Self-determination theory
Also said as SDT, Autonomy, competence, relatedness
Edward Deci and Richard Ryan's theory that people thrive when three needs are met: autonomy (it was my choice), competence (I am getting good at this) and relatedness (other people matter here).
It gives you three concrete questions to ask of a dull section, and it has far more research behind it than most game-design frameworks. In 2006 Ryan, Rigby and Przybylski surveyed players and found that felt autonomy and competence predicted enjoyment and wanting to keep playing. That is correlation from surveys, so treat it as a guide.
Say it
“This tutorial fails on autonomy: it is a corridor with one solution. Let players choose between two routes, and show their best time at the end so they can see themselves improve.”
Where you’ve seen it
Breath of the Wild is strong on two of the three: you can go anywhere from the start (autonomy), and its physics rewards your own ideas (competence). It is a single-player game and does little for the third, which shows you need not hit all of them.