Before you beat the first 4 tutorials in 0.8.2: basics, crafting, research, and wires, the main sandbox game is not at all playable. I'm guessing the main game takes like 10-20 hours to beat ( No one has done a full playthrough yet =, not even me ), so the tutorials are only a small portion.
The other "Info:" tutorials are more of a collection of mechanic footnotes and clarifications. Factorio has a similar setup: tutorial levels, main sandbox, and some guides on specific mechanics like rail signals. I guess I could try making the "info" tutorials pop up when you research specific stuff
Minecraft is impossible to beat without external research.