okok i know this is a very old post but i LOVE petscop and i'm glad people are still talking about it

the trans allegory definitely comes up a lot and i think it holds a lot of weight, especially with marvin seeming to want his "daughter" back, or his childhood friend by extension. as for whether or not the game is "haunted," i take it as having some supernatural elements to it. marvin seems to be stuck within the program somehow and believes rebirthing paul into his daughter/childhood friend will either bring paul into the game with him or free marvin from within.

there's also the very dramatic "HERE I COME" scene in the final episode. i think this represents the game cutting into paul's real world in a way we can't see as the viewer; that long pause is very tense, and paul nearly spells out the word "dad" within the game's lettering system before it stops. haunting.

i do like your take that rainer made everything play out intentionally, it's probably the most "realistic" theory i've seen. ultimately i'm glad things were left ambiguous and that the creator allowed people to think for themselves. petscop is just as much, if not more of a reflection of the viewer as it is of the events that play out.

thanks for sharing your thoughts!