#I do agree that in most respects they're more like VNs than games though

[22degreehalo]

So on a completely unrelated topic lmao I saw a discussion about whether visual novels are games on here recently and it’s sorta mulled around in my mind since then so here’s my take on it all:

Visual novels are games using a sufficiently broad definition of the term. However, I think it’s more accurate to call them novels. The primary point of visual novels is to provide text, with the images (and any minor gameplay portions) existing to complement the text. Without that focus on text, it is no longer a visual novel.

Yes, visual novels are usually interactive in the sense of making choices. However, Choice Your Own Adventure books do that, too! This is definitely showing the space of overlap between ‘game’ and ‘novel.’ But I feel like the main purpose of those books is usually to see what happens, rather than to like, test yourself, or whatever. It’s about experiencing the story in different ways. Once we get into things like stats or inventories or whatever, and/or when the primary goal of the experience is to ‘win’ or achieve certain things, that is when it passes over into being more of a game to me. (Yes this means there are some very murky cases that aren’t obviously more of either, and that’s okay!)

However... I don’t think this is merely a theoretical etymological exercise. The question of whether Visual Novels are games or not is usually not about whether they are games versus novels, but whether they are games or ‘invalid and empty valueless material.’

I most often see this sorta subject come up with regards to places like Steam: should visual novels be sold there, if they’re not games? For starters that’s an inhernetly strange argument since plenty of things that aren’t games are sold on Steam: software that function as useful tools (such as video editing), atmospheric ‘games’ that are more about an experience than anything else, other kinds of unusual software... The usual cut-off point for being a valid entry on Steam is simply being an executable file. (As opposed to itch.io, where pdfs and the like are accepted.)

The thought process for many, then, I think, is that visual novels have no actual need to be executable files. Instead, the executable is simply the means by which porno images are distributed. Any gameplay or story content is entirely throwaway and half-hearted. They’re effectively just selling images, and are taking advantage of Steam’s popularity to reach a larger audience.

Which, there are two responses to that. One is that visual novels do have meaningful content! This is something very subjective; personally, I find there to be some form of artistic value in literally any kind of narrative or visual artwork, though I know that’s not popular. But it’s very common to take it to the other extreme and claim that if there is any intention to sexually arouse at any point, even if it occurs at hour 60 of a 90+ hour VN (not at all a ridiculous theoretical), then the entire thing has no artistic value at all other than Getting People Off. As soon as sex is brought into a situation, every other thing of value disappears and it becomes purely nothing but baser, simple physical urges. Which to me is absolutely absurd! Yes, obviously people can enjoy the humour or romance or drama of a story and then also be turned on by it. Why couldn’t they? But that’s the point at which they and I disagree.

The other response is that once we start making these sorta value judgements about the executables, it creates all kinds of weird situations. Like, at what point do we decide that something ‘needs’ to be an executable? This wouldn’t just rule out VNs, but also a lot of amateur or very minimalistic games, as well. Some WOULD be okay with removing them all under the argument that they are usually too low quality, but everyone would have a different opinion about where that line should lie. I think it’s just a lot easier to accept everything and let other measures (like ratings etc.) co-ordinate how people can more easily find high-quality content.

So long story short I don’t think the question of visual novels being games or not is super important, and while I don’t really internally categorise them as such, I think most people arguing that they’re not are doing so as a result of some very flimsy assumptions about the medium and/or value judgements I strongly disagree with. So I entirely understand why people get very defensive and defend visual novels as games.