Visual Novel

Frame · Genre genre

Reading, deciding, experiencing – the story as the game mechanism, choice as the only action.

Design question – Your game tells a story in which players co-write through their choices. How much influence do the choices really have – and how is that felt?

Associations

• Typical Activities – Reading, Choosing, Interpreting

Coherence

Core expectations: text-based narration, decision points, character relationships, multiple endings, atmosphere through image and text. Mechanisms: Narrative Choice (branching), Relationship Track, Flag System (decisions are stored), Multiple Endings. Activities: Reading, Choosing, Interpreting. Ludic Temporal Structure: chapter structure, free reading pace, save points before decisions. Ludic Social Structure: solo (classic), group (deciding together, e.g. Reigns).