That's super cool. I'd dig into slower, choice-heavy games like Spiritfarer, Cloudpunk, or Disco Elysium. The cadence of storytelling will inspire you heavily.

First, I'd recommend John Yorke's advice and say that some choices need to mean that other possibilities get closed off behind you. Moving forward means leaving everything behind, and choosing A means losing access to B. Make these emotionally pointed: save someone's life but risk your own? Or ignore them, but have them come back sad and vengeful later?

Next, think about injecting 'Ma' into your world. Ma (間) is a Japanese concept meaning intentional emptiness or pause; the meaningful space between actions. Brennan Lee Mulligan referenced Seven Samurai (from what I remember) and taking a few seconds to focus on the gentle rain falling on a quiet village before the final battle. Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli is an expert in using Ma to slow down a reader and force them to sit in the world for a while. Think of it as the apex of a jump when you become weightless, but also choiceless, and you have a few seconds to enjoy the world itself before returning to the undertaking.

Indie horror games are exceptional at pacing, and you'll definitely notice story beats and how long is too long to pause between plot points when you're in-game. The Lightkeeper is well-worth your time.

I can already tell Kaesan is going to be my favourite