the game create a sense of mystery more frequently associated with survival horror: the abandoned house is cast as unnatural and threatening, with the player invited to explore it suspiciously, suspecting some external danger behind the apparent disappearance of the family. That danger, of course, turns out to be internal, not external.
The game Gone Homes plays with player agency because it wants us the players to think the game is a horror game based on the environment. It's raining outside the house is dark, the light flickering random noises going on. the game wants us to think something bad is going to happen it builds a lot of suspense keeping us on edge but in reality nothing happens. the real horror in the game is what the sister discovers about the family.