Is music important in a game?

[J-Ray]

Very much - that's why I pretty often turning it OFF - I just can't play if music is not good enough or not correlate with the game's style.
So, yes, good music (and sound) will keep player/reader immersed into the game/VN

[Nephalos]

I think that music is occasionally overdone in VNs. It's crucial that music exists, but I think that it should tend more to the ambient side of things unless your scene involves a lot of action or intense emotions. If you're playing through a relatively calm scene (IE, most of a slice of life VN), then repetitive and noticeable music will become grating. In that situation, a more ambient/minimalist track would probably suit you better.

[Shamsia]

Oh, yes, it is.

Sometimes, the difference between an average VN and a good VN is the music. It may seem trivial, but sound can cause a feeling, and you usually remember things and events when they made you feel something. And music is a good way to do it.

This does not mean the option to set on/off music and sound should be disabled, of course.

[Amecha]

Extremely important to me. I have and am currently playing a few without music but it does bug me and makes me think "this is low quality". I would be extremely angry if I paid for a game that had absolutely no audio in it and would probably want a refund. I think if there was a warning that told me the game had no audio I might still make the choice to purchase it but I would more than likely pass.
Any kind of audio is enough though. I'm am just as happy with a game that has music in it as I am with games that just have straight ambient noises (birds, footsteps, etc.).

[MoonByte]

Music AND sound missing would definitely be a breaker and make me simply think that the game is broken.
But leaving one of the two out is actually fine, I'd say.

No sound in a VN or KN can work, after all I also don't have sound effects when reading a book.
No music is a bit more tricky, but I'd say it depends on the genre. A very serious and realistic game can survive it because there isn't background music played for our life. Horror games can also work quite splendid with that as the silence with occassional sounds makes people feel alarmed. I would feel weird with some genres, such as a very classic romance VN or a comedy one, simply because these usually have SOME music, at least every now and then.

If you yourself feel insecure about deciding what and where to add music, maybe just ask for help?
There is a reason why AAA games have music and sound designers. People here with an interest in one or the other (or both) could be asked to look at your game and add the right athmosphere for you, if you're not feeling qualified enough.

[marauderspirit]

For me, music is a huge part of the storytelling/hearing experience. I cannot imagine that a game like, for instance, Project ZERO (Fatal Frame for you Americans) would be as effective had it not had the sound suite it did. In saying that, music can also ruin the experience if done poorly. While I love music, it was my biggest concern during Act of Mercy as I am not a particularly adept composer.

Personally speaking, I generally wouldn't play any game, or VN, without music, simply because for me its part of the experience. I expect games to take full advantage of their medium and therefore include sound, same with films and television.

[Markwill]

I think music is important in games since it bring a great feeling.