History YMMV / AmongTheSleep

* TearJerker: The reveal that [[spoiler:the mother was an alcoholic and lashed out at her kid when frustrated]] is downright depressing, and can hit close to home for some players who have experienced (or even been ''[[TheAtoner responsible for]]'') something similar.

* NightmareFuel: Just the fact that you're a two year old in a horror game is scary enough, because you can't run fast and you definitely can't fight...
** Teddy is a bit creepy as well sometimes, even though he's on your side. He's in the "things that a baby wouldn't know were weird or would just be confused by that are creepy as heck to someone old enough to understand that's not supposed to happen" category.
** That creepy black ''[[HumanoidAbomination thing]]'' that appears in some of your drawings. [[spoiler:Especially since it's actually your mother.]]
*** On a similar level, the living trenchcoat and its GlowingEyesOfDoom, especially since you only encounter it in an area where there are lots of other trenchcoats, and unlike the black thing it actively ''hunts'' you.
** [[spoiler:"He will ''not'' take you from me."]] That whole sequence is a bit of a gut punch.
** The alternate ending from an earlier version of the game that can be viewed in the enhanced edition. [[spoiler:Teddy transforms into a demonic-looking monster that plans to eat the child. You can only watch helplessly from inside your crib as he drops the mementos into the boiling soup pot before grabbing the child and dropping them in.]]

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: [[spoiler:Since we know very little about the father, we have no idea what kind of guy he is. Is he a better parent than his alcoholic ex-wife or is he just as bad? What did the slap in the DLC mean? Was he shocked to learn his wife was an alcoholic or is he just as or more abusive than her? If he is abusive, will he be abusive towards his child or did he get help in between the divorce and the end of the game?]]
** Added to this, Creator commentary provided in the game's enhanced edition suggests that [[spoiler:neither the mother nor the father handled the breakdown of their relationship well, but this still makes it unclear how the father is as, well, a father.]]

* JerkassWoobie: [[spoiler: The mother and by extension the swamp monster. Her abuse of the child, while inexcusable, is clearly caused by her alcoholism and emotional issues, not any malice towards her son. These may stem from an underlying custody battle that the protagonist is too young to be aware of or comprehend.]]

** That creepy black ''[[HumanoidAbomination thing]]'' that appears in some of your drawings. [[spoiler: Especially since it's actually your mother.]]

** [[spoiler: "He will ''not'' take you from me."]] That whole sequence is a bit of a gut punch.
** The alternate ending from an earlier version of the game that can be viewed in the enhanced edition. [[spoiler: Teddy transforms into a demonic-looking monster that plans to eat the child. You can only watch helplessly from inside your crib as he drops the mementos into the boiling soup pot before grabbing the child and dropping them in.]]
* NightmareRetardant: Some people found the unnatural amount of trench-coats everywhere to be creepy until one starts thinking about how ridiculous it would be for someone to own ''that many trench-coats'' in the first place. Does mom work in Franchise/TheMatrix or something?
* RewatchBonus: [[spoiler: The numerous bottles]] laying around your house also take on a whole new meaning on a second playthrough.

* TheWoobie: The toddler, a witness of frightening imagery and terrifying monsters, [[spoiler: and is an abused child who is too innocent to comprehend what's happening around them]].

* UncannyValley: The character model for the mother falls into this. So does Teddy.

* NightmareRetardant: Some people found the unnatural amount of trench-coats everywhere to be creepy until one starts thinking about how ridiculous it would be for someone to own ''that many trench-coats'' in the first place. Does mom work in Film/TheMatrix or something?

* TearJerker: The reveal that [[spoiler:the mother was an alcoholic and lashed out at her kid when frustrated]] is downright depressing, and can hit close to home for some players who have experienced something similiar.

* JerkassWoobie: [[spoiler: The mother and by extension the swamp monster. Her abuse of the child, while inexcusable, is clearly caused by her alcoholism and emotional issues, not any malice towards her son. These may stem from an underlying custody battle that the protagonist is completely oblivious to.]]

* FridgeBrilliance: Crossed with Foreshadowing, in the very beginning of the game, before the baby goes to sleep, you can see that [[spoiler: the mother isn't wearing a ring, but you can also see the tanline where it would be if she had it on. Combined with the InterfaceScrew when the mother goes to answer the door and starts yelling]], perceptive gamers might pick up on the general plot of the game long before they reach the end.
** [[spoiler:You might spend much of the game thinking "why is this toddler not screaming in fear? This is really unrealistic." When you see the ending, you finally realize the Toddler has learned not to cry or yell to avoid their mother's drunken and/or hungover rage]].
--->'''Teddy:''' We have to be very quiet. [[HarsherInHindsight You don't know what might be listening.]]
** Most of the text in the game is written in illegible scribbles, with the only exceptions being the alphabet blocks scattered around. The {{Fridge Brilliance}} sets in when you remember that the protagonist is barely two years old; it's English, the toddler just can't read yet!
** Teddy's dialogue is written such that, taken at face value, he's a very comforting presence, but his tone is creepy and invokes ParanoiaFuel. Given that Teddy represents the player character's father, this makes total sense: all the kid would know about their dad is that mommy doesn't seem to like them very much, so of course they're going to be wary around him.

** Teddy is a bit creepy as well sometimes, even though he's on your side. He's in the "things that a baby wouldn't know was weird or would just be confused by that are creepy as heck to someone old enough to understand that's not supposed to happen" category.