Mood directs attention, not proof
Fog, an empty room or a stopped clock can make a scene feel ominous. That effect is part of mystery storytelling, but it does not automatically establish deception, danger or a meaningful time. A clue becomes useful to an investigation when you can state what claim it supports and how the supplied evidence connects it to that claim.
Worked example: the stopped clock
A clock stopped at 4:17 may look like a memorial to a death. A repair order dated earlier could instead establish an ordinary mechanical failure. The dramatic appearance remains part of the scene, but the supported explanation comes from the comparison. Treating every atmospheric object as a coded answer would make the less theatrical evidence harder to notice.
Read on two levels
You can appreciate the setting emotionally while keeping a separate record of testable observations. In Somatry's website fiction, some details exist to make a place feel lived in. In a game case, use the actual records to determine which details matter to the report. Close attention does not require assigning a secret purpose to every image or adjective. It requires being able to distinguish the effect a detail has on you from the conclusion it can reasonably support.