- Aug 6, 2025
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Do you prefer more choices or more reading?
- Thread starter ryuntsai
- Start date
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- Tags
- discussion visual novels
- Jun 19, 2025
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I enjoy choices but only if the choices have meaning LOLOL. if not i'd rather have an engaging story !! especially in the cases where you can pursue multiple love interests it's always fun activating a jealousy meter in response to your choices !!
- Sep 18, 2014
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I prefer more reading.But if the story is long, the choices should also increase.I like experiencing the process of making choices, but I enjoy watching the story even more.
- Oct 28, 2022
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I prefer games with more reading, and where only the choices that really matter show up. I usually follow a guide, though lately I've been trying to play one without a guide (we'll see how that goes lol)
Honestly, when there's a lot of reading, it feels like I'm reading a light novel or manga, except I get to decide how it ends. C:
Honestly, when there's a lot of reading, it feels like I'm reading a light novel or manga, except I get to decide how it ends. C:
- Jul 26, 2024
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I think I'm more on the reading side of the spectrum, since I wouldn't mind playing a completely linear VN at all and it would be more about the audiovisual experience for me.
When it comes to choices, I definitely agree with everyone here in terms of choices that should matter: if the choice is just meaningless, there's not much of a point to it. It's something that's frequent in mobile games, at most if you make a choice, you will get one or two lines of dialogue that are altered, but sometimes you don't even have that and the result is the same. Sometimes if you pick an option the game doesn't want you to pick, it'll even loop back into forcing you to pick the other option, and at that point it makes me kind of sit here like... "so what was the point?"
The amount of choices also matters to me. I like them when they are spaced out, since it makes them feel more impactful in the story, and I like using them as checkpoints in my playthrough. When they're too frequent they tend to stress me out more than anything because I immediately get in my min-maxxer mode and try to think about which choice would bring the most optimal result instead of thinking about the choice that feels right to me without caring about the meta aspect.
When it comes to choices, I definitely agree with everyone here in terms of choices that should matter: if the choice is just meaningless, there's not much of a point to it. It's something that's frequent in mobile games, at most if you make a choice, you will get one or two lines of dialogue that are altered, but sometimes you don't even have that and the result is the same. Sometimes if you pick an option the game doesn't want you to pick, it'll even loop back into forcing you to pick the other option, and at that point it makes me kind of sit here like... "so what was the point?"
The amount of choices also matters to me. I like them when they are spaced out, since it makes them feel more impactful in the story, and I like using them as checkpoints in my playthrough. When they're too frequent they tend to stress me out more than anything because I immediately get in my min-maxxer mode and try to think about which choice would bring the most optimal result instead of thinking about the choice that feels right to me without caring about the meta aspect.
- Feb 23, 2026
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I'd say choices! If there's a lot of text and not much to keep my attention, I tend to zone out and skip a lot lol. Not that I do this with books, but with VNs I just can't help it idk why.
For games it's more fun when they have more choices, even if it is only flavor text.
For games it's more fun when they have more choices, even if it is only flavor text.
0.Shina.0
New member
- Jul 5, 2026
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- 10
more choices since it makes playing through the routes again for the CGs and endings more interesting(i tend to do blind playthroughs first before i go collecting so its fun to see what ending my self inserting would land me...though its usually the bad ends unless its indie otome
)
)
- Jan 28, 2026
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more reading. more choices just make it harder to keep track since i always go back and pick the other options after i'm done.
- Apr 23, 2024
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I choose more choices bc I think that's what makes it immersive and feel like you're part of the story not just observing from outside. And that's why I like otome games more than just reading novels.! :)
mandrakeroost
New member
- Jul 29, 2025
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I think for me this depends on the state of my brain really, if my brain feels scattered I prefer more choices but if my brains decides to finally focus for a while then I would like more reading.
- Jan 17, 2026
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I prefer more reading than choices, when there's too many I feel overwhelmed . I hate fake choices . I dislike choices when they lead to inconsistencies in stories and when they are totally ignored.
- Feb 28, 2026
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I actually don't mind linear VN because I tend to not bother to play all the endings unless the game is incredible. I think that the appeal here is the combination of art and the writing. What I do love is when you can shape the MC with small choices that changes their personality, but I don't expect it to be a norm.
If I want the game to be shaped by my choices, I go to play interactive fiction instead, dunno why, but the coices feel more meaningful.
If I want the game to be shaped by my choices, I go to play interactive fiction instead, dunno why, but the coices feel more meaningful.
- Aug 28, 2024
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I prefer games that offer a substantial reading experience. When I play, I keep a record of the branching paths as I go; if there are too many choices, the structure becomes a tangled mess—like an anthill—and I lose track of whether I'm actually following the story or just logging data, which makes me want to give up on the game entirely. While I certainly welcome a scenario with depth and substance, I dislike meaningless branching paths and the sort of excessive endings that feel like mere busywork or forced replays.
- Nov 24, 2025
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I love reading more!
As long as the plot and characters are fleshed out and there are no continuity errors.
As long as the plot and characters are fleshed out and there are no continuity errors.
I enjoy more choices because it makes the story partly meaningful and impactful. Maybe, those two words aren't the right ones. It's more like my participation has effected the story. But having so many choices isn't good either because it becomes stressful to think what might become of it if I choose one. I mean I play game for relaxation but I also want to have a particapation with it, too.
- Nov 29, 2025
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Is it greedy to ask for both?
I'd love more choices. As you said, it's nice to see how my decisions impact others and the world around my MC. It's also really fun to see how love interests, or any character really, react to what my MC has said or remember what they said or did. Really amps up the immersion experience.
- Jan 28, 2026
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Both approaches work well for me; the only thing I can't stand is meaningless choices—where you're given different options but they all lead to the exact same story outcome. That just feels baffling to me. For instance, imagine being asked whether you prefer apples or pears, only to end up with an orange regardless of your choice. In cases like that, the story wouldn't change even without the choice, so it might as well just be a straight read-through. If I had to choose, though, I'd definitely prefer having multiple options; branching paths make things much more interesting.
