What does a GOOD first level introduce (without being intrusive)?

Hey everyone, Adam here. Before we begin, I hope your Christmas is going well and that you have a great holiday this year! Unfortunately, I got sick just in time for Christmas, so I've been just trying to take it easy, but a devlog about Hungarian holiday cuisine would be fun.

Today, I'd like to talk about level design, especially in the early parts of a game while the player is still getting familiar with the game. A LOT of games settle tutorials with UI text, forcing you to go through tutorial mode etc. - you know the drill. Often times, this is justified though, don't get me wrong. But do you remember old games like Silent Hill and Crash Bandicoot (the original trilogy)? They had NO text guidance, and yet, they managed to convey their game's rules flawlessly, without misunderstanding. Let's look at what you're presented as you enter Crash  2's second level:

If you haven't played the Crash series, I'll explain the context a bit, although, this is best observed if you're new to the franchise, actually. We see 3 types of boxes here, right as we enter the level. This early into the game, we haven't encountered these all that much, so it's convenient they are at the beginning of the level, in case you're feeling a bit courageous.

The green box with the "Nitro" text actually just kills you as you touch it. Oh, how lucky you'll respawn where you died! (Since we're at the level's start.)

The red box saying "TNT", if you jump on it, it'll count down from 3 and then it explodes, damaging you. If you use your spin attack, you immediately blow it up and take damage. In Crash games, you instantly die when you're hit, unless if you have Aku Aku masks (that wooden guy on the right of the screenshot following Crash). You can collect up to 3 Aku masks, but when you get 3, you become invincible and faster for a brief period of time, and then you're back to having 2. So basically, you can take 3 hits till you die when you have two masks gathered.

Now the last box may make a bit more sense. It's an Aku Crate, giving you an Aku mask when you destroy it. I specifically find it a nice detail that you're able to enter this level with two Aku masks from the first level already, making you invincible when you break that one.

Of course, this is just one example of environmental guidance, but it's a great way to show the player their options. The first level, for instance, has a wall of wooden crates blocking your way, making you discover you can use your spin attack to break them.

My Application Of This:

Now, after all that... I'm trying to use the same style of "tutorials" for Pik's demo level! Let me show you a top-down sketch of it so far. It still needs some work, but after looking at it, you'll be able to see some of that visual learning experience. And players don't think about this -- developers must, though! You could just spam the game with tutorial text, but it feels more organic and easier to absorb if one is simply exposed to the challenge of exploration. (Not to mention you don't need to worry about localizing all the UI text!)

The beginning section is meant to serve as an introduction to your move set. I've yet to incorporate rolling and the charged attack. Combat may be trickier to teach without text, but I would assume if players see the enemy creature in a defense stance, they will start to think they can do a similar thing, for example.

Hopefully this was an interesting read and it gets you thinking about level design from a different perspective. Let me know if you prefer this type of developer-player interaction over UI text or not, and until next time, have a good one!