A "soft lock" is -- Google Result

Message:

A "soft lock" is a state in a video game where the game is still technically functioning, but the player cannot progress further, often requiring a restart or reload to escape. Unlike a hard lock (a complete freeze or crash), a soft lock allows the game's audio and animations to continue, but the player's progress is permanently halted by a glitch, design flaw, or a missing essential item.

I worked in code test (for games), and still I had not heard this term. I would have called it a "Story Bug." or design flaw.

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