think that you're intentionally inflating your ELO rating, resulting in account restrictions. To avoid this, make sure you are playing in unranked mode (with no time limits) or abandon each game before one account wins.
STEP 3: FINDING THE REPLAY YOU'VE MADE (or just finding one in general.)
Okay, so you played a game against yourself. Now what?
1. Go to your user profile. https://snipboard.io/mDsVrw.jpg
2. Click on games played. https://snipboard.io/FjTyXc.jpg
Now you should be able to see all the games you've played recently. However, abandoned games will NOT show up in this list!
3. Click on games history. https://snipboard.io/XNtOL2.jpg
You should be able to see all recent games now, including abandoned games. There are search tools available if you need to search for the replay.
4. When you find the replay you're looking for, click on it! https://snipboard.io/iaSc5W.jpg
5. Click on View Game Replay. https://snipboard.io/xPce1R.jpg
6. Click on the player from whose perspective you'd like the user to view the tutorial. https://snipboard.io/hmcExi.jpg
You'll now be in the replay itself.
7. Click on Advanced Replay Features. https://snipboard.io/AW74pt.jpg
Then click on Add a Comment. You're on your way!
For some games, a random replay will work just as well as one you made yourself. In that case, you can find a random replay by clicking on the number of games played in the game's main page: https://snipboard.io/SNzkLR.jpg
STEP 4: MAKING THE TUTORIAL
BGA already has a nice tutorial on this, so I'll just link it here. https://boardgamearena.com/tutorialfaq
STEP 5: BUT IT'S NOT WORKING
Sometimes games just don't work correctly in tutorial mode. The most common issue is the message that the user must perform the next action. When you encounter this, check to make sure that the move you're having the user perform is indeed the next action in the game log. Next, make sure there aren't any confusing duplicate meeples or cards. Maybe the game needs you to play Coin Card #3 instead of Coin Card #4, even though they're identical. Sometimes, the game will only accept something if certain objects are selected in a specific order. You may need to experiment with it to finally find the right way.
If it still doesn't work, then there's nothing else you can do. Some games are just like that in tutorial mode. Make the textbox you're working on a "continue" step instead of a user-action step and move on.
STEP 6: ALPHA TO BETA TO LIVE
So you've published the tutorial! Now what?
Well, I suggest you start by posting in the Tutorial Makers group, which you can find here: https://boardgamearena.com/group?id=10196677
People in this group will often give you helpful tips or point out errors in your tutorial. Be sure to thank them!
Your new tutorial will have Alpha status. Other people can access it, play through it, and rate it. However, no one will find the tutorial unless they consult that list! Random users will usually never find it.
Beta tutorials are linked on the game’s main page. Anyone who clicks on the “Learn” button will be linked to it! However, if there are multiple Beta or Live tutorials for a game, each user will be randomly linked to one of them. Thus, tutorials in Beta will accrue more ratings on their own, without advertising, even if a Live tutorial already exists.
To reach Beta, you'll need the game's developer to promote your game, but they will only be allowed to do so if it has at least 10 ratings with an average of at least 4.2. I suggest sending a message to the Dev when your tutorial has met those criteria. To get ratings, it's up to you to advertise your own tutorial. Ask friends to go through the tutorial. Ask people in the Tutorial Makers group. Start a game with randos, and ask the people you get matched with. Be aware, though, that any rating with less than 5 stars will hurt your tutorial. If the average rating falls under the 4.2 limit, it will not get promoted. Randos are more likely to give your tutorial poor ratings, so don't be too pushy when you talk to them!
Many game developers are not aware of how the tutorial system works. They won't know that they can promote it, or what promoting will mean for the tutorial. You may have to explain it to them yourself. If they ask you how to promote it, give them this link: https://boardgamearena.com/tutoriallist?section=dev
If the developer does not respond, you will have to wait the system to recognize that your tutorial has enough ratings to be promoted. I don't know how this works exactly, but BGA seems to run a sweep for this every couple months or so.
If a tutorial reaches 100 ratings with a 4.2 average, it can be promoted to Live by the game's developer or an administrator. Once it’s Live, you will immediately receive 100 gift points, which can be redeemed for 1 month of free premium subscription service. The tutorial will continue to grant you 100 points each month, up to a maximum of 6 months and 600 points. In addition, the tutorial will appear in your user profile, and the tutorial’s text boxes will be added to the list of needed translations into other languages.
You can modify your tutorial at any time, no matter what the tutorial’s status is. It is worth noting, though, that any text box you modify in a Live tutorial will then have to be re-translated. To create less work for everyone, you should try to eliminate mistakes before the tutorial reaches Live status.
One last thing to mention: Tutorials can be "thumbs-downed." If this happens, the tutorial will basically be in a perpetual Alpha status. It will stay archived on the website, but it will not be shown to anyone unless you personally link someone to it.
------
Okay, that's it! Again, I mostly wrote this just so I can link people to it, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
