i know the Disk Horse is old lol but i like this game(/'experience'?) and wanna talk abt it anyways. i think that a lot lot lot of this is heavily within a *childs* perspective. other people have mentioned that everything from the speed of the character to her height implies her youth, but it is also written directly from her mind. i was abused since as far back as i can remember, and when youre raised in abuse, all you know *is* abuse. it is normal to you. it takes a LOT to realize what is happening, what's wrong. i dont see a reason for the story to remove itself from the childs perspective, it is supposed to disturb specifically BC its from a childs perspective... i think it would detract from the story to make the abuse more "obvious" to the audience within the narrative - esp bc it isn't exactly subtle to begin with, imo.
i think art has the right to disgust, has the right to ugliness, and it doesnt need to justify itself. i dont agree w the comments saying this is cheap shock horror. you-the-audience, a presumable adult, likely realizes what is happening before the end. you should be horrified by the childs lack of agency, by *your* lack of agency. the child doesnt need to understand what is happening to her, bc the dramatic irony is PRECISELY part of the horror. it isnt just one singular line that's meant to disgust you, the entire story is.
what else... i personally like "walking simulators" so i dont mind the way this story is expressed. i think some of the nightmares are confusing to solve, though. there is a ton of subtle cues as well - the belt sound effect for one. everything comes together to make something cohesive as long as youre paying attention ^^