itch.io

That’s a really interesting interpretation, I like how you connected those ideas, it actually fits the tone in a lot of ways.

Just to clarify a bit: the key idea is that the place is a kind of liminal space, and people end up there when they’re in a transitional period of their lives.

Ethan himself isn’t directly part of the main story, his parents are. If you found the letter hidden under the bed, it gives some insight into what happened to them and their mental state. That room (and the pictures) are more about foreshadowing why people end up there. The family is unrelated to our main characters. 

The old man from 1847 is there to show that the place has existed for a very long time, across different time periods. He’s stuck in that same kind of in-between state, which is something all the rooms share, people caught between acceptance and denial.

There are also small hints in places like the office, in the research papers. In that room, the door is open because that character, even though they were in denial about losing their job, had gathered enough information, before arriving there, to escape.

But I really like your theory too, especially the idea about the player’s role, it’s a really cool way to interpret it.