I’ve tried a lot of these kinds of games before and have always found that the lack of structure and intention in “you can do anything” AI games prevents me from caring about the content of the story.
I thought it might be interesting to experiment with using a narrative to consume content I would’ve cared about otherwise, which led me to making Amnesia. Amnesia has two screens- one for the storyline and another for learnings. Every decision moves the narrative and presents you with new learnings.
Admittedly, the narrative is pretty weak at the moment, and will need some more work. Having said that, I’ve loved messing around with this and exploring all sorts of time periods and places in a more engaging & personal way.
I’d love for you to try it out and share your thoughts!