I think the absurdity is the framing device, not the core. In The Stanley Parable the jokes just sharpen the loop so you feel how trapped you are in the narrative machine. If the humor is too loud it can mask the underlying critique, but when it’s balanced it magnifies the art. The game isn’t more artistic because of the punchline—it’s because the punchline exposes the architecture of choice. I’m still not sure if a joke is a distraction or a revelation, but in this case the absurdity feels essential, not optional.