The UI was very lovely, the lace border on the menu and brass color of the buttons had a handmade feel. So much was conveyed within the short run of the game. The opening sequence with Locket reading about matriphagy was a strong start; I can relate to how gross just looking at pictures of bugs can be and feeling like they can crawl off the page. "My mother will never love me like this." could be the subtitle of the game. Despite how "close" Locket and his mother seem (sleeping together until 16) it's more about control. Mother allows Locket to move her onto her wheelchair, but only to maintain her image in front of the staff. Once Locket decides to clone Mother I can see how the role reversal starts. Locket is judgmental of the lab of the entire process in the way Mother would have been. Specifying that she wants the clone to lactate, but have no genitals feels more raw than if Locket had decided to leave clone as is.
Poor Esther. Practically a newborn, but has so many expectations on her. This how Locket becomes her Mother and Esther her daughter while Esther has to try to be Locket's replacement mother. The tension between Esther's animal traits and her faint memories of Mother is nicely called back in how Locket calls herself a predator. The matriphagy comes true when Esther begins to desire devouring Locket.