Reed ties in how the walking game is able to tell a story. To critics that said walking games lose the sense of agency, that isn’t true in the sense that the decisions and the paths the player chooses to follow gives the player understanding of the story. The use of misdirection by staging the game as a horror genre captivates the player to explore the house and see what is to jump out at them. This is then shifted into what the actual story is about, the feeling of abandonment and isolation of Sam from her family, and the player can only sift through the remnants of the home to piece the story together. This forces introspection onto the player.

This is kind of like false hope. We have agency in the game where we can make decisions that have impacts, but if these results lead to no end, no matter how immersive or engaging the environment is, the feeling of agency is bound to disappear.

This goes back to an idea where Murray compares exploring downtown Boston amd the forests of Maine to going to a dentists office. Because of the limited option that we have in going to a dentists office, it can make that goal undesirable and not enjoyable at all. Although mazes offer free navigation of space and challenges, the single goal of a maze can be constricting.