The mixed-media visual presentation incorporates very timely material evocative of post WWII regime terror. It ties what the player sees in-game into the visual tropes they have in their head about what such a time period looks like in history books, and that's a fantastic bias to tap into.

Detention itself, though, doesn't do much for me. The contrast of Ray's real-life responsibility for her actions and her internal sense of helplessness is presented well visually (grimy post-war collapse vs abstract nightmare-scapes), but that's the only area where Detention can stand on its own. The metaphorical nature of Detentions puzzles is vital to understanding what the game wants to say, but they become worse and worse at communicating as the game goes on.

This game might resonate better with people who can relate better to Ray's condition, and that's alright. Being able to empathize with Ray, rather than simply pitying her, is probably a big part of the emotional pull of this game.