5 Tips for Making Lasting First Impressions in Video Games
Bi-weekly game dev insights & resources
So, we found out in the last issue that your average gamer spends less than two hours in a game before giving it a thumbs up or down.
And if you ask me, that time frame is even shorter when it comes to indie games. So, we're basically on a tight schedule to nail that first impression. Here's the list on what we have to do:
Set the tone and atmosphere of the game.
Introduce the game mechanics.
Communicate who the player is and what their role is.
Establish the objective of the game.
Provide a compelling reason for the player to continue.
Sounds like a lot to cram into a short timeframe, right? Well, some games pull it off like pros. Let’s look at how they do it.
(WARNING: Spoilers ahead for the intros of these games).
1. Firewatch
Watch the intro here.
Firewatch kicks off by telling us about Henry's love story with his wife, Julia. The game switches between past and present. With texts appearing on the screen, we read to find out what happened between Henry and Julia in the past, and meanwhile we stroll towards our work tower in the present.
Thanks to the melancholic music playing in the background, we know that things didn’t go well with Julia. We slowly learn what went wrong: Julia has dementia. Her condition is slowly getting worse, devastating both Julia and Henry. You decide you should take care of her.
You fail. And eventually leave her with her family.
Then you arrive at the tower, completing the intro.
Ten minutes in, we're already in the loop on:
Who Henry is and why we should care about him.
The game's tone and the core mechanics
Takeaway: Keep it interactive. Let players dive in from minute zero. Firewatch doesn't just make us read Henry’s story; it lets us be part of it and make choices, even if they don't change the world. It keeps us engaged.
2. The Last of Us
Watch the intro here.
The Last of Us kicks off with Joel and his daughter, Sarah, sharing a heart-to-heart. We get a glimpse into Joel's financial struggles and the strong bond with his daughter. And then, chaos strikes—zombies everywhere. It's a mess, and we're right in the middle of it.
Of course, things don't go well. And we find Sarah, with whom we had just bonded, dead in our arms.
Twenty minutes in, we're already in the loop on:
The game's dark tone.
Who Joel is and why we're rooting for him.
This journey is going to be a rollercoaster of emotions.
Takeaway: Keep it real and human. Give players something relatable. Could The Last of Us have become such a memorable game if we had not witnessed the sweet dialogues between Joel and Sarah, and if we had not seen Joel doing his best to save his daughter but failing?
3. Gothic
Watch the intro here.
“The war against the Orcs took its toll, and the prisoners of the realm were to pay the price” says the narrator in the short opening cinematic of Gothic. The King Rhobar II ordered all the prisoners to work in the mines, and wanted to create a magical barrier to prevent them escape. Long story short, things go south, and everyone's stuck inside.
Enter you, the player, getting a warm welcome—aka getting punched and robbed. The only thing you know is your mission.
Five minutes in, we already know:
This a dark and unforgiving setting
Our main objective
Takeaway: Keep it short. The sooner player get to playing the game, the better. Gothic skips the 45-minute cinematic and gets straight to the point, setting the stage without dragging it out.
4. Shadow of Colossus
Watch the intro here.
Shadow of the Colossus begins with our main character entering a castle on horseback, carrying a woman. Who are they? No clue. Why are they here? Beats me. The game keeps us guessing until our main character, Wander, places the woman on the altar deep in the shrine and makes a deal with a being named Dormin to bring her back to life. The catch? Slay 16 colossi.
Ten minutes in, and we're already:
Wondering about the setting and our character.
Clear on our mission.
Takeaway: Keep it mysterious. Get players excited to play. Shadow of the Colossus hooks us in with a mysterious setup that makes us want to explore and find out more.
5. Pathfinder: Wraith of the Righteous
Watch the intro here.
Pathfinder takes a different route by skipping the intro.
Despite having a rich lore, it skips the cinematic or text walls. You, the player, dive straight into a celebration with the character you've crafted. Who are you? Why are you here? No answers yet. Before you find out, you've got to face a dragon-sized Deskari, Lord of the Locusts, and save a city under attack.
Takeaway: Keep it simple. Sometimes, throwing players directly into the action is all you need.
In a nutshell:
The way you start your game depends on the genre. These examples mostly focus on story-driven games. For the ones all about the gameplay, we'll tackle that in a future issue. So, to sum it up:
Keep it interactive: Let players dive in from the get-go.
Keep it human: Make it relatable.
Keep it short: The sooner players start playing, the better.
Keep it mysterious: Spark curiosity right away.
Keep it simple: Sometimes, diving straight into the action is enough.
Assets
Heat - Complete Modern UI
Game Engine: Unity
Price: 69.99 USD
“Heat is a complete UI asset crafted in modern/minimalistic style. It's fully customizable, optimized and documented.”
Free Assets
Portrait Avatars - 1st Person 2D / 3D Portrait Tool for FPS / RPG Games: “Quickly add 3D or 2D UI Portraits to your game. Customize and expand to handle the custom logic for your project.”
Eletronic Music Pack: “Techno music for action, racing, or espionage games. Pulsating beats and excited percussion to keep focus and build up adrenaline pumping.”
Other
Why Am I Not Getting Wishlists? A Step by Step Solution
The Ultimate Game Development Software Bundle: “You’ll get a vast trove of ready-to-use game assets for the two most popular game engines in the world—everything from gritty cyberpunk sets and serene seaside vistas, to weapons from across history, high quality icons for your UI, and stunning special effects. Also included in the bundle are a host of tutorials to broaden your skillset, as well as handy plugins that you can quickly add to your workflow.”
Me
Reading: How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth and Karen Dillion.
Watching: Band of Brothers.
Playing: Rimworld.
Listening:
Thanks for reading!
And that’s it from today’s issue of GameDev’s Journey. I hope you enjoyed it and found it useful. If you did, please like and leave a comment. Reach out for suggestions, objections, questions, or just say hi!
But regardless, thank you so much for reading, and have a great game dev journey!