Tutorials can arrive in two distinct types: Diegetic and non-diegetic. The iGaming sector could be missing out on huge opportunities by not utilizing the former to onboard players.
When was the last time you undertook a tutorial? For gamers, it is commonplace to have them built into the game. In many cases, they don’t even occur at the start but are rolled out as you need them through your exploration of the title. Many would not even consider a dry wall of text. Yet in iGaming, this is the norm. As slot games become more popular and complex, why haven’t developers used this method to onboard new players?
The Idea of Diegetic Design
Diegesis is about breaking down the fourth wall. It was an idea taken from Greek theatres, being a fourth wall that separates the audience from the stage. For example, if you are watching a Netflix drama, the fourth wall becomes the screen between you. You and the drama are two separate entities.
Diegetic elements exist only on the side of the performance or entertainment. Non-diegetic elements exist on the audience’s side. When someone interacts with the drama, or a character talks directly to the audience, the fourth wall is broken.
Music can be diegetic and non-diegetic. If a character in a movie is listening to the radio, that music is diegetic and exists in their world. If music is a soundtrack that the audience can hear and that enhances the emotion in the scene, but that the characters would not hear, then it is non-diegetic.
Tutorials in iGaming
In iGaming, tutorials typically focus on non-diegetic concepts. This is because they exist outside the game. In this Casiny review, you will find that the best operators have invested heavily in non-diegetic onboarding. This includes RTP and volatility displays, written how-to-play guides, and the standard toolkit most platforms rely on today.
Yet few developers have created tutorials that are diegetic and take place within the game itself. This is odd, as diegetic tutorials can provide the following:
- Discovery – Diegetic tutorials aid gradual player discovery of a game, giving them ownership
- Plays to cultural shifts – Players demand more feedback on the optimal ways to play. This is not provided in a simple text-based formula that gives the bare essentials.
- Trust – With non-diegetic tutorials, the developer must trust the player to work out the game through failure and experimentation.
So how would this look in iGaming? A diegetic tutorial could use avatars to guide players. Instead of a simple spin button, a character from the game could help you understand the key functions. Imagine Rich Wilde from Book of Dead taking you through the game, explaining the symbols and bonus structures. At table games, AI dealers could explain the rules to you, showing you how to place side bets in blackjack and explaining the roulette table.
A handful of studios have already tested the waters. Push Gaming’s Jammin’ Jars 2 uses an animated fruit-fly guide to flag when the Splitting Wilds mechanic is active, rather than burying it in a paytable page. NetEnt’s Gonzo’s Quest has long used its Aztec explorer as a visual anchor for the Avalanche mechanic, even if the tutorial content itself is still delivered non-diegetically through a separate info screen.
Avoiding the Dump
Nothing turns a player away more than a tutorial dump. This is when a host of information is dropped on players to read before they begin. Back in the old days of consoles and physical gaming, instruction booklets came with games, telling people how to play. At least those came with illustrations to cushion the blow.
The dump has gradually been replaced with the concept of “just in time” learning. This means giving people tutorials just as they need them. Not only does this let them get playing quicker, but it also helps with retention. Imagine telling a player how to use advanced level 8 spellcasting abilities at the start of an RPG, when it won’t become useful for another 30 hours of gameplay time. It doesn’t make sense.
In iGaming, this could be extremely helpful when players finally reach jackpot and bonus sections. Casiny’s slot and live casino library includes games with in-depth bonus rounds that are seldom triggered early on, exactly the kind of moment where a short ‘ghost round’ could walk players through the mechanics before they risk real capital. As with most Curaçao-licensed operators, availability and terms vary by region, so players should always check what applies in their own jurisdiction.
Improving iGaming Tutorials
Hidetaka Miyazaki was one of the developers on the game Dark Souls. In a 2012 book titled ‘The Dark Souls Design Works’ published by Udon and later translated to English, he described the process of adding a tutorial, noting that “It may sound strange, but it’s quite common for the tutorial to be the last thing to be integrated. It’s much easier to design it once you know what needs to be communicated, and find the best way to explain it to the player.”
From this, we can deduce that in the development process, design tutorials are one of the final elements, an afterthought of sorts. This is more taxing in a field such as console and PC game development, where things often change after the game is released. Yet in an iGaming environment, where updates seldom impact gameplay massively, these tutorials could be implemented easily. The big question is why they aren’t already present.
This is all the more unfathomable when you consider that much of iGaming growth over the past few years has been down to elements adapted or borrowed from gaming. Live casino has adopted the streaming culture found on Twitch, and crash gaming has tapped into the huge casual mobile market. Below is the predicted growth for the next few years according to software provider Delasports 2026 iGaming Industry Trends report.
The big question is actually if game developers want them at all. The focus is to get players putting more money in, and if that takes them $20 of credit while they get used to a game, that is advantageous to those providing it. Yet a balance must be struck. Onboarding onto services has been something the sector has worked hard at for some time. Increasing and improving levels of service in games like this could be key in a competitive field.
Responsible Gambling Disclaimer – Gambling should only ever be done by those aged 18 and above. If you feel gambling is becoming an issue or you are gambling beyond your means, then get assistance. Your operator should have help and advice. Gambling is not a way to make money and should only be viewed as entertainment.
