We now live in the post-manual world. Without instructions being provided, you could argue that a game simply needs to have an in-depth tutorial section. Of course, the problem with this is that a lot of people find these to be a little boring. Thankfully, this is a problem that has been solved.In fact, there are a whole host of games that have different approaches to make the tutorial aspect of a game not feel like a tutorial at all. Some of these beautifully meld it into the story, others just conceal that what you are playing is instructing you at all, but all of them save players from having to endure another tedious tutorial segment.
10 The Witness
The Witness is a game that features a number of unique puzzles spread across a variety of locations. As the puzzles evolve over the course of the game, each new segment will require that the new rules be established. As such, every single string of puzzles has, what could be described as, introductory puzzles. Each time you encounter the first puzzle in a batch, you will be taught the new rules.
Arguably, you could say the introduction area for The Witness acts as a tutorial, as once you complete those puzzles you are free to roam the island. However, nothing screams tutorial in this section, it just feels like another string of puzzles.
9 Castlevania 3
The Castlevania series always does a fantastic job of scaffolding the necessary challenges. Castlevania 3 did a particularly good job of this. As an example, the bridges that flip when you jump on them are first introduced with solid ground being underneath them, which means that your first instance of seeing one will allow you to experiment and learn the rules for them.
It will also introduce an enemy in isolation, in an open room, letting you learn their patterns before really throwing them at you in a particularly threatening scenario. Castlevania 3 is all about showing the player the threat and then trusting that they will be able to take it from there.
8 Celeste
Celeste gives you exactly two prompts at the beginning of the game: climb and dash. Those are the two things it tells you the controls for. Beyond that, the game simply structures itself in such a way that allows you to learn how to combine those two commands to solve increasingly more difficult platforming sections organically.
If you consider the first two screens to be a tutorial section, then the tutorial is over in a matter of seconds. However, the truth is that the game never stops teaching you new tricks, and most of those are learned gradually and naturally.
7 Half-Life 2
From crows being eaten by ceiling clinging aliens, to saw blades being lodged in the stomach of baddies, Half-Life 2 likes to provide you with a visual demonstration of something just before forcing you to actually deal with it. Another excellent example is the box stacking puzzle that you experience early on.
There is a window that you can't reach and there are giant crates packed nearby. Since it is painfully obvious what you need to do next, this will inevitably lead to players experimenting until they figure out what button moves objects. The whole opening of Half-Life 2 is a tutorial, but the guiding hand is completely invisible.
6 Mega Man X
Mega Man X has established a reputation for having a legendary tutorial section, and for good reason. Everything is provided to the player in an organic manner. In fact, most people probably don't think of the first stage as a tutorial at all.
It will teach you about your shot types, your ability to jump and shoot, and your ability to scale walls. Better yet, Mega Man X does all of this without ever forcing you to read a single line of text.
5 Resident Evil
In Resident Evil, the first zombie you fight has to be fought using the knife (or you need to retreat). Immediately, this teaches you that the knife is only for the direst situations and that fleeing is always an option. This encounter is a perfect example of how Resident Evil likes to guide the player.
Walk into the room on your right and a map is sitting in a bowl being held up by a statue. It is all in clear view of the camera. How do you get it? Well, there is a small set of stairs nearby, so naturally, you are going to try pushing them. It is all so natural. Beyond that, notes found around the mansion pull double duty. They give you hints while also establishing the lore. It works really well and it never has to trap you in a tutorial. Though that would be its own type of horror...
4 Soulcalibur
Mission Mode in Soulcalibur is one of the best examples of a covert tutorial. The entire mode encourages you to learn your character. There will be certain missions that will require you to win by ringing your opponent out, that mission will force you to learn your best ring-out maneuvers. Other missions will only allow you to do damage by juggling your opponent in the air, which encourages you to learn how to do juggles with your chosen character.
The mission mode is still a fan favorite to this day. Fans often clamor to have it back. Not only was this tutorial section well concealed, but it was legitimately fun. Few fighting games have ever accomplished that.
3 Undertale
What is the best way to create a tutorial that doesn't feel like pulling teeth? Well, just make it all a big joke. That is what Undertale does. There is literal hand-holding. Goat Mom will hold your hand and walk you through a section. Another moment has her nervously fidgeting as you work your way through a path that offers no risk at all. Heck, your first fight is against a training dummy.
However, while it is absolutely satirizing classic tutorial sections, it also does teach you the basics for how to play the game. It makes you feel like you are in on the joke, even if you find the information useful, and everyone gets to have a little chuckle. Plus, her name is Toriel. Come on.
2 Demon's Souls
The whole Souls series is notorious for being brutal. However, as much as it is known for being a series that will throw you into the deep end, they also have some nice little tutorial sections. One of the benefits to them is that they build the difficulty of the encounters gradually. In Demon's Souls, you will start by fighting the lowliest of troops, then the typical armored soldiers, to eventually battling a blue-eyed knight. And then, of course, you will finish with the big baddie himself: The Vanguard Demon. You are supposed to die to this first boss, and managing to beat it will teleport you straight to the Dragon God where you have no choice but to die, so that the game can introduce the Nexus to you.
There are also plenty of hints you can read on the ground. So, if you want to know the controls, you can gather that knowledge. Or you can choose to just walk on by. It allows you to engage with the tutorial elements as much, or as little, as you want. There is very little in the way of tricks, here; this is a section of the game that teaches you everything you need to know.
1 Journey
Journey is a game focused almost exclusively on providing an experience that is intuitive and fosters curiosity. It doesn't tell you where to go, it guides you to where you need to be by placing things that foster curiosity in the distance.
There is the odd ephemeral controller that will appear and give you explicit controls, but the game never stops you and forces you to interact with these tutorial elements. It is more than possible for you to just glide your way through this adventure without ever really interacting with them.