I was shocked at how much I like this game...
I think it's popular, because it's a bit different for a female protag game...
It's the slow burn, corruption, but not too slow.
Riley is hesitant, cautious. Though, a bit naive, which we don't mind so much because she's a sweetheart.
Unlike other female MC games, she's loyal (relatively) to her husband, trying to support him, and doesn't just go full cheat mode right away.
She's slowly dipping her toes in the water, pulling back, then wading in a little deeper, stepping back, moving a bit deeper, etc, etc.