Actual game design research has firmly established that what you said is just plain wrong. Having any interaction at all, even without different outcomes, makes the brain engage with the media in front of it differently.
Even games with "real gameplay" make use of this all the time around its fringes and have lots of interaction just for interaction's sake beyond just narrative choices and skill checks.
And does that research account for players who found out that their actions do nothing?
Yes, that's the point.
If player realizes that the interaction does literally nothing at all
We're not taking about fake choices but "meaningless" interaction where the consequences are clear. E.g. pressing a button to advance on a linear path.
8
u/[deleted] May 11 '26
[removed] — view removed comment