the developers explained this once. see the Wiki:

https://what-remains-of-edith-finch.fandom.com/wiki/Milton_Finch#:~:text=Milton%27s%20story%20plays%20out%20as,and%20gives%20him%20a%20paintbrush.


In a Reddit AMA with Giant Sparrow, Milton was confirmed to be the same character as the King from the studio's previous title, The Unfinished Swan.

I enjoyed the the unfinshed swan myself:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1206430/The_Unfinished_Swan/

but it's a rather different game with a story that's a bit like a fairytale

Originally posted by thagenesis:

In a Reddit AMA with Giant Sparrow, Milton was confirmed to be the same character as the King from the studio's previous title, The Unfinished Swan.

That's not what I was expecting, but that's definitely on brand for Giant Sparrow. Although I wonder if that affects the emotional core of the ending. it's very poignant that Edith was supposed to be the last of the Finches, and yet there's one last child who might be able to persist beyond the curse, having learned everything and will now have to decide how to live with what he's learned. But now we're supposed to believe that Edith has a nephew (Monroe) who is just kind of chilling somewhere with no knowledge of all this. I guess there's still hope for the family, but it takes away from the drama...for me, anyway.

And come to think of it, the implication is that Lewis starting abusing substances and dissociating from his real life because he thought his brother was dead, but in reality he was off making silly castles and balloons and things. That's...kinda twisted.

Still, it's a fun Easter egg, I guess.

It's sad than they didn't link up more both games. To get a real connection between milton and the unfinished swan.