Ok, so I've played a LOT of itchio horror titles, and the mass majority of them are quite bad lol! I went into this game half-expecting Mothered to be full of the same ol' tired tropes found all over itchio horror, but I have to say that I was quite happily surprised. This game is fantastic! The beginning of the game had me a bit fooled into thinking it would end up being like the many other itchio horror titles I've played, but this game was a sleeper hit for sure! The creativity in the visuals, dialogue, text prompts, transitions, character models/movements clearly all had purpose, and intention. They all served the story in some way, when initially it doesn't appear that way. And what blew my mind was that, arguably, the best part of the game/story (where everything REALLY comes together for a fantastic conclusion) is hidden away in a secret ending!! Ballsy move for sure, but holy hell is the secret ending SO good! This is genuinely one of the best experiences I've had playing a game. Amazing job!
For anyone wanting to play this, I recommend doing a normal playthrough spoiler-free (maybe takes about 2 hours), and then speedrun your way to the secret ending (which can easily be done in maybe 15-20 min. Below will be spoilers on how to get the secret ending.
(SPOILER) HOW TO ACTIVATE SECRET ENDING
After your you've collected all the apples from the Orchard, do NOT talk to you mother as she's instructed you to. Instead, head back inside the house (with the basket of apples), and place them on your father's record played in the living room. That's it! Enjoy the greatest part of the game/story!