Why Video Tutorials Are Holding You Back (And What to Do About It)

Let’s be honest, video tutorials are very bad for learning.

I know that’s a bold statement, especially coming from someone who runs a YouTube channel dedicated to game development tutorials. But hear me out, because this realization has completely changed how I approach teaching.

The Comfort Zone Trap

Video tutorials are typically the first step we take when we want to learn a new technique or implement a feature in our games. They give us visual context, a familiar voice, and step-by-step guidance. They feel productive. They feel safe.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: they serve more as entertainment than anything else.

Think about it. You can’t skip directly to what matters for you. You can’t find relevant metadata quickly (no Ctrl + F in videos). You can’t inter…

Let’s be honest, video tutorials are very bad for learning.

The Comfort Zone Trap

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: they serve more as entertainment than anything else.

Think about it. You can’t skip directly to what matters for you. You can’t find relevant metadata quickly (no Ctrl + F in videos). You can’t interact with the content in any meaningful way. You just passively consume it, hoping that by watching someone else solve a problem, you’ll magically absorb the knowledge.

The YouTube Problem

Now, there are learning platforms like Udemy and Teachable that try to address some of these issues. They allow you to add annotations, make comments, and even upload files to accomplish assignments. These platforms typically structure courses around a final project that you can follow along with.

But let’s be real, I bet you mostly consume tutorials on YouTube, right? I also do.

No annotations. No progress tracking toward any goal project. No answers from a tutor. No quizzes. No assignments.

YouTube tutorials are what YouTube is meant for: entertainment. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, YouTube is incredible at what it does. The problem is when we mistake entertainment for education.

What My Audience Actually Needs

I receive countless messages from subscribers on my YouTube channel asking for courses and more in-depth tutorials.

Ironically, the tutorials I create usually present all the techniques necessary to achieve the proposed goal. The information is all there.

But information alone isn’t learning.

People aren’t asking for more information. They’re asking for a better format to actually learn and apply that information. They want to build real projects. They want to get their hands dirty. They want to escape tutorial hell.

A Better Way Forward

So I started thinking: there must be a better way to actually teach people and ensure they learn at their own pace not limited by the pace of video playback.

But it goes beyond just pacing. How can I let students interact with the content? Copy code snippets directly. Add their own comments and notes. Download and upload files. Play a demo of what they’re going to build in each chapter before they even start.

I needed a platform that could provide a modern, dynamic learning experience while being accessible and user-friendly.

After experimenting with different solutions, I found my answer: Notion offers everything needed to create the best learning experience for students.

The Platformer Essentials Cookbook is going through a massive revamp to provide exactly this kind of modern, dynamic, and user-first learning experience.

Instead of passively watching videos, you’ll be able to:

Read and learn at your own pace
Copy code directly from the page
Play interactive demos of each feature
Download project files and assets
Add your own notes and comments
Track your progress through each chapter

Four out of sixteen chapters are already available in this new format, and the book is receiving weekly updates as I continue the revamp. This isn’t just a content update. It’s a complete reimagining of how game development education should work.

Start Building Real Projects

Create complete platformers without reinventing the wheel and test your ideas fast with the 16 ready-to-use features presented in the book.

Join 322 students who have already discovered a better way to learn. Get your copy of the Platformer Essentials Cookbook, my 5-stars rated book, and get immediate access to the new format as it’s being developed.

No more tutorial hell. Just real learning and real projects.

Follow me for updates, and let’s build something amazing together.

— Henrique Campos

Get Platformer Essentials Cookbook

Platformer Essentials Cookbook

A 200+ pages ebook with 12 step-by-step tutorials with essential features to create platformer games

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Status	Released
Category	Book
Author	Ludonauta
Genre	Educational, Platformer
Tags	2D, Asset Pack, Boss battle, Godot, Immersive, Non violent, Open Source, Tutorial
Languages	English
Accessibility	Color-blind friendly, High-contrast