Gone Home

It's a short story, interactive like... hmmm a book. You click an item and get more story. You turn a page in a book and, yeah, get more story. Thats it. A teenage love story and some family background. 2-3 minimal puzzles, decent but static graphics, ok voiceover, thats it. But why the good reviews??? Because it's a lesbian love story or the parents have troubles too? Really, that's the big deal? Today? Read a good book or watch a film on this topics, don't waste your money on this. It's not meaningful or touching because it's not well written. And thats the only point this game??? has. And it fails.

A wonderful game, an interesting investigation conveyed in a private and subtle way. The atmosphere and the little details are amazing. The "ghost" plotline is just creepily borderline convincing enough to be left to the player's own judgement if they believe it's supernatural or not. (Warning for a single jumpscare.) I loved how through gradually unlocking various areas of the house we get to know the family members' life, their struggles and happiness. I left the game with a strong sense of abandonment, as I wanted to keep being part of this family I got to know so intimately. I heartily recommend the game to everyone who loves exploring environments, and piece together the story from it. (Also I love the voice actress of Sam.)

I like games which tell stories. Recently I have been enjoying a computer game genre sometimes described as "walking simulators" - games which aren't based on fast action, shooting, jumping and so on, but are instead more introspective affairs utilising exploration and story as their main elements, occasionally with a few puzzles. Last night I played Gone Home and recommend it if you're interested in this genre. The setting: June 7, 1995. 1:15 AM. You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is empty. Something's not right. Where is everyone? And what's happened here? Gone home is an interactive exploration simulator. Interrogate every detail of a seemingly normal house to discover the story of the people who live there. Open any drawer and door. Pick up objects and examine them to discover clues. Uncover the events of one family's lives by investigating what they've left behind. I have to be careful what I say since I don't want to give anything away. It hit the perfect sweet spot for me. It's not too long (you can complete it in an evening; quicker if you don't explore every nook and cranny); it inspired different emotions at different times, rather than being one-note; it has believability; it offers an interesting premise and a compelling story revealed gradually. I think most people, gamers or not, could get something from this game if you approach it in a relaxed way, a bit like curling up with a good book. I'm glad games like this exist. [Note: despite the possibly ominous setting it is not a horror/jumpscare/Hollywood thriller type of story, so if you avoid those types of games, don't avoid Go Home! It’s heart is about families/people.]

This game is a bit of a mixed bag, but there's more going on than is evident at first. High-level, set in the early 1990s, you arrive home after travel abroad (though your family moved while you were away and you've never actually lived in this house). A note on the front door from you sister tells you she can't be there to greet you, but don't go looking for her. You enter, no one home, begin to walk around and look at things, and the mystery of where everyone is begins. If you play this like a puzzle game/walking simulator to run through and beat as quick as possible and that's it, it may feel anti-climactic and stale. BUT...if you really start reading everything and thinking about the subtext of each note, how they fit on a timeline, and what's hidden between the lines, there is a lot more going on under the hood than is at first apparent. Each family member has a story unfolding, some of which is obvious, but a lot of which is very subtly handled and requires some inference. And that hidden story was the saving grace of the game for me. On the downside it was sometimes wonky to control and everything felt very big which meant a lot of walking (designers were used to making FPS games and admitted to making a the floor plan a smidge too spacious in hindsight). And there were a lot of repeated items and wasted opportunities for some form of character insight. But in the end, learning about the people that live there and their hidden secrets, traumas, and relationships was fulfilling. The whole thing can be played in a couple of hours. I think it took me 4 or 5 and I was picking up and examining EVERY thing (which was overkill). You can probably do it in 3 or so on a first play through if you are more focused. Just know you aren't investing in a particularly long experience. It is a good atmospheric game and fun to play in the dark or on a rainy afternoon with nothing else to do. Give it a go, think about the story elements, and I think you'll like it.

The game takes about an hour at most to win; it consists of running around an abandoned house mindlessly clicking on anything and everything in an effort to find out what the game is about - you find this out after about 15 minutes, and even though you expect there to be something new, something interesting to be unveiled, that is it. 0/10, don't buy.