When Gameplay Gets in the Way of the Story

We have been watching a pretty intense debate unfold this week regarding the Zero Escape series and it sparked a conversation that we think is relevant to everyone here in our group. A huge number of players admitted that while they absolutely loved the story and the characters, they used a walkthrough guide to bypass every single escape room puzzle.
This highlights a massive friction in the visual novel genre that does not get discussed enough. There is a clear divide between players who want complex gameplay mechanics and players who simply want the novel part of the experience. When you are deep in the narrative flow and suddenly the game forces you to stop reading to solve a complex math puzzle for twenty minutes, it kills the pacing.

For some designers, that friction is intentional. But for many of us, it feels like a roadblock that leads to dropping the game entirely. The lesson here is about managing expectations. If the gameplay does not actively advance the narrative or the relationships, it is often just padding.

The best mechanics in visual novels are the ones that feel like a natural part of the investigation or the conversation. They should not feel like arbitrary IQ tests thrown in just to extend the playtime or gatekeep the next scene. If a player has to tab out to look at a wiki just to understand the logic of a puzzle, the game has failed to communicate effectively. We believe the story should always come first, and the gameplay should support that journey rather than interrupt it.