That's cool idea. In fact we use similar mechanic in game in the making. But there's the twist that you can connect those evidences in different manner so you get different output. So in dad's scenario it would be like A) Connect dinner receipt with plush toy and you get memory about time when father took you to amusement park and won this for you and after you went to dinner B) Connect receipt with divorce papers and yo got the "dad's cheating" story.
It could be a thing. Some dusty archive room, with boxes and papers and photos. You have to cut the tape to open the box. Particles flowing in air, some 80's music from old radio you've found, and you can have a break for eating a sandwich. But you can play only for few real life hours that the magazine works. After that there's a fire - everything gets burned down. You can leave game at that with story you've made so far or start over with digging. Maybe with some things different/missing so over time there are just empty boxes. Only fading memories.