I personally don’t like genderlocked games, I feelil like more often than not the experience within them that is often required by the setting or artistic decision, no matter how well written is just not going to appeal to me. It’s less the gender within which the game is locked. Because despite the fact I exclusively play female characters. I find myself turned off from female genderlocked games too.
This is not to say those stories shouldn’t exist or can’t be good. It’s just something an author has to expect will limit their reader pool. A lot of them games here have really gotten the entire idea of COG and HG games to be a CYOA where you are in control. It’s not like other more traditional CYOA where you follow a set character like the telltale games. A big appeal is that bit about character creation. Be it to accurately place yourself and live out a fantasy in an alternative world. Or to just roleplay as archetypes and see how the world reacts to your actions.
A genderlocked game tends to be about as close as you can get to those telltale games. Where you have one set character and while you can certainly affect the story. You aren’t playing as you. You are playing as that person. And so it sort of is outside the mold and is certainly not as appealing to some readers who greatly value customisation. Even if your genderlocked character can still be customised in all but gender.
It’s sort of why when I eventually get to my second project come 2027 if I presumably finish my first. Despite the historical setting it will be, I would still handwave the setting away and allow female characters. Because while it would be massively anachronistic. I personally just like playing as a woman. Irrespective of where it is. It is a adherence I am willing to overlook. Others may not and at the end of the day. That’s fine.
Although one counterpoint to my entire argument is despite the fact the infinity series is genderlocked male. I still played through it all and just head canoned my character being a woman and I had a good time. So what do I know. Maybe this entire discussion is moot.