Onboarding
Why Is Onboarding Hard Every Time? Why Scenarios Beat Documents
Explore why new hires and project joiners struggle to adapt quickly, and how to replace document-heavy onboarding with scenario-based quests.
2026-07-165 min read
★ B2B Onboarding RPG Solution
When documents are not enough for onboarding
First Run is a customizable onboarding RPG that helps new hires and project members learn through real workplace scenarios.
Turn passive onboarding documents into interactive decision-making quests.
🏆 Designed from the practical experience of a PMP®-certified project manager.
Onboarding is harder than most teams expect
Onboarding is not just about sharing company documents. It is the process of helping new members understand how the company works, how projects move, and how decisions are made in their role.
Yet many teams still rely on documents, verbal explanations, and repeated meetings. Gallup reports that only 12% of employees strongly agree that their organization does a great job onboarding new employees. SHRM also highlights that many new hires do not feel fully prepared and supported to excel in their new role.
That is why First Run turns onboarding from something people read into something they experience.
Why traditional onboarding often fails
01. Repeated
Repeated explanations
Teams explain the same company and project context again and again.
02. Unread
Documents that go unread
Training materials exist, but they are often hard to finish or remember.
03. Delayed
Slow ramp-up
New members may not know how to act until they face real situations.
04. Disconnected
Role-specific standards
Developers, PMOs, planners, designers, and publishers all need different onboarding paths.
First Run turns onboarding into quests
First Run transforms company and project workflows into interactive quests. New members explore an RPG-style office map, meet NPCs, and solve role-based workplace scenarios.
Solution 01
Scenario-based quests
Turn workplace situations into NPC quests.
Solution 02
Role-based paths
Provide different learning paths for each role.
Solution 03
Choices and feedback
Let users make decisions and learn from outcomes.
Solution 04
Custom production
Build an onboarding game around your company or project.
How First Run works
First Run lets new members join a fictional company, choose a role, meet NPCs, and grow by solving real workplace quests.
1
Choose a role
Start onboarding as a developer, PMO, publisher, planner, or designer.
2
Explore the company map
Walk around the fictional Make Feelbetter campus and meet role-based NPCs.
3
Solve workplace quests
Make decisions in scenarios such as schedule delays, API issues, requirements, UI decisions, and accessibility problems.
4
Get feedback and rewards
Earn EXP, badges, and trust based on your decisions and unlock the next stage of quests.
5
Build cross-functional understanding
Start with your own role, then unlock cross-role quests to build T-shaped growth.
Custom-built for your company or project
First Run is not a fixed training game. It can be customized around your company, project, team structure, and onboarding goals.
📋 Customizable Elements
- ■ Company name and brand universe
- ■ Project onboarding scenarios
- ■ Role-based quests
- ■ Internal workflows
- ■ Common workplace situations
- ■ Difficulty and level design
- ■ NPC characters and dialogue
- ■ Completion reports and learning criteria
Built for practical onboarding situations
✨ New hire onboarding
✨ Project kickoff training
✨ Vendor or partner onboarding
✨ Role transition training
✨ Collaboration training
✨ Internal mini-games
What can you try in the demo?
Join the fictional IT company Make Feelbetter, choose a role such as developer, PMO, publisher, planner, or designer, and solve role-based onboarding quests.
💻→📊→🎨→✏️→✨→
Developer
Python coding, API parsing, and debugging quests.
PMO
Risk handling, schedule coordination, and change control.
Publisher
Responsive Flex/Grid layouts and accessibility checks.
Planner
Requirement analysis, IA menu architecture, and UX copy.
Designer
Design tokens, UI consistency checks, and usability rules.
Game Mockup Console
MAKE FEELBETTER
Onboarding RPG // Campus overworld
[Guide Dan] 'Welcome to Make Feelbetter!'
Articles about onboarding and game-based learning
Project Onboarding
What Should You Teach Before Project Kickoff? A Game-Based Approach
How to design project kickoff onboarding so new joiners and partner teams understand context faster—using scenario quests instead of slide decks alone.
2026-07-166 min read
Onboarding
Why Onboarding Should Feel Like a Game
Learn why game-based onboarding helps new team members understand their role, make better decisions, and engage with workplace learning faster.
2026-07-155 min read
Ready to turn your onboarding into a game?
If your team repeats new hire training, project briefings, or partner onboarding, First Run can be customized into an onboarding RPG for your organization.