What must the player prove?

350. Lesson identity

Module

1.8 — Tutorials

Lesson

What must the player prove?

Academic type

Concept with assessed practice

Order

1

Estimated time

20–30 minutes, including practice

This lesson treats a tutorial as a test of player capability. You will define and submit two observable success criteria for onboarding the Stage 1 loop.

351. Learning objective

After this lesson, you can write two observable success criteria that show whether a player can perform and repeat the Stage 1 loop: ACT → RESPOND → CHANGE → AGAIN.

352. Why this matters

A tutorial is not successful because the player saw an instruction, reached a marker, or clicked through a message. It is successful when the player can demonstrate the intended behavior without being carried through every step. Clear criteria let you decide what the player must do, what evidence counts, and where the tutorial has failed.

353. Prior knowledge

You should already be able to describe a bounded playable space and a readable one-screen loop from module 1.7, One screen only. You should also recognize the Stage 1 sequence ACT → RESPOND → CHANGE → AGAIN. This lesson does not require editing a project or using Git.

354. Core concept

A tutorial is a test of the player, not merely a delivery system for information.

Prompts, signs, dialogue, highlights, and demonstrations are teaching tools. They are not proof that the player has learned the intended behavior. Proof comes from an observable player action and evidence in the game that lets another person judge whether the action succeeded.

A strong success criterion names:

1. The player behavior: what the player does.
2. The game evidence: what response or state change confirms that the behavior worked.
3. The repeat condition: when relevant, what the player does next without step-by-step rescue.

Avoid criteria such as “the player understands movement” or “the player learns the mechanic.” These describe internal states that cannot be inspected directly. Translate them into observable behavior and evidence.

355. Mental model: Prove, then repeat

A single criterion does not need to mention all four parts. Together, however, two criteria should show that the player can cause a response, use the resulting change, and continue the loop rather than merely follow instructions.

A useful sentence pattern is:

The player can [perform an observable action], causing [an observable response or change], and then [continue or repeat without step-by-step prompting].

356. Concrete example

Imagine a single-screen training space. A movable crate blocks a visible opening. The player can push the crate, see it move, and walk through the opening. The tutorial displays one short prompt before the first attempt but does not display a new instruction for every step.

Weak criteria:

• “The player understands how the crate works.”
• “The player completes the tutorial.”
• “The player sees the opening.”

These describe an unobservable mental state, a progress label, or passive observation.

Stronger criteria:

1. “The player pushes the crate far enough to open the blocked route; the crate’s movement and the revealed passage provide observable evidence of the change.”
2. “After opening the route, the player independently walks through it and performs the next interaction without receiving a separate instruction for every step.”

The first criterion tests whether the player can produce a meaningful change. The second tests whether the player can continue after that change. Together they test capability rather than exposure to tutorial content.

357. Common mistake

A common mistake is writing a criterion for the tutorial instead of for the player. “The player reads the prompt” may show that text appeared, but it does not prove that the player can act, recognize a response, use a change, and continue.

Another mistake is relying on a hidden intention, such as “the player knows why the door opened.” If the relationship matters, express its observable consequence: the player uses the opened door to reach the next meaningful action.

358. Guided practice

Use this scenario:

The player is in one bounded screen. A visible control is inactive. The player can approach it and perform one interaction. The control responds clearly, changes the nearby space, and exposes a route to the next interaction. The tutorial may provide an initial prompt, but it should not provide a detailed instruction before every action.

Draft exactly two success criteria:

1. Write one criterion for the first successful action and the response or change it causes.
2. Write one criterion for what the player does next without a complete step-by-step prompt.
3. Remove verbs such as “understands,” “learns,” or “knows” unless you replace them with observable evidence.
4. Check that another person could watch the play session and decide whether each criterion was met.

359. Practical assessment

Complete project-s1-1-8-01-two-observable-success-criteria.

Submission format

Submit a text response containing exactly two numbered success criteria for the scenario above. Do not submit tutorial dialogue, implementation steps, or a description of what the player feels or understands.

Five-point rubric

Each requirement is worth one point:

1. Observable actions: Both criteria state actions that can be seen during play.
2. Response or change: At least one criterion identifies the game response or state change caused by the player.
3. Continuation through AGAIN: At least one criterion requires the player to continue or repeat without a separate instruction for every step.
4. Judgeable evidence: An observer could decide whether both criteria were met without asking the player what they understood.
5. Scenario and format: The response contains exactly two criteria, stays within the bounded-screen scenario, and does not introduce an unexplained system.

Passing constraints

A passing submission must:

• Earn at least 4 out of 5 points.
• Earn the points for Observable actions, Response or change, and Continuation through AGAIN.
• Contain exactly two criteria.

A score of 4 or 5 does not pass if any mandatory requirement is missing.

Feedback and revision

Feedback should identify which rubric requirements were met and which phrases remain unobservable or unsupported. When revision is needed, replace internal-state language with a player action and observable game evidence. You may revise and resubmit the same two criteria. The revised submission is scored against all five requirements; the latest submission determines completion.

360. Validation before submission

Before submitting:

• Underline the player action in each criterion.
• Circle the response, change, or continuation evidence.
• Confirm that at least one criterion reaches AGAIN.
• Remove any claim that can only be checked by asking what the player understood.
• Confirm that you wrote exactly two criteria.

361. Key takeaways

• A tutorial tests player capability; it is not merely a sequence of explanations.
• Success criteria describe observable behavior and evidence.
• The Stage 1 loop is ACT → RESPOND → CHANGE → AGAIN.
• Strong onboarding criteria test both causing a change and continuing after it.
• If success cannot be judged from play, the criterion is not yet usable.

362. Next lesson

Continue to 1.8 L2 — Skip, recapture, collision.

363. Knowledge check