This is the latest "game" in the Unknown Developer series, since SIGH, but it's cool to see that this dev hasn't forgotten about this series or tossed it to the side. These games were always cryptic and this one is no exception, but having been exploring the series since DPTG, it's always a treat for me to dwelve into these experimental experiences (and have influenced my game creation decisions as well!)
I've had a theory that the whole overall arching narrative in this series explores the concept of eternal recurrence, which is a whole other can of beans I won't get into here since this is about this "game".
TL;DR: In my interpretation of the series, it seems that the Old Lady is Melissa grown old, supported by the fact that they share the same lines, while Jake and Royston are also two sides of the same coin. Jake speaks with aphasia in En Wye because of his head injury mentioned in [ ] and the yowling of pain heard in ED. Melissa also mentions Royston and Jake both being dead, but she could've been referring to Royston as Jake from a separate iteration where all the major events have already happened, foreshadowing them in the current timeline in a way. Also, in OTE when the Old Lady refers to Jake even though he has Royston's voice might also be explained as an older (more jaded) Jake. The ending of ED, with the owl, its eyebrows lit up and the sound of glass breaking can represent these three things respectively:
1. The knowledge Melissa has gained upon her epiphany
2. The enlightenment she has achieved
3. The shattering of her perception of reality, from naive and unaware to stoic and distant
This concept of infinity and repetition is also supported by certain elements that repeat within the series. This may be far-fetched, which it probably is, but it gives me a clear narrative to work with. Back to the game.
[DISCLAIMER: From this point onward, I will discuss what I have found on my playthrough. Your playthrough or findings may differ.]
THE OPENING
The opening is like any other in the "games": a UD logo plastered in front of a background and a speaker announcing their name. After the intro, the screen cuts to a B&W image of what appears to be the skin underneath someone's eye, yet it's too cryptic to tell for sure.
THE TIME SCREEN
This is the first screen to show when getting into the interactive part of the game. If you're familiar with UD's work, you can probably infer what is happening on this screen. The letters with brackets around them represent the keys on a keyboard you can press, while the time ranges refer to the system time on your computer, formatted in military time. Pressing the space key gives you the message along the lines of "NOT NOW". Pressing any of the keys displayed takes you to this screen:
COLOR SCREEN
The "Colors of the Ocean" screen feature a cacaphony of background noises: the sound of indistinguishable whispering, the sound of ocean waves clashing and the hands of a clock rotating. If you are able to notice, it seems there is a message blurred in the center of the screen that is too obscured to be elligible. It might just be nothing but it really does look like a message is hidden here. Staying on this screen for a few moments result in this: The screen gradually hues from blue to purple when staying on this screen, afterwards a flash of purple envelops the whole screen, before gradually reverting back to blue and repeating the shift in hue. This is seemingly repeated every five seconds.
The background noises also gradually change in time. I have listed what changes in the audio occur below:
Sound of a honk (some kind of bird?), accompanied with a hushing - Approx. three minutes and fifteen seconds, every time the audio is looped to the start
Whispering gradually fades - Approx. fifty seconds in
No whispering - Lasts approx. a minute and twenty seconds in
Whispering fades in / audio loops - Seven seconds afterwards
BACK TO THE TIME SCREEN
If you pressed the corresponding key to what your system time is, the message at the center or the screen should display the message "NEXT?" Pressing the key "y" anytime on this screen displays the message "WHY?" instead of "WHEN?"as shown above.
THE Z SCREEN
You probably noticed that the key "Z" is not listed on the TIME SCREEN to be pressed. Pressing the "Z" key causes this image to appear for a split second before disappearing. The image is too blurred to determine the scene displayed, but there may be a clue to discover.
SECOND BOOT
Whether by booting the game another time around, exiting the game upon entering the COLORS SCREEN or simply by random chance, the image displayed during the intro on the first boot of the game is replaced with a different B&W image. The image displays a pair of hands laid out on a surface, while another unseen figure fits both hands with a wedding ring. It's unclear whether this image refers to the relationship Jake and Melissa share or something else entirely.