History VideoGame / TheSpectrumRetreat

* [[spoiler: InsideAComputerSystem: The Penrose is a full-immersion VR designed to simulate the perfect vacation resort. The final puzzle level shows ads with many other possible resorts that could serve as alternate destinations.]]

* AssholeVictim: Inverted. [[spoiler: Matthews was acting like an asshole and denied Maddie insurance money because it's what his job required of him. In his phone call to his wife, he almost broke down telling her about the case, as he has two children of his own. Unfortunately, while Alex heard that, he apparently didn't care.]]

* CreepyCrows: Images of crows are seen at multiple points of the story. This is some good {{Foreshadowing}} as well, [[spoiler: since a gathering of crows is called a "murder"...]]
* DespairEventHorizon: Alex seems to have crossed this after [[spoiler: Robin's death. Judging from the memories player comes across throughout the puzzle sections, his house becomes increasingly disorganized, as pizza boxes and due medical bills pile up]]. [[spoiler: [[FromBadToWorse And then]] you see the divorce documents with his and Maddie's signatures on them...]]

* FlashStep: How the teleporters introduced in Floor 3 puzzles work - as long as they're in your line of sight and of the right color, you can leap to them.

* GildedCage: The Penrose provides high-quality service, endless entertainment and gourmet food... but you can't leave.

* GreyAndGreyMorality: Apart perhaps from Crow, whose reasons for what he did are never explored, every other character seems to be a victim of circumstances rather than an outright villain. Perhaps the darkest shade of gray belongs to [[spoiler: Alex, the confirmed murderer.]]

** According to Cooper - and going by the manager's behavior - your every day at the Penrose looked exactly the same before she contacted you, down to the table you sit at and the food you eat. It's even notable in the small calendar by the side of your bed - every day is 20th of May.

* HellHotel: The Penrose is pristine, but... let's just say more than a little bit ''off''.

* [[spoiler: InsideAComputerSystem: The Penrose is a full-immersion VR designed to simulate the perfect vacation resort.]]

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: As far as we know, Alex hasn't received any punishment for murdering Matthews.]]

* MemoryGambit: [[spoiler: Alex deliberately lets his memories be wiped to keep himself from getting out of the Penrose and killing people.]]

** [[spoiler: Governor Crow's name is also meaningful, considering that a group of crows is considered a "murder"... which is what Alex plans to do to Crow.]]

* DrivenToSuicide: It's heavily implied that if [[spoiler: Alex succeeds in his plan of killing Dr. Wright and Crow, he'll take his own life at the end.]] [[spoiler: The hint is that the photo of him (the hooded figure) was marked as target "number 4" - after Dr. Wright (number 2) and Crow (number 3).]]

** The company that made the whole hotel simulation thing is called "Spectrum". In physics, this word can refer to the range of varying frequencies of electromagnetic waves - including the visible lights that give rise to colors. And the puzzle that the player has to go through [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience is all about manipulating colors]].

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Maddie, arguably. [[spoiler: She forged Alex's signature to force him into the Spectrum's LotusEaterMachine, but she did so because he's already murdered one person and would probably continue if not stopped.]]
* WhamEpisode: Floor 4, where it's revealed that [[spoiler: after Robin's death, Alex decided to murder everyone he believed responsible for it, and actually succeeded at murdering Matthews.]]

* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: [[spoiler: Heavily implied to be how Alex plans to murder Dr. Wright. In a memory scene, we found that Alex had purchased rat poison, and was making notes about the locations of the hospital's kitchen and Wright's office.]]

** The company that made the whole hotel simulation thing is called "Spectrum". In physics, this word can refer to the range of varying frequencies of electromagnetic waves, including the visible lights that give rise to colors. And the puzzle that the player has to go through [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience is all about manipulating colors]].

** The company that made the whole hotel simulation thing is called "Spectrum", which in physics can refer to the range of varying frequencies of electromagnetic waves, including the visible lights that give rise to colors. And the puzzle that the player has to go through [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience is all about manipulating colors]].

* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: [[spoiler: Heavily implied to be how Alex plans to murder Dr. Wright: In a memory scene, we found that Alex had purchased rat poison, and was making notes about the locations of the hospital's kitchen and Wright's office.]]

** Your memories, which can be found as small scenes, documents, and, later, dialogue bits in the puzzle sections.

* SigilSpam: The double circle logo of the game is everywhere in the hotel, as it's [[spoiler: the Spectrum's logo, and the company wants to make it very clear who made the Penrose.]]

** [[spoiler: TragicVillain: If you consider Alex to be the story's villain, then he could easily be this. Basically, his son and only child died of a disease. His family went broke paying for all the healthcare - his wife Maddie mentioned losing their house, and all the medical bills you see throughout the game aren't pretty. In his despair, he tried to right these wrong... by planning to murder the people he regard as responsible for his son's death. He in fact succeeded in killing his first victim, and [[KarmaHoudini got away with it too]].]]
* VoiceWithAnInternetConnection: Cooper. Literally, as she researches various names you find in the hotel to provide extra context.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: A particularly misguided one. [[spoiler: Alex - you - decided to take your revenge on every person he believed responsible for Robin's death - the insurance salesman who couldn't lend him more money, the doctor who decided to divert the hospital's attention to other patients due to lack of money and results, the governor who dismantled the public healthcare plan, and, finally, [[DrivenToSuicide himself]].]]

* RedHerring: Worrell's log when he says he gave the manager AI the control over the entire hotel implies this is a case of the AIIsACrapshoot. [[spoiler: In fact, the manager's attempts to keep you in are exactly what you wanted.]]

* OminousVisualGlitch: Begins to show up starting from the second floor. As Alex's memories begin to return, the environment of the hotel gets... weirder. At some points it even looks like the whole place is going to glitch out of existence as parts of the floor and the walls turns into glowing blocks, then the hotel staff, who's already a bit uncanny to begin with, start to show even more [[BrokenRecord erratic behavior]].

** [[spoiler: When Alex has finished reading the history of Penrose in the library, he turns around... only to see that the manager has apparently been standing behind him for more than a moment. To makes it even more unsettling, the manager then proceeds to not-so-subtly express suspicion about Alex's unusual behavior.]]

** Cooper is heavily implied to be working inside Spectrum while trying to help you [[spoiler: and everyone else trapped inside their retreats]] get out.

* CreepyCrows: Images of crows are seen at multiple points of the game. This is some good {{Foreshadowing}} as well, [[spoiler: since a gathering of crows is called a "murder"...]]

* TheComputerIsYourFriend: The manager attempts to force you to remain at the hotel, supposedly for your own good [[spoiler: though it turns out ''you asked it to''.]]

* BeautifulVoid: The Penrose hotel is mostly pristine, but apart from you, the manager, and the few staff robots it controls, the place seems to be utterly empty. It turns out that as revealed by the manager, this is because [[spoiler: Alex rejected the simulation when it was filled with AI guests, so it was restarted empty.]]

* BeautifulVoid: The Penrose hotel is mostly pristine, but apart from you, the manager, and the staff robots it controls, the place seems to be utterly empty. It turns out that as revealed by the manager, this is because [[spoiler: Alex rejected the simulation when it was filled with AI guests, so it was restarted empty.]]

* BeautifulVoid: Apart from you, the manager, and the staff robots it controls, the Penrose seems to be utterly empty. [[spoiler: According to the manager, Alex rejected the simulation when it was filled with AI guests, so it was restarted empty.]]

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: A particularly misguided one. [[spoiler: Alex - you - decided to take your revenge on everyone he believed responsible for Robin's death - the insurance salesman who couldn't lend him more money, the doctor who decided to divert the hospital's attention to other patients due to lack of money and results, the governor who dismantled the public healthcare plan, and, finally, [[DrivenToSuicide himself]].]]

** Cooper is heavily implied to be working inside Spectrum while trying to get you [[spoiler: and everyone else trapped inside their retreats]] out.

* {{Herald}}: Cooper's message is what breaks you out of the loop. [[spoiler: Or not, as on the last day it is revealed that you've reached the roof several times already without her help.]]

** [[spoiler: The entire game is an iteration of one - as Cooper realizes, and the manager points out, you've reached the roof on your own several times already, only to return and wipe your own memories. You can choose to continue it, or break the cycle.]]