[2] You begin the game as the Writer, who serves as the catalyst to tie all the previous Layers of Fear stories together.

[6] Critics generally praised the introduction of a new framing story to combine the narratives from the previous games.

"[11] Lewis Parker, writing for PC Gamer, praised the game's storytelling themes, favorably comparing its gameplay to the Amnesia series.

[12] Mark Delaney of GameSpot and Ashley Bardhan of Kotaku described the plot as largely disappointing despite the quality of the game's visual design.

[8][13] Delaney and Michael Cripe of The Escapist both described the gameplay as lacking in tension, comparing it to experiences like an amusement park ride or haunted attraction.