<P> Mae, an only child, has returned home to Possum Springs, where times have changed since the closing of its coal mines . Now living in her parents' attic, she uncovers a dark mystery that leads her into the nearby woods . She is forced to confront a horrible secret the town has hidden for decades involving not only the town's mine, but also the recent disappearance of her longtime friend Casey . Mae's friends also include Bea, a cigarette - smoking alligator and Mae's childhood friend; Gregg, a hyperactive fox; and his boyfriend, a bear named Angus . Paste describes the themes covered as "mental illness, depression, the stagnancy of the middle and lower classes, and the slow death of small town America ." </P> <P> As Mae, players run, jump, and learn other mechanics that allow them to explore Possum Springs, a town populated by various anthropomorphic animals . Benson describes the key actions for the player as "explore, converse, see and touch", while Holowka describes their approach as "narrative - focused" rather than "gameplay - first". Players make decisions that affect the course of the story, though Benson has said, "it's more like' do you hang out with this person?' Okay, cool . That person might not know you as well by the end of the game, but this person you hung out with, you're going to get to see their storyline ." </P> <P> Margaret "Mae" Borowski is a 20 - year - old college dropout, who relocates back to her hometown of Possum Springs, which has been struck by the closure of the coal mines and the stagnating economy . She meets up with her old friends, including gloomy but intelligent Beatrice "Bea" Santello, hyperactive anarchist troublemaker Greggory "Gregg" Lee, and Gregg's quiet but modest boyfriend Angus Delaney . Mae also learns that another one of her old friends, Casey Hartley, has mysteriously disappeared . </P> <P> Mae spends several days exploring Possum Springs and spending time with her friends, but she also begins to have strange and vivid dreams . At the town's Halloween festival, Mae witnesses a teenager being kidnapped by a mysterious figure . The four friends begin working together to figure out what is going on, with Mae's mental health slowly deteriorating with every one of her dreams . After intensive searching, the four stumble across a strange group of cloaked figures in the woods, who chase after them; Mae ends up falling and lapses into a coma . </P>

Where does night in the woods take place