A Tier List for Talking Tutorials

Over my eight years and counting tenure as a technical writer, I’ve gained an appreciation for the teaching tools that are implemented across a wide spectrum of fields. Whether it’s the schematic diagram of IKEA instructions, the time-honored Car Owner’s Manual, or even the classic FAQ section, instructional writing exists in a variety of forms. However, none is more iconic than the in-software tutorial guide. 

For however long we’ve had software, specifically video games, we’ve had attempts to create helpful entities within the context and confines of operator systems and digital environments to guide users and players through the vastness of commands and interactions. Hell, this was the premise of various points of Halt and Catch Fire, and it remains one of my favorite historical dramas. As such, I thought it would be a cool exercise to rank a number of talking tutorials.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zEM4AcE6WI

And then as I tried to think about a “Top 5 Talking Tutorials,” I realized that all of them were actually horrible. The majority of these exposition fairies, mission controllers, and well-intentioned helpers are tolerable at best and absolute distractions and detractors at worst. Hell, some franchises just constantly produce a never-ending parade of paradoxical talking tutorials that just end up making me want to mute the entire game audio. Still, in the name of technical writers everywhere, we must endeavor to document a not-so comprehensive tier lis…