There are few stories that stay in your memory for more than three days, fewer still that feel lived in. Giant Sparrow’s creation What Remains of Edith Finch is exactly that. The first-person narrative game follows Edith Finch as she returns to her family house to discover truths and mysteries about each relative’s strange death. Okay, that’s spoiler enough!

What captivated me was the assorted forms of stories. The game isn’t complex or mentally taxing; in fact, it’s quite simple. As the player, you move through the house in first person, observing events as they unfold and occasionally interacting with them, all while guided by Edith’s voice as the narrator.

But what stays with you is how each story unfolds in a form entirely its own – a comic book, a home video, a surreal daydream. Each episode is told in such a bold, unexpected way that no two stories feel alike, even though they’re all set under the same roof.

And this might sound just as bizarre, but that is exactly how a content strategy should be. Lived-in, curated, a bit out of place, but everything belonging to one, breathing ecosystem.

The Finch House is odd to say the least, but it is a standing proof of having housed some of the most brilliantly, creative minds. I’ve created this little walkthrough so you can take a sneak peek at what the house looked like the first time Edith visited it.

So what does Edith Finch’s story and her house get right about content strategy?

Quite a few things, and let me explain how. But do look out for spoilers!

Multiple narrative styles

Like I said before, the game doesn’t stick to one style. Each story pulls you into a new form. Sometimes told through the eyes of a child, where scale and reality shift dramatically. Sometimes through a camera lens, where your only interaction is clicking the shutter; or through secret passageways slithering from one end of the house to the other.  

No two narrative styles in the game are the same, and that is exactly what a good content strategy does. It comes up with curious, clever ways of telling stories that not only involve multiple styles but also ensure that they are feeding to a wider, more varied audience preference.

Sometimes you look at the world only through a camera lens, zoomed in and focused. That’s the importance of focusing on the part of the message that matters the most. Here’s a quick example.

This is an overlooked part of content strategy, especially with B2B content. Of course, the go-to formats, such as white papers, infographics, ebooks matter, but so do product explainer videos, engaging newsletters with interactive elements, or blogs that blend writing with sound, animation, or storytelling elements that surprise.

Perspective-driven storytelling

You don’t need to be a big weeper like me to be absolutely wrecked by the game. It is after all a story about death. The first-person narrative is key here; you live in Edith’s body, you move through her memories, see what she sees, and feel what she feels. And naturally, in the process all the stories become a part of you. 

Good content works the same way: it doesn’t just tell a story, it lets the reader find themselves inside it. And a very good content does that consistently across all formats – the same way that you find yourself in the shoes of different characters in the game. Think about some of the best case studies out there! You connect with them because they articulate a real problem, something that you recognise and then walk you through a solution that works. That’s what a strong, perspective-driven, multi-narrative strategy can do (back to Point 1!).

If storytelling is about connection, perspective is the bridge. Build more bridges. Including internal voices, clients quotes are a great way to achieve that, but what else can you do. Can you create a podcast with it, just a 5 minutes one? A “slice of life” blog told from the point of view of a support ticket? Then do it! 

A non-linear schedule

Now, I find it hard to do it but I love to do it. And this might be a little controversial, too. 

The stories of each character in the game don’t flow in a linear wave. They are fragmented. You don’t go from the mother’s room to the daughter’s room, but rather find yourself in the second nephew’s room. Yes none of it is arbitrary, there’s a reason behind why they are weaved like that. There is always a loose thread from a previous story that somehow ties up to the present tale. 

A content strategy doesn’t have to move in a straight line. Yes, campaigns and numbers are important, but our human readers can only accept so much order. 

It is important to remember that while our clients do come to our brand for solutions and business, they are after all people with multi-layered lives. The white paper that felt so important last week, might not appear interesting enough today.  Sometimes what your audience needs instead is a short reel or something offbeat.

Humans are whimsical, so why can’t our content be, too!

Finally, and most importantly, trust the audience

At its core, What Remains of Edith Finch is about grief, an emotion that’s raw, vulnerable, and often the most honest source of our reactions. But it never pauses to explain what grief is. It doesn’t have to. The creators trust that we already know it in our own universally private ways.

As Content Writers we tend to – or rather often told to – over explain statements. Of course, when it comes to technical details or complex features, clear explanations are necessary. In fact, then the explanation is the value. 

But in some pieces, like the top-of-the-funnel articles, over explaining completely mars the purpose. It takes away the fun, engaging read and turn it to an absolute snooze. Give your audience credit. Google may bring them in, but something else makes them stay. They already understand the concept. Now let them experience it. 

Most stories fade. Edith Finch stayed. The same is true of content—what lingers is what feels lived in, diverse, and honest. That’s the strategy worth building.