Ren'Py Minigames in visual novels

[PTGames]

As a Ren'py/Visual Novel developer, I'm curious what kind of minigames people enjoy within Ren'py games. A lot of games include minigames that turn the game into a grind, such as "complete this game each day as the players job to earn money", which can get very tedious very quickly.

So, I'm wondering what kind of games people enjoy within these sorts of games and when does it turn from something fun, to an annoying grind for you?

The only one I have in my game is you can play pairs, matching things from within the game with each other for fun. You don't have to play it, it's just a different way to pass a time slot.

I'd like to add more, but would like to hear people's opinions on them before I commit time and effort to anything.

 

[Semetrika]

Depends what type of visual novel or game it is. I hate minigames, because they was mostly used for shitty grind as you note. Minigames should be as filler content, not main focus or in worst case block your progress.
I don't think there are needed and you have some created. Better spend time to story, characters or renders.

 

[Sir Gary Bummer]

I'm usually ambivalent about minigames, they typically don't seem to add much to a game for me, personally. But just the other day I played Girl Galley Grand Line which has a massaging minigame. The minigame itself is fairly simple (though very well-made) but what made it stand out to me was the fact that the girl gave vocal responses based on how well you are doing. This added a level of immersion for me which I simply wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

So I suppose for me it's dependent on whether I have to interact with the minigame or not, and whether it increases my immersion. For contrast I played another game recently where I had to time clicks just to put salt on my succulent meal. The meal didn't even have the courtesy to comment on my sensual salting of its flesh. From now on I want to be negged when I fuck up minigames.

 

[SamuraiDice]

Mini games?
how about,
'Cave Explorer'
with Amy?

 

[lobotomist]

I was wondering about this, and here's the idea I had for a future project of mine:
You have combat that happens throughout the story and on extra missions. You get an option to skip it/ignore it, but If you choose to do these missions you can unlock extra 2d art (would be a 3d game).
Similar to how being a DIK handles extras, all locked behind minigames.

 

[Zardoz23]

I know a lot of people hate the grind some games get when they add mini games. But I tend to like them. When used correctly I think a good set of mini games can break up the monotony you get when you would otherwise just be clicking through a glorified slide show.

Although there is one kind of mini game that is very common but I absolutely hate it. The puzzles where you slide tiles around to form a picture are just plain tedious. And I suck at them so they're extra frustrating for me.

Some good examples of mini games in my opinion: word jumbles, memory matching games, and conversation mini games that require you to remember facts about the character you're talking to. I even enjoy speed typing mini games on occasion but they have to make sense contextually. Like if the character has to write an English paper or something. A speed typing test to determine your grade makes sense.

 

[Gronez]

Personally, i enjoy quick time events.

 

[Jaike]

I don't really mind them usually, but I don't like them either. Minigames' gameplay often just isn't very fun. But that's a problem with a lot of RPGM games too.

I think things like memory or simple puzzles or boardgame problems are fine.

 

[lfgals1]

My go to example of good mini games is the spanking mini games from games like The Headmaster and Princess Tower.

These games serve as a key piece of building up erotica tension and delivering on the core kink of the game.

That is what a mini-game needs to do to not be shit in my book.

 

[skyblueaster]

Never, ever mini-games. I have learned that people do and WILL get stuck, even if it seems "easy" to the dev.
If reading is the primary purpose, please keep doing it. Don’t do fancy, unnecessary things that can get people stuck or mad.

 

[nulnil]

I'd respect Ren'py and Visual Novels more if they learned to not do minigames. Every visual novel I've played just bogged itself down with minigames, at that point, just make an actual game in a different engine.

 

[PTGames]

I'd respect Ren'py and Visual Novels more if they learned to not do minigames. Every visual novel I've played just bogged itself down with minigames, at that point, just make an actual game in a different engine.

This is one of the reasons I've kept mine entirely optional and not implemented any others into the gameplay itself. You can play the entire game without ever touching it, but it's a fun little distraction if you want it.