BreakEscape/docs/TUTORIAL_UI_IMPROVEMENTS.md

Tutorial UI Improvements

Overview

The tutorial system UI has been significantly improved to match BreakEscape's established design language and provide a more polished, cohesive experience for new players.

Design Language Alignment

The tutorial system now consistently uses:

• Dark backgrounds: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.95) for modals/panels (matching other UI elements)
• Transparent overlays: No dark screen overlay - game remains visible
• Sharp corners: No border-radius (pixel-art aesthetic)
• 2px borders: Using #444 for standard borders, #00ff88 for accented elements
• Typography:
  • Press Start 2P for headers and titles
  • VT323 for body text and instructions
• Accent color: #00ff88 (cyan-green) for primary actions and highlights
• Secondary colors:
  • #4ade80 for completion/success states
  • #ff6b6b for warnings/skip actions
• Z-index hierarchy: Tutorial at 1400, below minigames (1500+) and dialogue systems

Key Improvements

1. Visual Consistency

Before: Tutorial used gradients and rounded corners that didn't match the game's pixel-art aesthetic.

After:

• Removed rounded corners completely
• Replaced gradients with solid dark backgrounds
• Added subtle inner glow effects using ::before pseudo-elements
• Consistent border styling with #00ff88 accent color

2. Enhanced Buttons

Improved button styling with:

• 3D depth effect using layered box-shadows
• Proper active states that respond to clicks
• Better hover animations with translateY transforms
• Color consistency with the game's primary accent color

3. Tutorial Panel Positioning

Changed: Panel now sits at bottom: 90px to properly clear the inventory bar (80px height)

Why: Prevents overlap with the game's HUD elements while maintaining visibility

4. Visual Feedback

Added animations:

• Pulsing border effect on objective box (using objective-pulse animation)
• Completion state with color change to green (#4ade80)
• Smooth transitions between states

JavaScript enhancements:

• Added .completed class when objectives are finished
• Visual indicator shows immediately when player completes a step
• Player must click "Continue" after completing each step (no auto-advance)
• All steps now track real player actions (movement, running, interaction, click-to-move, inventory clicks)
• Inventory step teaches players to click items like the Notepad to access notes
• Final "Objectives" step shows Continue button immediately for player to proceed at their pace
• Smart step detection: Objectives step automatically skipped if scenario has no objectives
• Gives players complete control over tutorial pacing

5. Typography Improvements

Enhanced readability:

• Increased font sizes:
  • Body text: 20px → 22px
  • Progress indicator: 18px → 20px
  • Titles: Added consistent letter-spacing: 1px
• Better text shadows on accent color elements
• Improved line-height for multi-line text

6. Accessibility

Added support for:

• Keyboard navigation:

  • Visible focus states with 3px solid outlines
  • Proper tab order through interactive elements

• Reduced motion:

  • Respects prefers-reduced-motion media query
  • Disables all animations and transforms when requested

• High contrast mode:

  • Increases border widths to 3px
  • Enhances box-shadows for better visibility
  • Bolds important text

7. Mobile Responsiveness & Screen Positioning

Improved mobile experience:

• Adjusted font sizes for smaller screens
• Reduced padding and margins appropriately
• Maintained proper spacing above inventory on mobile
• Buttons scale better on touch devices
• Max width set to 95% for better edge spacing

Screen positioning improvements:

• Panel positioned at bottom: 100px (was 90px) for better clearance
• Added max-height: calc(100vh - 120px) to prevent panel going off top of screen
• Added scrollable content with styled scrollbar if panel content is too tall
• Works on all screen sizes and orientations

8. Polish & Details

Small touches that matter:

• Inner glow effect on modals using ::before pseudo-element
• Colored left borders on objective boxes (matching notification system)
• Better box-shadow layering for depth perception
• Smooth slide-up and slide-down animations
• Proper z-index layering (1400 for tutorial, below minigames at 1500+)
• No dark overlay - game remains fully visible during tutorial
• Pointer events management - clicks pass through overlay to game

File Changes

/public/break_escape/css/tutorial.css

• Complete redesign of all tutorial system styles
• Added accessibility media queries
• Improved animations and transitions
• Better mobile responsive breakpoints

/public/break_escape/js/systems/tutorial-manager.js

• Added completion class toggling for visual feedback
• Enhanced step showing logic
• Auto-advance steps show completed state immediately

Testing

A dedicated test file has been created at /test-tutorial-ui.html that allows you to:

1. Preview the tutorial prompt modal
2. See active tutorial steps
3. View completed tutorial steps
4. Test responsive behavior
5. Verify accessibility features

Usage:

# Open in browser
open test-tutorial-ui.html

# Or use keyboard shortcuts:
# Press 1: Show prompt modal
# Press 2: Show active tutorial step
# Press 3: Show completed tutorial step

Design Patterns Matched

The tutorial system now matches these existing BreakEscape patterns:

1. Objectives Panel (objectives.css):

   • Similar header structure with borders
   • Consistent color scheme
   • Matching font usage

2. Notifications (notifications.css):

   • Colored left borders for status
   • Similar animation patterns
   • Consistent typography

3. HUD Elements (hud.css):

   • Proper z-index layering
   • Pixel-art rendering
   • Consistent positioning

4. Modals (modals.css):

   • Dark backgrounds with proper opacity
   • Border styling
   • Button patterns

Browser Compatibility

Tested and working in:

• Chrome/Edge (latest)
• Firefox (latest)
• Safari (latest)
• Mobile browsers (iOS Safari, Chrome Mobile)

Future Enhancements

Potential improvements for future iterations:

1. Sound effects for step completion
2. Animated checkmarks or icons
3. Progress bar at bottom of panel
4. Keyboard shortcut hints for desktop tutorial steps
5. Touch gesture animations for mobile steps
6. Multi-language support with proper text scaling

Tutorial Flow

Player-controlled progression:

1. Player completes an objective (e.g., moves with WASD, clicks to move)
2. Objective box turns green with "✓ COMPLETED" indicator
3. "Continue →" button appears
4. Player clicks Continue when ready to proceed
5. No forced auto-advance - player controls pacing for all steps

Desktop Tutorial Steps:

1. Movement (WASD) - Tracks keyboard movement
2. Running (Shift+WASD) - Tracks running state
3. Interaction (E key) - Tracks interaction events
4. Alternative Movement (Click) - Tracks click-to-move
5. Inventory (Click Notepad) - Tracks inventory item clicks
6. Objectives Panel - Continue button shows immediately (only if scenario has objectives)

Mobile Tutorial Steps:

1. Movement (Tap) - Tracks tap-to-move
2. Interaction (Tap objects) - Tracks interaction events
3. Inventory (Tap Notepad) - Tracks inventory item clicks
4. Objectives Panel - Continue button shows immediately (only if scenario has objectives)

Note: The Objectives step is automatically skipped if the current scenario doesn't define any objectives.

Summary

The tutorial system now provides a cohesive, polished experience that matches BreakEscape's pixel-art aesthetic while maintaining excellent usability and accessibility. The improvements focus on visual consistency, user feedback, player control over pacing, and ensuring new players have a smooth onboarding experience.