Sam’s story is revealed through letters, notes, music, and other minutia of daily living, which the player combs through: not only Sam’s, but other people in her life. The game asks the player to confront prejudice without any ability via in-game mechanics to resolve it.
The story in Gone Home is told through the aftermath of the event with what Sam and her family left behind at the house. This way of experiencing the story indirectly challenges the player's agency, with the fact that the player can only see what is left of the family and cannot do anything but observe. This can create frustration or introspection in the player depending on how they are choosing to experience the game. The frustration can stem from being unable to interact with the story, but introspection can stem from really taking the time to learn the story fully and its emotional impact on the people in it.