If you've ever played Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, you'll remember there are a lot of points in the game where Nathan Drake is writing stuff down in a journal, making sketches, collecting important objects. It's a very interesting detail that gets explored to an extent in that game, but Curse of the Amethyst Skull takes it and says "but what if the player was actually doing that?" The answer to that question? You make them feel like a full-blown archeologist! I cannot emphasize enough how interesting it is to actually be drawing out a map and writing down notes in the middle of a game all about puzzles and mysteries. Sometimes, a game might make you pick up a pen and paper to try and figure something out, but this game hands them to you and gives you direct ways to use them. It's so refreshing after playing so many games with a minimap in it to have some more interaction to it then just placing a couple markers here and there.
The transfer of information from one life to the next also plays out very well. Because of the torches you light and the drawings/notes that you make, you get a consistent source of information that you can always lean back on when you forget the way. On top of this, there are a few interactions that have a permanent affect on the world, such as unlocking a door or putting out the green flame shooting lantern, making going back to previously locked or difficult to get to sections easier when you go through it the next time. Put all this together and it always feels like you know a little more about the dungeon each trip you make through it. It generates an incredible sense of progression that keeps the moment to moment gameplay feeling fresh and fun!