SPOILER WARNING! My thoughts and analysis on storyline and ending

[Yanin]

So, this is my interpretation and somewhat analysis of everything that is going on in the story and overall the game itself. Note that it’s my take on the game and it’s narrative and not a truth in the last instance. Take that information with a grain of salt and try to develop and research your own theories on the story. Let’s begin!
First of all, I think that person called Rachel Foster (aka most important character in the story) doesn’t exist at all and is actually Nicole herself being abused and groomed by her own father since early childhood. There are several indications in the game that Rachel is not real - for example, the dream sequence involves someone (most likely Nicole) talking to Leonard, however this is clearly a child’s voice. In the end of this sequences Leonard tells “I love you, Rachel”. This could mean he actually loves not Nicole, but Rachel instead, but it also could mean that Nicole IS Rachel herself.
Then there is more subtle moments - blanket in which Rachel’s body was in specially looks like Nicole’s shirt with matching color and patterns. So when she washes the blood off of blanket it seem like she washes the blood off of her own shirt. Another point being the fact that some childhood photos of Nicole look speciality like Rachel’s and she is the only character with a face but without a voice in a story (we don’t know how any character looks like in this game, ONLY Rachel!) And by the way, why keeping photos of Nicole instead of Rachel’s in the attic? If Leonard loved her that much he 100% kept at least some of her photos, but nope… not a single one. Next up we have matching books and colors of Rachel’s shrine and Nicole’s room (maybe that it’s how her room looked during early childhood?), both Nicole and Rachel interest in space, teddy bear in both rooms (Nicole’s is actually hidden), Nicole’s drawing notebook in the attic, Nicole specifically mentioning herself during age 16 (which is Rachel’s age), addressing both Leonard and Claire by their first names and usually not calling them “mom” or “dad” at all, Nicole specific dislike of religion and priests (with Rachel being from religious family which is actually also true to Nicole, her mother is Christian).
These are just some of examples, but basically I think that Nicole and Rachel is one personality split it two, call it a personality disorder or just a metaphor for Nicole creating another person to deflect this abuse coming from her father. It is also hinted several times that her mother also could’ve abused her in some way, but that’s up for debate. But how does it all makes sense? Well, there are also several hints in the story that someone was indeed murdered, but who specially? I have multiple theories here, but basically it could be either parents or Leonard himself being killed by Nicole (notice missing axe and pick-axe, bloodied blanket that I mentioned earlier, complete obscurity on how Leonard died or when specifically, strange whispers and sobs which are actually belong to male) or it was Nicole herself who was murdered by Leonard and her mother helped to cover it up. Specifically because Nicole wanted (probably) to finally report Leonard to someone (my guess it’s Father Foster or most likely that strange 911 call that abruptly ended). It could be pointed out that Leonard caught Nicole up and killed her, probably locking her inside the freezer or beating with her own hokey stick. Clair probably helped to cover it up as a suicide because A)She is herself is abuser and most likely never really cared for Nicole. B)Hotel’s and family reputation. C)Nicole’s pregnancy. This could be impossible to cover up and sooner or later someone can realize that it’s Leonard’s child.
It is a possibility, that the entire game aka all the events in the hotel just a metaphor for abusive life that Nicole lived there, unable to escape or even talk to someone who can understand her. Hotel itself feels ominous, strange and evil. Think of it as a metaphorical Overlook Hotel from Kubrick’s The Shining.
Another interesting aspect of the story is, of course, Irving. I think that he actually doesn’t exist either and just another metaphor, this time trying to tell us, the player, and Nicole that Leonard actually loved and cared about Rachel. This could be interpreted as a coping mechanism from Nicole point of view, justifying the fact that her family was like that. He could also symbolize unborn Rachel/Nicole son (if it’s really a son), even his name being anagram for “Virgin” could be the fact that he is pure and innocent because he never got the chance even to be born. Or the fact that Nicole tries to justify her father’s actions by using a fictional being representing a pure friendly man, something which she thought of her father once. Also, Irving himself states that he is invisible boy and that’s correct - we only hear his voice, never saw him even ones. Just like Leonard, who is 100% dead. Not only that, Irving is supposedly hides on the second floor, which is stained with mold. Indicating that hotel itself rots almost from the attic up (a place where Leonard abused Rachel/Nicole), and that’s where Irving is lurking. His ultimate betrayal is hinted several times through the story way before the ending, but in any case even this act represents the overall possibility that Nicole tries to realize what actually is happening to her. And how Irving dies? By suicide, the theme that continues through the game. It is also implied that Leonard committed suicide.
Another small and interesting detail - a painting of the wolf with description “Murderer’s eyes”. This either the eyes of Nicole, as we play from the first person view, or her father watching her as a predator ready to attack. Also a chalkboard word “Murderer” can imply that either Leonard or Nicole are murderers.
So what happens in the end? It is obvious that Nicole is suffering a complete mental breakdown and goes insane, either from realizing that she killed her family or that her family killed her, and at this point there are only two options - madness and death, aka escape from the darkness (something which Leonard also mentioned). If Nicole lives, she loses her sanity and wants to remain in the hotel, basically metaphorically giving into the abuse, trying to make her dad be proud of her. This is also looks like a Stockholm syndrome sign. Now, if Nicole died then games just cuts to black and ends. She if free from madness and the grip of her abusive family. Believe it or not, but death ending is actually more happier simply because Nicole dies at least a little bit sane. Notice how she pleads for someone to stop and that she is scared of dying. This is also could be a clear indication of personality disorder and a callback to my entire theory - Rachel’s half of personality finally taking over and trying to end it all. To finally escape the hotel.
There are also couple of moments I left out of this gigantic text, for example the connection of abuse themes to The Shining movie, the fact that Nicole misremembers dates and certain events (for example VHS tape with Summer 85 written on it, she mentioned that Rachel died in 1981, while in reality she died in 1983 and thus those family summer tapes cannot exist), the phone symbolizing Nicole’s isolation from her family, Nicole’s bullying in school, her inner hatred for Rachel (for herself?), Leonard being a secret occult fanatic and probably abusing his daughter was a part for some ritual or a common practice from the past, Irving hitting on Nicole thous also symbol for incest relationship (Leonard/Nicole), Nicole creating another fictional character for her religious mother aka Father Foster (who is disliked by both Irving and Rachel, but liked by Leonard who is the man of science but also married to a religious women somehow), Rachel’s disability (which is actually could be either partly fictional or a red herring entirely), Nicole’s love for hokey (which is also could he purely fictional and created by her unstable mind), time-skips (aka Day 1,2 etc) just like The Shining, Nicole’s or Rachel’s Polaroid which shows in multiple locations even when he is in your inventory, Leonard’s NASA mug which is also almost everywhere at the hotel (point to the space theme that is prevalent with Leonard, Rachel and Nicole), Nicole binoculars is antipode to Rachel’s telescope), mysterious slanders addressed to Leonard and vandals in the restrooms (Nicole could’ve done it or imagined it as the way to fight her abuser), Leonard pills, crucifix in the women's restroom but not in man’s one, overall religion presence in the story and many many many more other things. You can try and find them yourself!
To conclude this super long text - this is all just a theories, speculations on my part. But this is how I saw that story. Something is obviously far fetched or even wrong, but the art is created not only to be observed, but also to be studied and analyzed. And this game is 100% pure art.
THANK YOU for reading this through!!!

[Qiana]

Originally posted by Yanin:

...I think that person called Rachel Foster (aka most important character in the story) doesn’t exist at all and is actually Nicole herself...

I don't care for this game and won't engage in a discussion about something as irrelevant to me, but if my memory serves me well, there was a letter at the very beginning of the story.

It reads:

The affair your father had with that young woman 9 years ago and her ensuing suicide broke our family apart forever. [...] Take a quick inspection, sign the papers and sell those walls that hold nothing but rage. Keep what you need to pay off your University loans and give the rest to the girls family.

If one can assume that this was a real letter written by Nicole's mom and given to her by Mr. Jenkins after her father's death, then "Rachel Foster doesn’t exist at all and is Nicole herself" won't hold.

And... when you are already reediting your "wall of text," maybe divide it into paragraphs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FbRrapvU20

[Yanin]

Originally posted by Qiana:

Originally posted by Yanin:

...I think that person called Rachel Foster (aka most important character in the story) doesn’t exist at all and is actually Nicole herself...

I don't care for this game and won't engage in a discussion about something as irrelevant to me, but if my memory serves me well, there was a letter at the very beginning of the story.

It reads:

The affair your father had with that young woman 9 years ago and her ensuing suicide broke our family apart forever. [...] Take a quick inspection, sign the papers and sell those walls that hold nothing but rage. Keep what you need to pay off your University loans and give the rest to the girls family.

If one can assume that this was a real letter written by Nicole's mom and given to her by Mr. Jenkins after her father's death, then "Rachel Foster doesn’t exist at all and is Nicole herself" won't hold.

And... when you are already reediting your "wall of text," maybe divide it into paragraphs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FbRrapvU20

The latter could easily be a manifestation of a thought or, which is most likely, just the reason to kick-start the story (notice that Rachel’s name is not even mentioned in the latter). Same goes for funeral during the letter section. Whose funeral is this? Leonard’s? Claire’s? Rachel’s or even Nicole herself?
Also the letter has interesting subtitle during one specific moment - it says something about knights slaying dragons and then basically tells us, the player, that now knight should
kneel before the dragon. Same goes for subtitle that reads “My father doesn’t exist for me. I can only trust my mother” - it just shows us that Nicole is not reliable person to tell this story, since we led to assume that it was her mother that killed Rachel.
Overall the letter could be something akin to SH 2 letter and just a mental reason for Nicole to start remembering and fight oppressed memories.

[zaphodikus]

For me, the letter was real and an establishing device. The game did not break the 4th wall for me. So to have the letter "imagined" was not part of my playing of it. It's possible, but then Nicole would be a ghost returning to her childhood home? And the phone calls would then no longer make sense as a mechanic.

I also for a moment did think they were the same person, but I built a mental image there where Nicole implicates herself in the death of Rachel, which runs as a thread of guilt throughout the game for me at least, Nicole is both victim and perpetrator at once. She symbolically arrives with the keys to the family home, as if it is up to her to rule over the fiasco and in so doing bury it somehow. So I did think I was playing a ghost at times, but no, that felt wrong. Any occult conection was never an acceptable excuse for Leonard either. Somehow I was never 100% convinced that Claire did it either. And for me, that was the joy of this story. Spoiled by minor bugs and lack of decently spaced save points for people with short daily playtime window I only ever got a second play-through. But I still hate what I see of humanity in this game. so it succeeded in that.

[Qiana]

Originally posted by Yanin:

So, this is my interpretation [...] Note that it’s my take on the game and it’s narrative and not a truth in the last instance. Take that information with a grain of salt [...] this is all just a theories, speculations on my part. But this is how I saw that story.

Originally posted by Yanin:

The latter could easily be a manifestation of a thought or, [...]

Under such a presumption, everything could be. Or not. Or maybe. Or whatever...

Originally posted by Yanin:

Same goes for funeral during the letter section. Whose funeral is this? Leonard’s? Claire’s? Rachel’s or even Nicole herself?

Originally posted by Claire, Nicole's mother:

I've hired a lawyer in Helena, Mr. Jenkins, to give you this letter once your father has passed away.

The letter unmistakably tells you whose funeral is that.

Originally posted by Yanin:

“My father doesn’t exist for me. I can only trust my mother” - it just shows us that Nicole is not reliable person to tell this story, since we led to assume that it was her mother that killed Rachel.

Nicole's mother writes to Nicole, who doesn't yet know that Clair killed Rachel, but Nicole isn't a reliable person because she trusts her own mother???

Originally posted by Yanin:

So, this is my interpretation [...] THANK YOU for reading this through!!!

Wellcome! ;)


https://thesuicideofrachelfoster.fandom.com/wiki/Rachel_Foster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Suicide_of_Rachel_Foster

[Yanin]

Originally posted by zaphodikus:

For me, the letter was real and an establishing device. The game did not break the 4th wall for me. So to have the letter "imagined" was not part of my playing of it. It's possible, but then Nicole would be a ghost returning to her childhood home? And the phone calls would then no longer make sense as a mechanic.

I also for a moment did think they were the same person, but I built a mental image there where Nicole implicates herself in the death of Rachel, which runs as a thread of guilt throughout the game for me at least, Nicole is both victim and perpetrator at once. She symbolically arrives with the keys to the family home, as if it is up to her to rule over the fiasco and in so doing bury it somehow. So I did think I was playing a ghost at times, but no, that felt wrong. Any occult conection was never an acceptable excuse for Leonard either. Somehow I was never 100% convinced that Claire did it either. And for me, that was the joy of this story. Spoiled by minor bugs and lack of decently spaced save points for people with short daily playtime window I only ever got a second play-through. But I still hate what I see of humanity in this game. so it succeeded in that.

I mean Nicole is not a ghost in a sense that she is really dead or alive, like I said it’s a metaphor. The hotel presence represents a family home, Nicole/Rachel as a victim, Leonard and possibly Claire as abusers, Irving as friendly imaginary friend that always there in form of a phone - we can talk to him, he seems friendly enough at first and even helps Nicole. However, the entire story deals with death and abuse as central themes, all the characters in this story are essentially invisible (ghosts of the past?) and we only ever see one face - Rachel. Even if it’s on a photos or missing posters. And there are also Nicole childhood photos, in some she looks extremely how young Rachel could’ve looked liked.

So in sum, Nicole is not dead or alive, she and Rachel both represent a victim of horrible events, only one is dead and now haunts the hotel and the other supposedly alive, but sometimes wonders around like a shadow or a memory, perhaps.

[Yanin]

Originally posted by Qiana:

Originally posted by Yanin:

So, this is my interpretation [...] Note that it’s my take on the game and it’s narrative and not a truth in the last instance. Take that information with a grain of salt [...] this is all just a theories, speculations on my part. But this is how I saw that story.

Originally posted by Yanin:

The latter could easily be a manifestation of a thought or, [...]

Under such a presumption, everything could be. Or not. Or maybe. Or whatever...

Originally posted by Yanin:

Same goes for funeral during the letter section. Whose funeral is this? Leonard’s? Claire’s? Rachel’s or even Nicole herself?

Originally posted by Claire, Nicole's mother:

I've hired a lawyer in Helena, Mr. Jenkins, to give you this letter once your father has passed away.

The letter unmistakably tells you whose funeral is that.

Originally posted by Yanin:

“My father doesn’t exist for me. I can only trust my mother” - it just shows us that Nicole is not reliable person to tell this story, since we led to assume that it was her mother that killed Rachel.

Nicole's mother writes to Nicole, who doesn't yet know that Clair killed Rachel, but Nicole isn't a reliable person because she trusts her own mother???

Originally posted by Yanin:

So, this is my interpretation [...] THANK YOU for reading this through!!!

Wellcome! ;)


https://thesuicideofrachelfoster.fandom.com/wiki/Rachel_Foster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Suicide_of_Rachel_Foster

We don’t actually know whose funeral is this really, letter implies that it’s Leonard’s, but there is no 100% proof of that.
And Nicole’s view of the story can’t be trusted simply because she suppressed or altered her own memories, she is herself confused. Plus letter straight up lies about how Rachel died and it’s safe to assume Nicole really new all along what happened to her, hence repressed memories and mental brakedown in the end. Game itself gives you themes and dialogues that you should definitely question or at least try to.

[Qiana]

Originally posted by zaphodikus:

For me, the letter was real and an establishing device. The game did not break the 4th wall for me. So to have the letter "imagined" was not part of my playing of it.

+10

[Qiana]

@ zaphodikus

Better play 3:17 am, Burning Daylight, Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist, Off-Peak or Summerland.

Makes more fun, and they are free. One can even get them Steam-free on itch.io.

TSORF is a lost time to play and even more to discuss.

[Qiana]

Originally posted by Qiana:

Originally posted by Claire, Nicole's mother:

I've hired a lawyer in Helena, Mr. Jenkins, to give you this letter once your father has passed away.

The letter unmistakably tells you whose funeral is that.

Originally posted by Yanin:

We don’t actually know whose funeral is this really, letter implies that it’s Leonard’s, but there is no 100% proof of that.

Originally posted by Yanin:

And Nicole’s view of the story can’t be trusted simply because she suppressed or altered her own memories, she is herself confused. Plus letter straight up lies about how Rachel died [...]

Originally posted by Yanin:

“My father doesn’t exist for me. I can only trust my mother” - it just shows us that Nicole is not reliable person to tell this story, since we led to assume that it was her mother that killed Rachel.

Originally posted by Qiana:

Nicole's mother writes to Nicole, who doesn't yet know that Clair killed Rachel, but Nicole isn't a reliable person because she trusts her own mother???

Originally posted by Yanin:

So, this is my interpretation [...] THANK YOU for reading this through!!!

[Yanin]

Originally posted by Qiana:

Originally posted by Qiana:

The letter unmistakably tells you whose funeral is that.

Originally posted by Yanin:

We don’t actually know whose funeral is this really, letter implies that it’s Leonard’s, but there is no 100% proof of that.

Originally posted by Yanin:

And Nicole’s view of the story can’t be trusted simply because she suppressed or altered her own memories, she is herself confused. Plus letter straight up lies about how Rachel died [...]

Originally posted by Yanin:

“My father doesn’t exist for me. I can only trust my mother” - it just shows us that Nicole is not reliable person to tell this story, since we led to assume that it was her mother that killed Rachel.

Originally posted by Qiana:

Nicole's mother writes to Nicole, who doesn't yet know that Clair killed Rachel, but Nicole isn't a reliable person because she trusts her own mother???

Originally posted by Yanin:

So, this is my interpretation [...] THANK YOU for reading this through!!!

My point is, the letter is the instrument to create the story. Just like Silent Hill 2, where the Mary‘a letter was legit until we started to get closer and closer to the truth. Same thing here, we can assume that it’s real letter or it was a real letter, but for me there are no solid proof that the contests of it are real or legit. The strange subtitles only increase my suspicion that it’s not real or altered by Nicole’s mind

[Qiana]

Originally posted by Yanin:

So, this is my interpretation and somewhat analysis of everything that is going on in the story and overall the game itself. Note that it’s my take on the game and it’s narrative and not a truth in the last instance. Take that information with a grain of salt and try to develop and research your own theories on the story. Let’s begin!
First of all, I think that person called Rachel Foster (aka most important character in the story) doesn’t exist at all and is actually Nicole herself being abused and groomed by her own father since early childhood. There are several indications in the game that Rachel is not real [...]

Originally posted by Yanin:

The latter could easily be a manifestation of a thought [...] Same goes for funeral during the letter section. Whose funeral is this? Leonard’s? Claire’s? Rachel’s or even Nicole herself?

Originally posted by Yanin:

I mean Nicole is not a ghost in a sense that she is really dead or alive, like I said it’s a metaphor. [...] all the characters in this story are essentially invisible [...] So in sum, Nicole is not dead or alive, she and Rachel both represent a victim of horrible events, only one is dead and now haunts the hotel and the other supposedly alive, but sometimes wonders around like a shadow or a memory, perhaps.

Originally posted by Yanin:

We don’t actually know whose funeral is this really, letter implies that it’s Leonard’s, but there is no 100% proof of that.
And Nicole’s view of the story can’t be trusted simply because she suppressed or altered her own memories, she is herself confused. Plus letter straight up lies about how Rachel died and it’s safe to assume [...]

Originally posted by Yanin:

My point is, the letter is the instrument to create the story. [...]

My point is to help you prevent yourself from future debacles like here and to show you that you should make a proper theory before you make yourself ridiculous and start looking for excuses already after the first 6 sentences of a "text wall."

You make a theory that falls apart after the first six sentences and makes the rest of your writing trash your own life.

My aim was only to make you aware that you need to make your future theories "waterproof" before you write them down and steal our lives too.

On the positive side, you yourself said that it's not worth reading at the very beginning.

On the negative side, a theory that won't hold for the first six sentences is lost time.

Be it of writing or of reading.

The truth is actually quite simple and can be figured out pretty quickly, but evidence for other possibilities keeps the player guessing up until the last moment.

https://theithacan.org/life-culture/review-video-game-fosters-haunting-revelations/

The story follows Nicole Wilson in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, during December 1993 on a visit to her family's Timberline Hotel. Having left ten years prior with her mother following the revelation that her father Leonard was having an affair with the teenaged Rachel Foster, Nicole plans on quickly inspecting the Timberline and selling it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Suicide_of_Rachel_Foster

It's 1993. You play as Nicole, a grown woman now returning to the Timberline, an old mountain hotel that belonged to her parents, Claire and Leonard. They ran the hotel and lived there with the teenaged Nicole, while Leonard was tutoring local girl Rachel Foster, and by all accounts it was a pretty successful set up. Until. Ten years before the events of the game, Nicole and her mother left suddenly, and never returned, after it was discovered that Leonard was having an affair with the 16-year-old Rachel.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-review

In The Suicide of Rachel Foster, you play as Nicole, a young woman who is returning to her parents' old, empty hotel in the middle of the Montana wilderness. Following the advice of her deceased mother, Nicole hopes to survey the decaying hotel, called The Timberland, and then sell it, determined to finally be free of the hotel and its secrets. Ten years prior, Nicole and her mother fled The Timberland after finding out that her father had an intimate relationship with a teenager, Rachel Foster, who subsequently took her own life.

https://www.pcgamer.com/the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-review/

The Suicide of Rachel Foster tells the story of Nicole, a young woman in her mid-twenties who finds herself back at the hotel she grew up in ten years after she and her mother packed their bags and ran away from Nicole's father, Leonard. The two women left upon discovering Leonard had been having an affair with the eponymous 16-year-old Rachel Foster, a young girl the same age as Nicole who Leonard had been tutoring. After the death of both her father and mother, Nicole is urged in a posthumous letter from her mother to return to their hotel to sell it.

https://www.thegamer.com/suicide-of-rachel-foster-review/

Nicole’s mother takes her own life following the affair of her husband. Our tale begins with this fact. But our story begins with Nicole revisiting the hotel she grew up in, in order to begin the process of selling it following the passing of her mother.

https://www.keengamer.com/articles/reviews/switch-reviews/the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-tales-of-sadness-and-sorrow-switch/

Im Jahr 1983 lässt sich der Hotelbesitzer, Familienvater und Astrophysiker Leonard McGrath auf eine Affäre mit der titelgebenden 16-jährigen Rachel Foster ein, die wenig später Suizid begeht. Während sich Leonard in paranormaler Literatur vergräbt, verlassen ihn seine Frau und seine Tochter in einer Nacht-und-Nebel-Aktion. Zehn Jahre später übernehmen wir die Rolle seines mittlerweile erwachsenen Kindes Nicole, die das Hotel nach dem Tod der Eltern geerbt hat.

In 1983, hotel owner, family man and astrophysicist Leonard McGrath embarks on an affair with the titular 16-year-old Rachel Foster, who commits suicide a short time later. While Leonard buries himself in paranormal literature, his wife and daughter leave him in a fly-by-night action. Ten years later, we take on the role of his now adult child Nicole, who has inherited the hotel after the death of her parents. (Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator)

https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-test,3354406.html
https://www.deepl.com/translator

Die Spieler schlüpfen in die Rolle der jungen Erbin Nicole, die zum verlassenen Hotel ihrer Familie zurückkehrt.

Players take on the role of Nicole, a young heiress who returns to her family's abandoned hotel. (Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator)

https://www.heise.de/news/The-Suicide-of-Rachel-Foster-durchgespielt-Spiel-mit-der-Provokation-4662055.html
https://www.deepl.com/translator

You play Nicole, daughter of the hotel's owners. Years ago, she and her mother fled the property after learning of her father's infidelity with the titular Rachel, a 16-year-old girl. With both her parents and Rachel now deceased, Nicole has returned to survey the Timberline before selling it off and washing her hands of a painful upbringing.

https://www.eurogamer.net/the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-review-shining-esque-hotel-adventure-doesnt-quite-dazzle

You assume the role of Nicole, a young woman going back to The Timberland: the family-run hotel in Montana where she grew up.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattgardner1/2020/02/26/review-the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-is-a-rollercoaster-ride-that-plummets-at-the-end/

That was actually your job, your "homework," to do before you ever even started writing a wall of text without paragraphs.

I actually only wanted to spare you from another debacle like this in the future.

[Yanin]

Originally posted by Qiana:

Originally posted by Yanin:

So, this is my interpretation and somewhat analysis of everything that is going on in the story and overall the game itself. Note that it’s my take on the game and it’s narrative and not a truth in the last instance. Take that information with a grain of salt and try to develop and research your own theories on the story. Let’s begin!
First of all, I think that person called Rachel Foster (aka most important character in the story) doesn’t exist at all and is actually Nicole herself being abused and groomed by her own father since early childhood. There are several indications in the game that Rachel is not real [...]

Originally posted by Yanin:

The latter could easily be a manifestation of a thought [...] Same goes for funeral during the letter section. Whose funeral is this? Leonard’s? Claire’s? Rachel’s or even Nicole herself?

Originally posted by Yanin:

I mean Nicole is not a ghost in a sense that she is really dead or alive, like I said it’s a metaphor. [...] all the characters in this story are essentially invisible [...] So in sum, Nicole is not dead or alive, she and Rachel both represent a victim of horrible events, only one is dead and now haunts the hotel and the other supposedly alive, but sometimes wonders around like a shadow or a memory, perhaps.

Originally posted by Yanin:

We don’t actually know whose funeral is this really, letter implies that it’s Leonard’s, but there is no 100% proof of that.
And Nicole’s view of the story can’t be trusted simply because she suppressed or altered her own memories, she is herself confused. Plus letter straight up lies about how Rachel died and it’s safe to assume [...]

Originally posted by Yanin:

My point is, the letter is the instrument to create the story. [...]

My point is to help you prevent yourself from future debacles like here and to show you that you should make a proper theory before you make yourself ridiculous and start looking for excuses already after the first 6 sentences of a "text wall."

You make a theory that falls apart after the first six sentences and makes the rest of your writing trash your own life.

My aim was only to make you aware that you need to make your future theories "waterproof" before you write them down and steal our lives too.

On the positive side, you yourself said that it's not worth reading at the very beginning.

On the negative side, a theory that won't hold for the first six sentences is lost time.

Be it of writing or of reading.

The truth is actually quite simple and can be figured out pretty quickly, but evidence for other possibilities keeps the player guessing up until the last moment.

https://theithacan.org/life-culture/review-video-game-fosters-haunting-revelations/

The story follows Nicole Wilson in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, during December 1993 on a visit to her family's Timberline Hotel. Having left ten years prior with her mother following the revelation that her father Leonard was having an affair with the teenaged Rachel Foster, Nicole plans on quickly inspecting the Timberline and selling it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Suicide_of_Rachel_Foster

It's 1993. You play as Nicole, a grown woman now returning to the Timberline, an old mountain hotel that belonged to her parents, Claire and Leonard. They ran the hotel and lived there with the teenaged Nicole, while Leonard was tutoring local girl Rachel Foster, and by all accounts it was a pretty successful set up. Until. Ten years before the events of the game, Nicole and her mother left suddenly, and never returned, after it was discovered that Leonard was having an affair with the 16-year-old Rachel.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-review

In The Suicide of Rachel Foster, you play as Nicole, a young woman who is returning to her parents' old, empty hotel in the middle of the Montana wilderness. Following the advice of her deceased mother, Nicole hopes to survey the decaying hotel, called The Timberland, and then sell it, determined to finally be free of the hotel and its secrets. Ten years prior, Nicole and her mother fled The Timberland after finding out that her father had an intimate relationship with a teenager, Rachel Foster, who subsequently took her own life.

https://www.pcgamer.com/the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-review/

The Suicide of Rachel Foster tells the story of Nicole, a young woman in her mid-twenties who finds herself back at the hotel she grew up in ten years after she and her mother packed their bags and ran away from Nicole's father, Leonard. The two women left upon discovering Leonard had been having an affair with the eponymous 16-year-old Rachel Foster, a young girl the same age as Nicole who Leonard had been tutoring. After the death of both her father and mother, Nicole is urged in a posthumous letter from her mother to return to their hotel to sell it.

https://www.thegamer.com/suicide-of-rachel-foster-review/

Nicole’s mother takes her own life following the affair of her husband. Our tale begins with this fact. But our story begins with Nicole revisiting the hotel she grew up in, in order to begin the process of selling it following the passing of her mother.

https://www.keengamer.com/articles/reviews/switch-reviews/the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-tales-of-sadness-and-sorrow-switch/

Im Jahr 1983 lässt sich der Hotelbesitzer, Familienvater und Astrophysiker Leonard McGrath auf eine Affäre mit der titelgebenden 16-jährigen Rachel Foster ein, die wenig später Suizid begeht. Während sich Leonard in paranormaler Literatur vergräbt, verlassen ihn seine Frau und seine Tochter in einer Nacht-und-Nebel-Aktion. Zehn Jahre später übernehmen wir die Rolle seines mittlerweile erwachsenen Kindes Nicole, die das Hotel nach dem Tod der Eltern geerbt hat.

In 1983, hotel owner, family man and astrophysicist Leonard McGrath embarks on an affair with the titular 16-year-old Rachel Foster, who commits suicide a short time later. While Leonard buries himself in paranormal literature, his wife and daughter leave him in a fly-by-night action. Ten years later, we take on the role of his now adult child Nicole, who has inherited the hotel after the death of her parents. (Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator)

https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-test,3354406.html
https://www.deepl.com/translator

Die Spieler schlüpfen in die Rolle der jungen Erbin Nicole, die zum verlassenen Hotel ihrer Familie zurückkehrt.

Players take on the role of Nicole, a young heiress who returns to her family's abandoned hotel. (Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator)

https://www.heise.de/news/The-Suicide-of-Rachel-Foster-durchgespielt-Spiel-mit-der-Provokation-4662055.html
https://www.deepl.com/translator

You play Nicole, daughter of the hotel's owners. Years ago, she and her mother fled the property after learning of her father's infidelity with the titular Rachel, a 16-year-old girl. With both her parents and Rachel now deceased, Nicole has returned to survey the Timberline before selling it off and washing her hands of a painful upbringing.

https://www.eurogamer.net/the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-review-shining-esque-hotel-adventure-doesnt-quite-dazzle

You assume the role of Nicole, a young woman going back to The Timberland: the family-run hotel in Montana where she grew up.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattgardner1/2020/02/26/review-the-suicide-of-rachel-foster-is-a-rollercoaster-ride-that-plummets-at-the-end/

That was actually your job, your "homework," to do before you ever even started writing a wall of text without paragraphs.

I actually only wanted to spare you from another debacle like this in the future.

You either a very stupid troll or very uneducated and simple minded person. You are literally sending me links from Wikipedia and sites such as Eurogamer aaaand the point is…? If by playing the game you can’t analyze it or look below the surface, then you cannot see at all. And who are you to judge others with their story interpretations or theories? I written all this based on MY experience playing the game, observing it’s story and looking for additional secret dialogues. Not by reading Wiki data or gaming websites, they are not related to actual game’s story in any way, shape or form.

[Qiana]

Originally posted by Yanin:

You either a very stupid troll or very uneducated and simple minded person.

So, why write a wall of text? ;)

Originally posted by Yanin:

If by playing the game you can’t analyze it or look below the surface, then you cannot see at all.

Exactly. So, why bother writing a wall of text without paragraphs? ;)

Originally posted by Yanin:

I written all this based on MY experience...

Fair enough, and I quoted you (as an excuse for you), but that doesn't make it more worth reading.

At the end of the day, wrong is wrong.

[Qiana]

Originally posted by Yanin:

aaaand the point is…?

You didn't get it.

[Yanin]

Originally posted by Qiana:

Originally posted by Yanin:

You either a very stupid troll or very uneducated and simple minded person.

So, why write a wall of text? ;)

Originally posted by Yanin:

If by playing the game you can’t analyze it or look below the surface, then you cannot see at all.

Exactly. So, why bother writing a wall of text without paragraphs? ;)

Originally posted by Yanin:

I written all this based on MY experience...

Fair enough, and I quoted you (as an excuse for you), but that doesn't make it more worth reading.

At the end of the day, wrong is wrong.

If you don’t like the text, then don’t read it. Or, better yet, try to come out with your own theory or analysis, based entirely on your own experience, observations and not taking notes from Wikipedia or gaming sites.