Gone Home

 PC
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2245 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 939 out of 2245
  2. Mixed: 433 out of 2245
  3. Negative: 873 out of 2245

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  1. Virake
    Aug 1, 2014
    3
    15 minutes or less is enough to crack the mystery of the plot in this game. Remaining time is for getting a feeling of self satisfaction from each clue proving that you were right. Good job, Fullbright, if that's what you were aiming for.

    Some say it's not even a video game. I disagree. It is a game, and not one of the kind. Do you remember Scratches (2006) by Nucleosys? I see a lot of    15 minutes or less is enough to crack the mystery of the plot in this game. Remaining time is for getting a feeling of self satisfaction from each clue proving that you were right. Good job, Fullbright, if that's what you were aiming for.

    Some say it's not even a video game. I disagree. It is a game, and not one of the kind. Do you remember Scratches (2006) by Nucleosys? I see a lot of similarities, except that Scratches 'did it right', so to speak.

    You are alone in big and scary mansion, your objective is to get to know other inhabitants by digging through their things. However, in Scratches, the atmosphere is better, the story cannot be made obsolete in such ridiculously short time, and the overall setting is more interesting. You can't play with lights and grab all the garbage lying around in Scratches, but would you even want to? You can do that in other games (like Resident Evil or Skyrim).

    Enough about the old, this review is about Gone Home. I give it 3 out of 10, because of it's good voice acting (+), because it made me feel very smart (+), and because it reminded me of better games (+) with same features. I DO NOT recommend this game to anyone, unless it's the only thing available.    … Expand
  2. raykaytwo
    Aug 6, 2014
    3
    I dont know, what is going on. I played this game and when I looked for the metacritic score I thought:, well this is going to have a 4 or 3 or whatever. But 86? 86 dammit???
    I dont get this. This game is an example for a good Story and good ideas, but horrible execution. I mean, you already probably know that this game ist only an hour Long, but also the gameplay is really boring. The    I dont know, what is going on. I played this game and when I looked for the metacritic score I thought:, well this is going to have a 4 or 3 or whatever. But 86? 86 dammit???
    I dont get this. This game is an example for a good Story and good ideas, but horrible execution. I mean, you already probably know that this game ist only an hour Long, but also the gameplay is really boring. The only good Thing going on, is the Story. I wont spoil anything, but it is very good. But for 15€ or $20 I dont get why this game gets that good of a score. There are more games out there worth buying for that Price.    … Expand
  3. LovingLife139
    Sep 4, 2014
    3
    Extraordinarily mediocre game that is priced about seven times too high for the content the gamer plays. This is a game that can be completed in three hours at most with an emphasis on story. Unfortunately, the story leaves a lot to be desired, full of cliches and guessable outcomes. There are about three different side stories within the game that are far more interesting than the storyExtraordinarily mediocre game that is priced about seven times too high for the content the gamer plays. This is a game that can be completed in three hours at most with an emphasis on story. Unfortunately, the story leaves a lot to be desired, full of cliches and guessable outcomes. There are about three different side stories within the game that are far more interesting than the story Fullbright decided to highlight, and that is a shame, because these stories are never followed to a resolution or any true outcome. While it can be interesting to follow along to the story and go through the most private possessions of your character's family's belongings, it ultimately leads to disappointment and does not justify any interest that the gamer ever held in the game at all.

    In summary, this overpriced and cliched game is interesting enough to stick with for its incredibly short play time, but any interest in the story falters when one gets to the disappointing and lackluster conclusion.    … Expand
  4. Axunya
    Nov 7, 2014
    1
    Terrible, boring, and short. This is not much of a game at all, not spooky or interesting at all. The soundtrack is annoying. If I was the main character, I would just stayed gone nothing to return too.
  5. MikeMichaels
    Apr 14, 2015
    0
    This is not a game. At all. Tetris is a game. Fallout 3 is a game. This is a walking-around-the-house-when-you-have-nothing-better-to-do simulator.
  6. hornygoatweeds
    Feb 28, 2016
    0
    This will be my second review, and I am only posting it because the undeserved Firewatch reviews reminded me of the time that all of the developers' friends in 'journalism' tried to trick users into thinking a 2 hour walking simulator comprised a great game. Gone Home sucks. **** off. Take a look at your user score and realize you didn't make a good game. Pretentious ****
  7. Grinchernator
    May 9, 2016
    0
    I actually played this a while ago on steam but quickly got a refund. I didn't write a review until now because playing this game wasted enough of my life. But after playing another shoe horned steaming pile of poo that rhymes with Halters fate: faugnqueirs I created this account to slam home a solid ZERO for another epic fail by Beam Dog. Lies and misdirection led sales of this game.I actually played this a while ago on steam but quickly got a refund. I didn't write a review until now because playing this game wasted enough of my life. But after playing another shoe horned steaming pile of poo that rhymes with Halters fate: faugnqueirs I created this account to slam home a solid ZERO for another epic fail by Beam Dog. Lies and misdirection led sales of this game. stay away. read user reviews. The critics are all bought.… Expand
  8. DoctorMedic
    Aug 26, 2013
    0
    "Oh boy, a main character's a lesbian, OBVIOUSLY we should give this an 11/10!" HELL NO. The whole lesbian thing is the worst plot twist I've ever seen. This doesn't even qualify as a visual novel, much less a game. Abysmally repetitive gameplay (you pretty much just walk and pick things up) and terrible graphics (they aren't everything, but you can't have giant eyesores everywhere) make"Oh boy, a main character's a lesbian, OBVIOUSLY we should give this an 11/10!" HELL NO. The whole lesbian thing is the worst plot twist I've ever seen. This doesn't even qualify as a visual novel, much less a game. Abysmally repetitive gameplay (you pretty much just walk and pick things up) and terrible graphics (they aren't everything, but you can't have giant eyesores everywhere) make this not even worth $5. I can buy VVVVVV for $5 and that'd give me more entertainment than this $20 pile of vomit. In fact, spend those $20 on La-Mulana. You'll get at least 13 times the length and there's actual gameplay. And then... I guess you can spend those other $5 on Mann Co. Supply Crate Keys.… Expand
  9. pwnDonkey
    Sep 2, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I just watched someone else play this game on youtube, I'm so GLAD (get it? Gay lesbian, whatever whatever) I didnt pay $20 for this. It's basically propaganada against dont ask dont tell rapped in a 1 hr "game". By game i mean no puzzles, no nothing. It's like a bad M Knight Shamalan movie hiding behind gay rights. If you criticize it, you are a homophobe. OK, I'd rather be a homophobe and have $20 than give this a good rating.… Expand
  10. PenelopeIrving
    Aug 27, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was super-excited for this game, after seeing the many rapturous reviews and being intrigued by the concept. I've always been a fan of adventure games, right back to when that meant walls of text and N, S, E. I don't think there's any doubt that Gone Home's web site presents it as a mystery adventure, and the game's opening certainly sets up that atmosphere and expectation.

    So I was somewhat disappointed when there turned out to be no puzzles in the course of gameplay, other than a couple of very obvious 'find the combination lock' obstacles, and I was bitterly disappointed when I was trammelled into an ending after about two hours. By that point, I'd realised that the 'game' was on rails anyway. Despite the illusion of being able to explore the house sand-box style, all you're really doing is triggering Sam's journal entries in linear sequence. And though you can pick up any object, it doesn't take long to realise that if it's not a piece of paper, you may as well not bother.

    The graphics aren't even that great. They serve to establish an atmosphere, but there are just too many reused textures and objects for an environment that sells itself on realism and interesting mundanity.

    The story unfolds interestingly enough, with some appealing voice acting. But nothing happens that you couldn't see coming a mile off, really. If Lonnie had turned psycho and buried Sam in the back garden (not that you have access to the back garden), that would have been cheesy but at least it would have been unexpected. In the end the end which comes so abruptly it feels like we're being asked to cheer for a 17 year old schoolgirl abandoning a college programme, and running off with an AWOL troublemaker. I can't help feeling that if the said troublemaker were male, this is not something an audience would be asked to feel warm and fuzzy about. We'd share Sam's parents quite reasonable concerns.

    That aside, my overriding reaction was to feel soundly cheated out of £14.99. My entertainment budget is not huge and I have to think carefully before spending money on video games. Usually, they're a cost effective form of entertainment. This 'game' certainly is not. There's no way I would have spent that money if I'd known how short it was, I would go as far as to say that the promotion of the game is actually misleading and false advertising, and like many commentators, I'm baffled by the professional critics' idolatry of it. People should be warned.    … Expand
  11. Vampyre
    Aug 27, 2013
    0
    Not a game. This would have been better as a flash animation or a novel. The story isn't particularly interesting, nor is the way it's told particularly new. And at the price being asked, you're going to feel cheated if you buy it unless you're a snob.
  12. DieselTree42
    Sep 2, 2013
    0
    One and a half hours was too long playing this game. It was boring, repetitive and just plain off-putting. The story was to easy too figure out too quickly (and from someone who worked on bioshock infinite I'd expect more). The game is riddle with graphical glitches and leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth. Gone home sucks. 2/10
  13. pacoda
    Aug 30, 2013
    3
    This is a short game firstly. At most 3 hours of gameplay. Its barely a game considiring it has no mechanics. Its simply a story that you have to navigate through and that is not a game to me. It looks good though and introductary its interesting. The story is ok but that is all. 18 bucks is a very steep price for this "arty tale". BUT! As a shortfilm/interactive book whatever it is quiteThis is a short game firstly. At most 3 hours of gameplay. Its barely a game considiring it has no mechanics. Its simply a story that you have to navigate through and that is not a game to me. It looks good though and introductary its interesting. The story is ok but that is all. 18 bucks is a very steep price for this "arty tale". BUT! As a shortfilm/interactive book whatever it is quite good. Its just not a game.… Expand
  14. bluedevil907
    Jan 15, 2014
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm usually VERY forgiving and interested in new game experiences. Reviews mention two key points: the interesting story, and the "freakiness" of exploring the house.

    First, the story. Over half of the things you'll find or read are totally extraneous and do nothing to further any sort of interesting plot (or sub-plot). I don't want to spoil anything in case you get this on sale (DO NOT PAY FULL PRICE), but the story is a massive letdown with each plot thread that it opens up.

    As for the the empty house situation, it could have been extremely freaky. Instead, they throw in some really obtuse references to some of the "creepy" things that happened and give you just the SLIGHTEST glimpse of problems in the house. A few diaries from the mom, or perhaps some really depressed letters from the dad would have made the experience A LOT freakier. I'd constantly have been worried that someone had gone nuts and done something horrible around the next corner.

    I can not believe this game got so many 8s, 9s, and 10s. Had the story of any of these characters been told in a traditional format (movie, book, even someone speaking over a campfire) you would be bored to tears.

    P.S. The contents of those locked containers were so bland. If I'm hunting for secrets, you better make it worth it.    … Expand
  15. ComicBookGuy
    Sep 13, 2013
    4
    Story-telling games are met with hesitation by many, personally I found it a tad contrived. As a game it should be judged in the usual video-game manner; things like game-play, re-playablitly and difficulty are non-existent.

    It has some good thoughts put into it, yet the over hyped media leap really misses the point of video-games as a storytelling medium. Testing the waters with the    Story-telling games are met with hesitation by many, personally I found it a tad contrived. As a game it should be judged in the usual video-game manner; things like game-play, re-playablitly and difficulty are non-existent.

    It has some good thoughts put into it, yet the over hyped media leap really misses the point of video-games as a storytelling medium.

    Testing the waters with the avant-garde is always a difficult task, sadly, Gone Home misses the mark and becomes quickly unmemorable. Many points could have been rethought and delivered to the audience in another manner, rather than shoving it down their throats. Video-games give the creators the option to make wonder and subtle story telling. Where what is told is only a small part, and only upon digging deeper into the world, characters, protagonists is is told.

    Gome Home just reads you a story, and whether you like it or not, it's going to tell it AT you.

    4/10 -
    +Something new
    o Focus on writing
    - Contrived
    - Lack of re-playability
    - Lack of game-play    … Expand
  16. Orionsbelt
    Feb 14, 2014
    1
    Over rated game that has a surprisingly boring plot.

    The only reason this even got decent scores from other ratings is because of political correct yuppies that think one relationship in the game should deserve it a 10/10 score.
  17. rocksteadyeddie
    Oct 17, 2013
    2
    Where do you start with this game or so called game.
    It's nice enough looking I suppose but I can't help feeling it's riding on a PC wave because of it's subject matter which is fair enough but the critics have gone way way overboard on this work because of that.
    The truth is it's a poor example of digital media that is so over hyped that you feel like the little boy who screams the    Where do you start with this game or so called game.
    It's nice enough looking I suppose but I can't help feeling it's riding on a PC wave because of it's subject matter which is fair enough but the critics have gone way way overboard on this work because of that.
    The truth is it's a poor example of digital media that is so over hyped that you feel like the little boy who screams the emperor has no clothes. This game will be important to some and that's fair enough but not to point out the games many flaws and indeed it's price for it's length as legitimate criticisms for the fear of being singled out as a bigot shows me where culturally we are at the present moment unfortunately. For the majority of people this game will grate and make you feel ripped off.
    Game critics should be ashamed of themselves but unfortunately political correctness makes them bold and arrogant and thus not given an honest review which I was under the impression that was their primary function.
    I would advise people to buy Dear Esther intead of this game unless the subject matter is relevant to you.    … Expand
  18. TGAMCallahan
    Nov 24, 2013
    1
    Filled with nonsensical ideological plugs, it's basically just a cardboard cutout screaming about grrrrrl power and the unpleasantness of coming out as gay to your parents. Would have been more interesting with less repetitive and flat gameplay. It's a poor general narrative, and largely unsurprising. More of a Feminist Theory 101 course than an actual game. Almost as terrible as DearFilled with nonsensical ideological plugs, it's basically just a cardboard cutout screaming about grrrrrl power and the unpleasantness of coming out as gay to your parents. Would have been more interesting with less repetitive and flat gameplay. It's a poor general narrative, and largely unsurprising. More of a Feminist Theory 101 course than an actual game. Almost as terrible as Dear Esther.

    Tl;dr, next time; make a movie.    … Expand
  19. LunarRider
    Sep 3, 2013
    2
    This game has very little interactivity and exploration that just does not fit it's $20 price tag. The game has very little to do and seems to think that exposition via letters that magic into your head is even necessary, despite the fact you can figure out what happened in less than half an hour if you're running through blind. Overall I did not enjoy the fact that the game had many ofThis game has very little interactivity and exploration that just does not fit it's $20 price tag. The game has very little to do and seems to think that exposition via letters that magic into your head is even necessary, despite the fact you can figure out what happened in less than half an hour if you're running through blind. Overall I did not enjoy the fact that the game had many of it's plots end ominously, such as uncle Jack's story. I would much rather a game about uncle Jack then the protagonist, who is barely even a part of the story despite being a member of such a small family.… Expand
  20. Philler
    Sep 20, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gave it a four but only after looking around on the internet and finding and explanation to the story regarding the Dad and the Uncle. Look it up for a detailed explanation but essentially the gist is that the Dad was abused by the Uncle and his book about a time traveler going back in time to save JFK was a cover for his own personal tragedy as both events happen in 1963.

    I thought this a very intriguing story but only found out about it because I read about it on the internet. Why didn't I work this out when playing? Because the game doesn't seem to care much about it. All the focus is on the sister's story and the rest of the family's stories don't get resolved. What happened with the Mom's affair? What was the deal with the Uncle haunting the place? Was Kathryn at all interesting? (I guess no)... so an unresolved story around the Dad and Uncle was not surprising and I had no incentive to work the abuse story out on my own. That and I'm from Australia so had no idea what year JFK was assassinated so couldn't piece the events together.

    I echo the complaints that others had: the main story just wasn't that interesting, the ending was disappointing, 2 hours of rifling through drawers and reading notes is boring, and $20 for a game you only play once is a joke.

    Get it for free or don't bother.    … Expand
  21. Cashloog
    Oct 10, 2013
    4
    I am very disappointed with the critics on this one. Gone Home was misrepresented every step of the way. All of the advertizing implied this was a horror game. It's not. You will find yourself liking this game at the start but that's about it. The story is well done and well executed "until the end" but nothing we haven't seen before "in movies not video games anyway". Anyone who hasI am very disappointed with the critics on this one. Gone Home was misrepresented every step of the way. All of the advertizing implied this was a horror game. It's not. You will find yourself liking this game at the start but that's about it. The story is well done and well executed "until the end" but nothing we haven't seen before "in movies not video games anyway". Anyone who has played this game knows full well its fatal flaws and I don't want to spoil anything about the story. Critic have given this game overwhelmingly positive reviews and that's just scary. The New York Times "people who probably have never played a video game" called this the greatest love story in a video game...SIGH. All I will say is that if this game was made in the mid 90s "when this game was set" the love story would have been edgy but this is 2013! Just setting the game in the 90s doesn't make you "edgy" or "progressive" just boring yes BORING the main problem with this game is just how dull it is. Please don"t wast $20 on this 4 hour long movie with no payoff at the end.… Expand
  22. Cooliver
    May 19, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had to sign up for an account just to let people know to avoid this game. It was horrible. Its like reading a little girls diary. At first you think, "oh neat, a ghost game or possible murder game" but it is just a story about her sister becoming a lesbian and running away with her girlfriend. It was a waste of time and money. Avoid this game.… Expand
  23. BakaHaram
    May 23, 2014
    0
    A little worse than Soda Drinker Pro. A little better than Baise-Moi. A lot less detailed than the girl-on-girl stuff you can find on Pornolab. All in all a revolutionary, groundbreaking experience.
  24. spaceylacey83
    Jun 1, 2014
    2
    I really wanted to like Gone Home. I love story games and really like the idea of using graphics based games to tell stories like this one. I gave this one points for the atmosphere and the general idea. The house is not as bad as some people are making it out to be. It's full of little bits and bobs that will make you smile if you were growing up during the time it takes place. TheI really wanted to like Gone Home. I love story games and really like the idea of using graphics based games to tell stories like this one. I gave this one points for the atmosphere and the general idea. The house is not as bad as some people are making it out to be. It's full of little bits and bobs that will make you smile if you were growing up during the time it takes place. The voice acting is fantastic. I just wish they would've used all of this to tell a better story and build a better mystery. I had the entire story figured out in the foyer of the house, I just didn't realize that what I had figured out that early was going to be ALL of the story. I'm sure it appeals to some members of a certain demographic (so starved for stories featuring realistically drawn people like them that they'll flock to even this) but, as a member of that demographic myself I found myself entirely let down by the 'big reveal' at the end. Seriously. If story is all you're going to bring to the table in a game, it needs to be good. I want that feeling I get after a good movie or book. After Gone Home, I just felt blank and disappointed. Uninstalled immediately.… Expand
  25. begoodness
    Sep 1, 2013
    4
    don't buy or play this game. Watch Pewdiepie or Macaulay Culkin playing it. The game maybe could look funny if they dont realize that they are playing a game
  26. kangaroogreen
    Oct 30, 2013
    0
    This is literally one of the worst games that I've ever played.
    Somebody must've gotten paid off to give this a high review score, because it's literally garbage.
  27. Erdrick27
    Sep 19, 2013
    0
    While this game is lauded by mainstream gaming review sites I can't help but feel this praise is wildly unjustified and given mostly as a way to push how politically correct these gaming sites purport to be. If you take anything from this wildly overpriced 'game' other than 'gay people exist' then you must have been living under a rock.
  28. mrklowny
    Dec 31, 2013
    3
    This is the result of the Femnazi Movement and will go down in history as such. It serves only as an indie glorified walking simulator. The developers could have made something worthwhile, like a new "myst-esque" type game. But decided to go down the political hipster route. The game has been bolstered unjustly in the media and has been shunned by actual gamers. This is a shining exampleThis is the result of the Femnazi Movement and will go down in history as such. It serves only as an indie glorified walking simulator. The developers could have made something worthwhile, like a new "myst-esque" type game. But decided to go down the political hipster route. The game has been bolstered unjustly in the media and has been shunned by actual gamers. This is a shining example of what is wrong with gaming.… Expand
  29. JoeyKazooie
    Aug 25, 2013
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gone Home is one of those game that tries to be different. Instead of focusing on gameplay, one of the main pillars of video games, it focuses on story. There is nothing wrong with that and many games did this successfully. Gone Home however, doesn't. You find yourself returning from a road trip and arrive at your home. Nobody is there, but a note on the door explains your sister Sam has left and cant welcome you back home. The gameplay consists of a maximum of 2 hours of you picking up and examining your family's private possessions. Maybe the story has peaked your interest somehow up until this point, but prepare to be disapoint. Your sister has left home because she found out she was a lesbian and your parents didn't approve. Why she was unable to write this on the note on the door is completely left out. Also, the reason your parents aren't home is because they are on an anniversary trip. Incredible anti-climax. The rest of the story seems to contain loose fragments of information.

    My recommendation? Either buy a game that has actual gameplay value with or without a good story. Otherwise, read a book. If you actually want to play a video game that acts more as an interactive book, maybe try "Dear Esther". Gone Home however, fails to produce an interesting or good story.    … Expand
  30. noisnam
    Sep 3, 2013
    0
    i got this game because of all the hype made out there. but honestly.. this kind of game isnt for me, i played 15 minutes and bored the out of my mind, and couldnt finish it. i would rather read a book. good job on the marketing dough.
  31. Zobomonkey
    Sep 16, 2013
    1
    Horrifying lesbian and feminist propaganda, that attempts to brainwash the player for 20$.
    The most exiting moment is at the beginning, when a light-bulb flickers. That's it. Do not buy.
  32. MacMorris
    Sep 9, 2013
    0
    Don't understand why they gave this game 89 out of 100. I couldn't understand the whole story. The graphics are sluggish. It doesn't feel like a first person adventure game. Instead, its like from some part to some part. Worst game maybe. This game doesn't deserve this high amount of rating. The characters are interesting. The gameplay's too simple. Don't feel like playing a game.
  33. theLovebot
    Sep 8, 2013
    0
    It was like I was playing a re-imagining of Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea. You are the Old Man, you play this game, and come back empty-handed. It was very boring.
  34. ThormodSkald
    Oct 31, 2013
    0
    Absolutely the WORST game I have ever had the misfortune to play! This was billed as a "mystery" and had rave reviews from the critics so I plopped down the $20 and was regretting it an hour later.

    The game is so badly designed that it is literally possible to finish it in 45 seconds and all it entails is walking around listening to tedious teenage drama and THAT'S IT! No murder to    Absolutely the WORST game I have ever had the misfortune to play! This was billed as a "mystery" and had rave reviews from the critics so I plopped down the $20 and was regretting it an hour later.

    The game is so badly designed that it is literally possible to finish it in 45 seconds and all it entails is walking around listening to tedious teenage drama and THAT'S IT! No murder to solve, no ghosts to lay to rest no secrets to uncover, just a sappy love story that we are somehow supposed to take seriously.

    Since lesbians are involved it seems that the professional critics are jumping all over themselves to give it a perfect score notice how NONE of them gave it a bad review while MOST user reviews were negative! That right there should tell you something!

    If your idea of fun is to listen to a teenage lesbian croon about her badly written 90210-style romance (something the game ironically makes fun of) for an hour then this is the game for you! If however you want an actual mystery game and like your writing to be on a level beyond age 13 then avoid this money trap at all costs!    … Expand
  35. gohomeyourdrunk
    Nov 26, 2013
    0
    Two hours max for $20. No gameplay. Think Myst without the puzzles, or Dear Esther that's a little more open-ended. That's what you're getting here...
  36. njp500
    Jan 2, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pretentious garbage. Revolutionary story-telling of an interesting story...I think not. I made an account just to post all the things I hated about this game.

    From the first journal entry, my head hurt wondering "Where is this narrative coming from? I just picked up a matchbook, and for some reason a 2 minute clip about my little sister's bad school day is playing. Why?" The story should have unfolded in a way that makes sense.

    A supernatural-horror theme is presented throughout the game via clues and the well delivered spooky atmosphere. This theme is the only engaging element in the game. It compelled me to finish the game. However, it ended up being one of the most disappointing red-herrings I have experienced. It only distracted from and lessened the real story, which is less than mediocre.

    Of all the stories which could have been told, the worst one possible was chosen. Any of the houses other residents, including Katie, are more interesting than Sam. In particular, the stories of the mom and Oscar are far more intriguing in my opinion.

    The boring story of teenage angst and naive optimism relies on sentiment for impact. How much sentiment can I feel for someone else's whining, self-absorbed teenager. Sam is a lesbian and feels alienated from her parents and peers. That sucks. I get that. However, she lives in an enormous house, with two parents who love and care about her, are involved in her life, and encourage her to develop as a person in many ways. She makes her problems out to be much bigger and important than they actually are. She has absolutely no remarkable character traits.

    20$, are you kidding me?

    I played it for free, yet can't understand the glowing reviews despite the mind-bogglingly terrible decisions the developers made.    … Expand
  37. Kiersarge
    Jun 14, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Homosexual Political Correctness must get +3 points from the "professional" critics, because this is a complete disappointment. The game designers wanted to make an eerie haunted house adventure, while the writers wanted a boring lesbian love story.

    Seriously, the "big reveal" is that she's a **** Not a vampire-hunting girl team, or a pair of female detectives, they're just typical whiney lesbians. YAWN.....

    This isn't 1975 anymore. Homosexuals aren't especially interesting. Discovering your character is a boring **** should not be a game's victory, and is a numbing disappointment after such care was put into haunting atmosphere by the designers.

    Save your money and watch an hour of Lifetime on cable.    … Expand
  38. Redz0ne
    Jun 9, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Thanks, Fullbright... Thank you for relegating LGBT issues to being the punch-line of a terribly dreary, repetitive and rather pretentious interactive story and having the gall to charge $20 for the experience.

    ... End sarcasm mode.    … Expand
  39. MageValerie
    Jun 8, 2014
    1
    I went into this game expecting it to be horror. Dark, stormy night, you're home alone and no one is to be found. Once I realized it wasn't, I was like, "well, okay, it's not what I thought, but hopefully it picks up soon.". Nope. It just gets more and more boring. This is not a game. You walk and click, without having any real impact on anything. I felt like a ghost floating around theI went into this game expecting it to be horror. Dark, stormy night, you're home alone and no one is to be found. Once I realized it wasn't, I was like, "well, okay, it's not what I thought, but hopefully it picks up soon.". Nope. It just gets more and more boring. This is not a game. You walk and click, without having any real impact on anything. I felt like a ghost floating around the house getting more and more pissed at my dumb little sister. So you're a teen lesbian in love, that's FINE, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But you expect me to be okay with her running away with someone who is now AWOL? That is a serious damn crime. It's nice the people writing positive reviews liked the story, but this is supposed to be a game. Something you participate in, help move along. Waste of money, seriously just bad.… Expand
  40. Stiguard
    Oct 22, 2013
    1
    1-Technically is well below the level of other games for example amnesia, how have the face so hard to put the price of 20 €?
    2-The replayability is null. Expend 20€ in a game for play 1 or 2 times in your life.
    3-The game is very slow and boring at many times. Need more interest, more suspense, more intuitive gameplay and story less pretentious.
  41. Gollygeeanelite
    Dec 5, 2013
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First, let me start this review off by focusing on the general pricing/length of this game. For 20 dollars (or $5 if you purchased it during a Steam sale), you are getting a video game experience that will last no longer than two hours. That's right. 2 hours. The actual interaction with the story last no more than 10 minutes. I could have gotten the same value from interesting stories from browsing forums on the internet.

    There isn't much that makes this story unique [SPOILERS START HERE]. A girl gets adjusted to a new life after moving. She meets a fellow classmate. She falls in love with her. They are both lesbian. They date for a year. They run away from home. The end. There is nothing special here. I'm a HUGE reader. I've read visual novels, manga, and over 500 normal novels. This story is truly MEH. Books that are comparable with this game cost a lot less and will have you engaged for 6-8 hours.

    But comparing a reading game to other reading forms of entertainment can wait. The most frustrating part about this game is the desperation clicking. I literally went through the mansion clicking everything 2-3 times. I didn't want to miss parts of the story because I got to the end game in 50 minutes. I wasn't even sure if the game was truly complete! I didn't want the money I spent to cheat me even more. The mechanics of the game are just clicking to get a scrap of any mediocre letter or note left by your family. It leaves you in disappointment because a fleshed out story wouldn't leave such a broken trail behind.

    There are many experiences that would surpass this gaming experience. Watch an anime (FMA, Steins;Gate, Deathnote), read a book, or check out a visual novel like Clannad. These are all good uses of mediums to tell a great story. Walking through an empty house picking up torn up letters is not. Back to the drawing board guys.    … Expand
  42. splitforces
    Jun 1, 2014
    3
    A game with very little gameplay. Interaction is minimal and the length does not justify the 20 dollar price tag. The story was good but nothing deserving of a Pulitzer or any other award. If I want a good story I will always find better writing in literature.
  43. QContinuum
    Jun 9, 2014
    1
    "Mildly interactive fiction" might be a more appropriate term for this software, rather than calling it a game. Honestly, I've seen Japanese visual novels with more actual gameplay than this. Even then, it's not very good at what it actually does. It has no real skill-based elements, no replay value and the narrative isn't even very interesting.

    I cannot recommend this at any price,    "Mildly interactive fiction" might be a more appropriate term for this software, rather than calling it a game. Honestly, I've seen Japanese visual novels with more actual gameplay than this. Even then, it's not very good at what it actually does. It has no real skill-based elements, no replay value and the narrative isn't even very interesting.

    I cannot recommend this at any price, really. If you want a game with story, you're probably better off playing an old Sierra point-and-click adventure. At least, those are more entertaining.    … Expand
  44. DarkLordGig
    Jan 24, 2015
    0
    Why would any one play this. $20 for a **** story and no gameplay. You know what you should do with your $20 buy a better game such as LISA the painful RPG
  45. Alternative_roo
    Nov 18, 2014
    0
    This isn't really a game, it's an overly long Youtube video with next to no gameplay. For an "adventure game" this wouldn't stand up to Kings Quest or even the old Dizzy games on Commodore 64. The price tag is ludicrous for what you're getting.

    TL;DR - A poncy "art" experiment with an inflated price tag.
  46. bcbarnesrsgc
    Jan 10, 2015
    4
    The game Gone Home by the Fulbright company is as much of a story as it is video game. It is the story of a girl, who has been traveling for a year who then returns home. Upon her return, her family has bought a new house. When she goes to the new house, it is abandoned with a note on the door. The concept of the story is to try and uncover what happened to her family and where they are.The game Gone Home by the Fulbright company is as much of a story as it is video game. It is the story of a girl, who has been traveling for a year who then returns home. Upon her return, her family has bought a new house. When she goes to the new house, it is abandoned with a note on the door. The concept of the story is to try and uncover what happened to her family and where they are. Throughout the gameplay, you can find clues and snoop through their family home to uncover the story.

    Gone Home I thought would be a very interesting game to follow. My hypothesis was that the game was going to be very exciting and then would lead up to a bang, such as death. I personally thought the game was well written. The story play was fluent throughout and it really kept the player engaged. The graphics when on high do not run too good with low quality processes such as the Macbook Pro I was running on. As you decrease the graphic quality the speed improves and it is quite an enjoyable game to play. The amount of detail that was put into creating the little details of the house was clearly immense and the designer team should be applauded. The sound was also nicely integrated. As you clicked on some journals that would link to a voice over of somebody. I found that once you went and re-played the game, you got to notice many more of the technological aspects of the game.

    On the flip side, there were also quite a few noticeable problems with the game. The first major problem lies in the plot. Without spoiling it, overall it is an anti-climatical storyline. This is very dis-satisfying for the player and therefore it is less likely to be recommended among fellow plot enthusiasts. The other noticeable negative is the first hour of the game are not exciting. The last two hours keep the gamer on their toes and excited but the first hour is boring. The problem with this is that if someone is not dedicated to finishing the game, they may quit before ending the game.

    Overall I thought it was a mediocre game. The code for the game seemed well written and it had very little technological errors. The errors lied in the story. It is clear that who ever wrote this game originated with a more tech background and not as much a story telling background. I would recommend it to those gamers that are into completing stories and uncovering mysteries. Defiantly would not recommend it for gamers that are into action.    … Expand
  47. theInsaneThief
    Mar 4, 2015
    2
    i will give a two because the music wasn't so bad i guess.
    i sure love video games where you do nothing at all,not everything must be action-filled to hell and back,but i would have rather spend this money on a good book or movie.
  48. abraxas31415
    Jul 26, 2015
    0
    A game perfect for hipsters and SWs, so a piece of **** for any sane person. I played it for 40 minutes and I could not continue because I was too bored. Much later, I checked the ending and was relived that I did not miss anything interesting. This game got good reviews from the "gaming press" because it is aligned with a SJW and hipster mentality. If you want a great meditative game, buyA game perfect for hipsters and SWs, so a piece of **** for any sane person. I played it for 40 minutes and I could not continue because I was too bored. Much later, I checked the ending and was relived that I did not miss anything interesting. This game got good reviews from the "gaming press" because it is aligned with a SJW and hipster mentality. If you want a great meditative game, buy Journey, or Dear Esther for a proper writing.… Expand
  49. DarkKnightG4
    Dec 11, 2014
    1
    This is quite the pretentious load of drivel. The game is about 90 minutes long and it wore out it's welcome 20 minutes in. This could have focused on the father's background or the "psycho" uncle, but nope...we get a load of crap about some antsy girl who thinks she's gay. The praise this game has received is mind boggling and makes me question the gaming review industry as a whole.
  50. Dune_Jumper
    Dec 17, 2013
    1
    Again with the walking simulators. Indie developers, take a note; WHEN MAKING A GAME, DO NOT FORGET TO IMPLEMENT GAMEPLAY. It's that simple.
    This game IS better than Dear Esther, though. At least this game has SOME form of interactivity.
  51. Pineconeshaman
    Oct 7, 2013
    4
    While this game excels in storytelling and is in general a very interesting experience it lacks any real gameplay, it's more an interactive story with a little exploration and puzzle solving.
    I must give it a low score due to the price point being so high for few hours of slow entertainment with absolutely no replayability.
    I would pay no more than 5 bucks for this game.
  52. pinned110
    Dec 19, 2013
    3
    The only thing this game is actually selling is the story, and it is a highly predictable one. How could this be "the greatest video game love story"? Just because it has the homosexuality with a bit 90s nostalgia theme? Really? Maybe the story IS THAT GOOD and I simply couldn't understand, but the rest parts of the game is basically non-existent. There is minor exploration content,The only thing this game is actually selling is the story, and it is a highly predictable one. How could this be "the greatest video game love story"? Just because it has the homosexuality with a bit 90s nostalgia theme? Really? Maybe the story IS THAT GOOD and I simply couldn't understand, but the rest parts of the game is basically non-existent. There is minor exploration content, misleading atmosphere that doesn't fit the story properly and that's pretty much it. The voice acting is not bad, other than that, I can't see what makes the game great.

    How this game was able to beat BF4, Papers please, The Stanley Parable in VGX is a true mystery for me.    … Expand
  53. LittleBrat
    Dec 20, 2013
    1
    Maybe I was not in the mood for this kind of game or that my terrible OCD's keep me off from these games
    The "game" was cheesy, with a predictable story, overly annoying and too much open stuff up, read and proceed. It felt like an exploration grind for nothing quest, with a story that wouldn't get us closer to the character's emotionally.
    To turn the game experience a better one I did    Maybe I was not in the mood for this kind of game or that my terrible OCD's keep me off from these games
    The "game" was cheesy, with a predictable story, overly annoying and too much open stuff up, read and proceed. It felt like an exploration grind for nothing quest, with a story that wouldn't get us closer to the character's emotionally.
    To turn the game experience a better one I did one thing: I picked everything I could and would pile it in floor hall as I proceeded (well I turned this to a 5 hour game), then I had a scale of how this game was.
    To finish, I believe that this hype has started from a review from gamespot that lacks rationality, and spotlights the politic views from the reviewer and the necessity "she" has to stand ground on this business.    … Expand
  54. demacabre
    Mar 24, 2015
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the game why I no longer trust big publication reviewers. I bought this game for $20 based solely on the hype from video game reviewers. If it had a perfect score, it had to be good right? I cannot stress enough: "This is not a game." You walk around an empty house and click items to read. You can beat it in an hour, and the twist is as dull as it comes.… Expand
  55. THE_HELPFUL_FOX
    Jan 28, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. GONE HOME Review
    Story
    (The game is around 1995) the game is about Kaitlin Greenbear who came home to her parents but they have left and she is trying to find out why and where the family have moved, you walk around and explore a big mansion while discovering the secrets that lies within the house.
    The Message of the Game
    I think the games message is that they try to show you how it is to get home to an empty house without knowing where your family has left to without telling you.
    Symbols
    There`s symbols and books in the house that shows signs of exorcism in the house.
    Sound, graphics
    The background sounds gets very repetitive and boring, it`s supposed to make the house creepy but after a while it get very boring. The game has decent graphic cannot complain about that. But the game has performance issues that makes the game more disappointing
    Actual Review
    I think the game was actually boring because all you do is to explore and investigate the house until you finish it, and there is not as entertaining as you would think. You play for a couple minutes, decide the game is bad and quit playing it and waste of time and money but you decide yourself I am just a person who did not like the game. I give it 3/10    … Expand
  56. siljeH
    Jan 29, 2016
    4
    Katie returned home after a year in Europe. When she realize that the house is left empty. Neither her little sister, mother nor father is at home in the new house. As Katie wants you to find out what has happened and must lift and examine all kinds of things around the house. Perhaps there is a letter from the mother Greenbriar his job in a drawer, or half of a code to a cupboard underKatie returned home after a year in Europe. When she realize that the house is left empty. Neither her little sister, mother nor father is at home in the new house. As Katie wants you to find out what has happened and must lift and examine all kinds of things around the house. Perhaps there is a letter from the mother Greenbriar his job in a drawer, or half of a code to a cupboard under the pizza box.

    The entire plot of gone home takes place in the family Greenbriars home. They have recently moved in, and around the house are evidence of this. Halfway unpacked moving boxes and things that are positioned exactly where it should be located everywhere.

    The action was set to 1995. How things were at that time was old, I think then. Cassettes with recordings, Nintendo games and postcards with stamps are some of the things you will recognize. The house is like a time machine where you traveled back to the 90s. Not all the things I found had useful information.    … Expand
  57. DigitalMafiaPro
    May 18, 2016
    1
    No! Just No! Utterly pointless thing that provides no satisfaction. If I want a story, I'll read a book. When I play a game, I expect to actually play something. This is literally the worst so called game I've played in my entire life. And I'm old, so I've seen a lot of crap in my day, but this takes the cake! Saying that it sucks isn't nearly descriptive enough. Just NO!
  58. ivarivarivar123
    Oct 28, 2017
    0
    Game review of gone home
    Gone home is a first-person simulator experience. You are playing as the character Katie and you are finally home, but your family is not. You go through the game searching thoroughly for clues to where your family members have gone off to.
    The game is a well-made first-person experience. The game holds the standard of games that was when the game was released    Game review of gone home
    Gone home is a first-person simulator experience. You are playing as the character Katie and you are finally home, but your family is not. You go through the game searching thoroughly for clues to where your family members have gone off to.
    The game is a well-made first-person experience. The game holds the standard of games that was when the game was released for windows I 2012, but the game doesn’t meet the top standards of the modern gaming industry. I think the graphic is generally well done, but you can find someplace that are sloppy made. None huge places or spots, but just so that the games graphics are a little under the good modern standard.
    The game starts off with you coming home from a trip. You must find a key to unlock the front door. Then you explore the house to find more about yourself and the other main and side characters. The main objective the game is to find facts about your family and where they have gone off to.
    I think the game captures the atmosphere of where the game is set, which is in 1995. The furniture and other decorations looks like the classic 1990. The Greenbriar household is a perfect remake of the atmosphere of 1995. I think the graphics are suitable for the setting the house provides. The sounds in the game are very well made to the atmosphere. Sometimes I think that the music and sound make you distracted from the main objective and makes you day dreaming. I would say that this is a good thing because it makes you more in depth in the game and it makes the game more immersive. The voice overs from Sam that you find when you explore the house is a good feature to the games atmosphere. The sound effects from the outside noises such as the rain and thunder are also well made and make you emerged in the gameplay. You are given great instructions and the game is easy to play. There are very little controls that you need to use to play the game.
    In general, I liked the game. I think it’s a great first-person simulation and walkthrough that make you emerged in a new time and atmosphere. I would recommend this game for the age 13-24 because the game is about paying attention and remembering things that you find in the game.    … Expand
  59. Xxaztor
    Aug 23, 2013
    0
    By playing this game and then coming here to check the reviews, I can honestly say that every single good score by the critics was only the result of piles of money shoveled to them by the games producers, (which tends to happen, see Tale of Two Brothers, Dragon Age II etc.)

    Ignoring the blatantly paid off critics I'd have to say this game is awful. Literally. Awful. Personally,    By playing this game and then coming here to check the reviews, I can honestly say that every single good score by the critics was only the result of piles of money shoveled to them by the games producers, (which tends to happen, see Tale of Two Brothers, Dragon Age II etc.)

    Ignoring the blatantly paid off critics I'd have to say this game is awful.
    Literally. Awful.

    Personally, this game would of been much better if it was just a book.
    But noo, they have to make a game filled with awful models, lighting physics, godawful compressed sound effects that sound like they ripped them of a site and above else THE GAME IS ONLY AN HOUR LONG!
    On top of all that $20 really?? Is this a joke???

    I advise everyone considering buying this game because of the critics reviews to at least realize that they were bought of and if you still want to play it, then at most, please torrent it of a site so these wastes of humans being don't get your money.
    Trust me, you WILL be disappointed.    … Expand
  60. Ghoster
    Jan 1, 2014
    0
    Well, what to say? This is probably 1st game I'll give score 0. It's first extremely bad graphics, but that's not crucial because lately we have few indie efforts with bad graphics but extremely fun games!!!
    In other side, Gone Home have nothing. It's just walking through house and read some letters. It would probably be more fun as textual adventure from 80's.
  61. evilgamer3560
    Sep 8, 2013
    0
    If I wanted to read a retarded blog of someone I don't give a about ranting about his sexuality I would have made a tumblr account
    Even calling it a game is pretentious
  62. Windolicker
    Oct 19, 2013
    0
    F*** this game....and f*** the critics. I think the creators knew that critics would just get on the bandwagon like the sheep they are; thus causing us poor gamers to buy it. Unbeknownst to us, the critics gave it good reviews on the most superficial of basis' possible. I felt like this game was similar to a film which wins an Oscar. In this case, it is similar to a film that clearlyF*** this game....and f*** the critics. I think the creators knew that critics would just get on the bandwagon like the sheep they are; thus causing us poor gamers to buy it. Unbeknownst to us, the critics gave it good reviews on the most superficial of basis' possible. I felt like this game was similar to a film which wins an Oscar. In this case, it is similar to a film that clearly doesn't deserve it, but won simply because of its "groundbreaking" message or some gay crap like that.… Expand
  63. Foursur
    Feb 16, 2014
    0
    Boring, short, and uncreative. This game has nothing to offer as a game; and it is hardly passable as a interactive story. Save your money guys, buy yourself something you'll actually enjoy.
  64. xPocketRavex
    Sep 11, 2013
    3
    sorry i this is a short review but its really hard to give an in depth review without spoiling it

    Ok the game isn't a bad game, but can i really call it a game. it is really hard to talk about this game with spoiling it but in short words. this is an interactive story were you come home from a European holiday and no one is in the house and you try and find out were everyone is. that    sorry i this is a short review but its really hard to give an in depth review without spoiling it

    Ok the game isn't a bad game, but can i really call it a game. it is really hard to talk about this game with spoiling it but in short words. this is an interactive story were you come home from a European holiday and no one is in the house and you try and find out were everyone is. that is pretty much it .

    It tries to do something new by giving you a well written story, and a very good voice actor, and a house to explore. it tries to but you in to the players shoes,but the bad point its how many houses have letters hanging around the house because I know in my house we have none, Locked doors in wired places which try and drag out the game. and hidden passages how many houses have hidden passages.

    i see what its trying to do and it is a ok story but its no enough to make me play it over and over again. I know it was made be a Indie company but they had experience in gaming companies, i expect this kind of game from a student or free to play game but not something you pay for.

    ok to talk about the graphics this game was made in the unity Engine, models were poorly sized and textured for a game that is asking for a money. models take time to make and the look of things this looks very rushed.

    I really wish i could score this game higher I really do but i have to put a price on this game and this game shockingly game priced of 14.99 GBP. I give it 2 GPB, as much as its a great story and the voice actor is very good but and its a big but, I'v played better free indie games and all it is really is, is a atmospheric story. and that is also why I had to score it a 3    … Expand
  65. romnakil
    Oct 8, 2013
    0
    Summary: A history of lesbians. That's why all the critics give that score. In my opinion, did not deserve to go on sale. Gone Home is the perfect example of a game that shouldn't be game. If you wan't to read about "lesbians stories" i will buy a book about that.

    Games are for kill, explore and feel adrenaline, not for that.
  66. drjones254
    Aug 30, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let me save you $20.

    Your mom cheated on your dad and they're at a couples retreat to improve their relationship. Your sister is gay and skipped town with her lover.

    Nothing special here folks.    … Expand
  67. wasabi1787
    Oct 22, 2013
    2
    Really I don't understand the rating of this game. So much praise for the story, but there it is pretty straight forward and generic (and I think was supposed to be a "twist" really can't count as one in the 21st century). In addition to that, the entire game took less than 90 minutes on the first playthrough... It was really just uninteresting for what the cost of the game is. On top ofReally I don't understand the rating of this game. So much praise for the story, but there it is pretty straight forward and generic (and I think was supposed to be a "twist" really can't count as one in the 21st century). In addition to that, the entire game took less than 90 minutes on the first playthrough... It was really just uninteresting for what the cost of the game is. On top of that, the atmosphere was a farce (don't be fooled by hints of ghosts and the occult). The scariest thing in the game is a light bulb burning out. There is really no saving grace to make this game more than a two, which it earned on the fact that it was well put together. If it ever shows up for $5 or less, go for it. Basically you're renting a mediocre movie.… Expand
  68. gamesplz
    Aug 23, 2013
    0
    Not a game--a $20 melodramatic, contrived book/audiobook scattered around a single model of a house. Academic elitism and feminist peer pressure conspire to establish that 'game' and 'modern art' are synonymous and save gaming culture from itself. The jig's up. The 7th Guest did this 20 years ago and had puzzles, but no lesbians.
  69. sanchokobe
    Aug 23, 2013
    2
    It's a nice thought, but it wasn't worth $20. It wasn't that great a story. It seemed like something a sexually confused high school girl would write in her diary. Roger Ebert is laughing in his grave.

    If you want to play an interactive visual novel that has a truly gripping emotional story, check out Katawa Shoujo or Analogue: A Hate Story. And Katawa Shoujo is freeware!
  70. gearsofwar98
    Dec 10, 2013
    0
    One of the games that proved reviewing websites are terrible. With a incredible short and overhyped story this game was not worth playing for free. The story was incredible mediocre and cliche and I feel if anyone thought it was well written probably has never read a book in there life. Anyone saying it was special is either a LGBT shill or just a woman. Do not play this game or give theOne of the games that proved reviewing websites are terrible. With a incredible short and overhyped story this game was not worth playing for free. The story was incredible mediocre and cliche and I feel if anyone thought it was well written probably has never read a book in there life. Anyone saying it was special is either a LGBT shill or just a woman. Do not play this game or give the company money for garbage like this.… Expand
  71. louieshaw
    Oct 23, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. DO NOT BOTHER SPENDING YOUR MONEY. This game may seem interesting and for the first five minutes it is.

    But then the realisation descends that it is some humdrum love story about a lesbian and her girlfriend. There is NO mystery, nothing going on whatsoever. Even a subplot about the house's past owner that is far more interesting is not developed.    … Expand
  72. mmmMatto
    May 5, 2014
    4
    After all the rave reviews praising the story, voice acting, etc, I was hoping for something special. Gone Home turned out to be a big disappointment. I'm a big supporter of the LGBT community, and I'm glad someone tried to make a story that incorporates that, but this game feels like it was hastily written to placate Anita Sarkeesian so she'll shut up for a few minutes.

    I was hoping    After all the rave reviews praising the story, voice acting, etc, I was hoping for something special. Gone Home turned out to be a big disappointment. I'm a big supporter of the LGBT community, and I'm glad someone tried to make a story that incorporates that, but this game feels like it was hastily written to placate Anita Sarkeesian so she'll shut up for a few minutes.

    I was hoping for some big mystery--a story that keeps you guessing what happened to your younger sister, with a big reveal at the end--but the story lacks any real depth. I figured out how the story was going to end about 10 minutes in: nothing more than the melodramatic actions of an angsty teenage girl. The quasi-creepy atmosphere was meant to instill a sense of unease and mystery (old creaky house, flickering lights, a nice thunderstorm outside), but with such a predictable story it was just silly. The ancillary family members are given almost no development and are completely irrelevant to the story, making the game horribly one-dimensional. They might as well have handed you Samantha's diary and told you to read it.

    I gave the game points for a little 90's nostalgia and a few tracks from some riot-grrrl indie bands. Other than that the game is just a 90-minute Lifetime movie.    … Expand
  73. MeHim
    Oct 27, 2014
    0
    What is this.. I don't even...

    This is it, indie games need a damn reorganization if it should be taken seriously. If you want to tell a story make a YouTube video ir a movie.. Especially if you're charging a 20 for it. Jerk.
  74. Luizzrz
    Feb 13, 2016
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. You're finally home and find out by interacting with pictures/books that your family is absolutely f*****, your father has a psycho for an uncle, your mother has pretty much an affair, your sister is a lesbian and ran away with her lover and that's all.

    Saved you $20.    … Expand
  75. tpenguin
    Jan 19, 2016
    0
    I created an account here to post my review regarding this game. I recall seeing the high media reviews when it came out a couple years ago but alas I am a console game and the title was exclusive to PC till last week. This is my first review here, but I feel compelled to provide it. I have never purchased an indie game feeling I had been swindled of my money, however this title has meI created an account here to post my review regarding this game. I recall seeing the high media reviews when it came out a couple years ago but alas I am a console game and the title was exclusive to PC till last week. This is my first review here, but I feel compelled to provide it. I have never purchased an indie game feeling I had been swindled of my money, however this title has me feeling that way. I will not spoil the game in my review.

    My first gripe with the game is that it costs 20$, I spent 2 and a 1/2 hours from start to finish and found all hidden content. For a 2 and a 1/2 hour game to be worth 20$ it has to have some type of phenomenal experience or story, this game delivered anything but.

    Gone Home is a one trick pony, once you go through the game, there is no reason to return as there is only one linear experience you could go through while playing the game. This amplifies the cost of the game being egregious.

    The story is predicated on a couple plot twists, however once you know what those twist are there is no intrigue to the game. If you played with knowing the plot up front you would likely think there is no way this game could be interesting and you would be right.

    With all the renown this game has surrounding it from major gaming reviews, you would think this game to be a gem. However it is placed on a pedestal because it is likely deemed 'progressive' in that homosexuality is a significant portion of the plot. I support homosexuality, however if this game did not have this element to it and was structured on a heterosexual relationship I can assure you this game would have received nothing more than mediocre scores at best and likely low scores like I am providing.

    It's rare this is such a great disparity between media and user reviews however you will see a significant disparity regarding this game. In this case I believe that media reviewers praised this game solely for political reasons and not because the game is actually good. Users, such as myself or you reading this spend hard earned money to play games that are fun or entertaining, this game is neither.

    Because the game play is poor, the story is awful, there is no replayability, and the cost of the game is 20$ I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone play this game. If the game were free, I would not recommend this game be played, the only thing my memory will take from this experience is the let down from all the media hype surrounding it I got sucked up in.    … Expand
  76. kaere
    Oct 30, 2013
    0
    Not a game, period. You walk around a vacant mansion while your sister whines about her first-world problems. Two hours playtime, max. Several people have "beaten" this in under a minute not exaggerating. Even those terrible Sega CD-era FMV games were more fun than this. There is nothing more to say. In the time spent reading this review, you could have beaten this "game!" If you reallyNot a game, period. You walk around a vacant mansion while your sister whines about her first-world problems. Two hours playtime, max. Several people have "beaten" this in under a minute not exaggerating. Even those terrible Sega CD-era FMV games were more fun than this. There is nothing more to say. In the time spent reading this review, you could have beaten this "game!" If you really want to experience it, you won't be missing out on anything if you simply watch someone else "play" it on YouTube.… Expand
  77. TheHighway
    Aug 24, 2013
    0
    This "game" has no gameplay; it's basically a $20 movie, and even the biggest blockbusters don't cost that much for me to go see. $20 for a boring, cliched movie trying to pretend that it is a video game. Yeah, nah, off.
  78. Damieh
    Sep 1, 2013
    0
    Jesus christ. I registered in order to tell you what I read on a review (and didn't believe) before buying this game:

    DO NOT TRUST THE REVIEWS ONLINE.

    This game is one of the worst ""ADVENTURE"" (it should be called something like storytelling) games I've played. Please do yourself a favor and don't even try it.
  79. fzpd95
    Sep 11, 2014
    0
    That's it??? Really??? This is what all the hype was about? This "game" was a complete waste of my time and money. The graphics were underwhelming, the soundtrack (if you want to call it that) made me want to stick sharp objects in my ears, the characters were sad and pathetic, and the story was boring and predictable. On top of that, it's a very short game. DO NOT WASTE MONEY ON THIS!
  80. Marcusdw
    Feb 4, 2015
    0
    Dreadful. Note really a game at all - wander round a house, uncover a rather dull story about a tedious family. Ghosts? Nah. Puzzles? Nah. Surprises? Nah. Save your money.
  81. Taylor_
    Mar 16, 2015
    0
    a game with no gameplay,no way of losing ,no enemy's or challenges

    the focus is on the story ,a fanficion level joke that is so pretentious is laughable

    if you want a game with good LGBT characters go play a Telltale game
  82. Lightf00t
    Jan 11, 2016
    0
    The games review industry is riddled with political propagandists and fraudsters who've been brainwashed in liberal arts degree courses. The fact this game got 9s and 10s out of 10 proves this yet again. This is why gamergate happened.

    This isn't a game. You wander about an empty house picking up letters and it transpires that this "game" is simply an excuse to addle people's brains    The games review industry is riddled with political propagandists and fraudsters who've been brainwashed in liberal arts degree courses. The fact this game got 9s and 10s out of 10 proves this yet again. This is why gamergate happened.

    This isn't a game. You wander about an empty house picking up letters and it transpires that this "game" is simply an excuse to addle people's brains with more homosexual propaganda. The guy who designed this is a feminist hipster who gets off on this stuff. The average person just doesn't want to play rubbish like this.

    I like lots of indie games and want more independent developers releasing alternatives to the usual Call of Duty clones, but this isn't enjoyable or interesting or fun. The graphics are okay, but what good are good graphics if it's not fun or interesting?

    If this had been about a love story between a man and a woman, i.e. a normal relationship, it would NEVER have got these high scores from critics. It would have got a 4 or 5 at most. At MOST. Blue Estate got 3/10 from Gamespot, yet it's far superior to this piece of rubbish. They didn't like Blue Estate because the protagonist was a man who wasn't "right-on" and PC who saved women and used "sexist" language, i.e. he was just normal and not a social justice warrior mangina with no balls.

    If you buy this game, you are throwing your money down the drain. It's up to you. But if you like slow-paced indie games which are actually interesting and fun, I suggest you instead buy The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, or Everybody's Gone to Rapture.    … Expand
  83. Trunkis
    Jan 10, 2015
    0
    Don't let them fool you, this is a badly written "adventure" game... If a character in a play, book or videogame , it is not interesting enough for you to care or relate to it.... it is badly written....

    And I come from playing text games on old crt monitors, so I can tell you a few things about interesting experiences with adventure games... Recommended if you are a sjw hipster...    Don't let them fool you, this is a badly written "adventure" game... If a character in a play, book or videogame , it is not interesting enough for you to care or relate to it.... it is badly written....

    And I come from playing text games on old crt monitors, so I can tell you a few things about interesting experiences with adventure games...

    Recommended if you are a sjw hipster... then you will love it...    … Expand
  84. Draculamarth
    Nov 26, 2013
    0
    Metacritic, please remove this from the video games section because it's not a game. It's hard to describe this.... whatever the hell it is. All I know is that it promotes statutory rape and can be "beaten" in 2 minutes. Don't "play" it under any circumstances. Don't even pirate it.
  85. JudgmentJay
    Sep 13, 2013
    0
    This is the worst "game" I have ever played. I bought into the hype and purchased Gone Home a day or two after release. Late-night Lifetime Network-tier story, Bad graphics, bad aesthetic, boring environment, poor sound quality, 90 minutes long, and $20. This is the first time I have ever had buyer's remorse toward a game. The meta score shows just how out of touch journalists are withThis is the worst "game" I have ever played. I bought into the hype and purchased Gone Home a day or two after release. Late-night Lifetime Network-tier story, Bad graphics, bad aesthetic, boring environment, poor sound quality, 90 minutes long, and $20. This is the first time I have ever had buyer's remorse toward a game. The meta score shows just how out of touch journalists are with what a majority of gamers want out of a video game.… Expand
  86. Pyro3000
    Aug 23, 2013
    0
    While critics seem to adore the "progressiveness" of Gone Home, the reality is that it's one of the lowest quality games you're going to find. The story is dull and corny, and most of the pieces are told through paper scraps and notes that are months old yet somehow seem to still be sitting on top of tables or in waste bins that one can only assume never gets emptied. Even better is thatWhile critics seem to adore the "progressiveness" of Gone Home, the reality is that it's one of the lowest quality games you're going to find. The story is dull and corny, and most of the pieces are told through paper scraps and notes that are months old yet somehow seem to still be sitting on top of tables or in waste bins that one can only assume never gets emptied. Even better is that you'll encounter moments such as finding a recent note about a boy that wants his Nintendo game back only to find another note from further back that says he's already gotten it back. There's really not much good to say about Gone Home. Especially when the level design makes it so you can accidentally stumble upon the ending. Not that it really changes much, because you already know how Sam ended up in the first few seconds when you find her runaway note on the door.

    Gone Home is extremely uneventful, and focuses on a poorly thought out character that really doesn't do much more than irritate the player with how little she cares about other people.    … Expand
  87. ianpac
    Aug 28, 2013
    0
    This "game" is just walking around an empty house opening drawers to find notes. This is not a game, it is a simple story with only one character that has any depth of development. Would you spend $20 on a book that is only one page long and only has one discernible character?

    The only good thing about the production is the voice acting, everything else is average at best. I am giving    This "game" is just walking around an empty house opening drawers to find notes. This is not a game, it is a simple story with only one character that has any depth of development. Would you spend $20 on a book that is only one page long and only has one discernible character?

    The only good thing about the production is the voice acting, everything else is average at best. I am giving this a score of 0 to balance out the ridiculous reviews this "game" has been receiving. The hype is farcical and I guarantee this title will quickly become forgotten in the dustbin of flawed projects.    … Expand
  88. multibear
    Aug 25, 2013
    1
    £15 is not a justifiable price for a 90 minute long adventure game which offers so little. This title wouldn't have measured up in innovation, craftsmanship or storytelling to other games 15-20 years ago, let alone today. The interaction is limited and poor, the puzzles are nonexistent, the story is preachy and the linearity is so forced that you might as well be on rails. I understand£15 is not a justifiable price for a 90 minute long adventure game which offers so little. This title wouldn't have measured up in innovation, craftsmanship or storytelling to other games 15-20 years ago, let alone today. The interaction is limited and poor, the puzzles are nonexistent, the story is preachy and the linearity is so forced that you might as well be on rails. I understand that many gamers are insecure and defensive about having their medium validated as an artform, but this can be achieved without promoting mediocrity.… Expand
  89. Friar_Zero
    Aug 22, 2013
    0
    This simply isn't a game and doesn't belong in this section. It is a fine and interesting piece of interactive fiction. In order to qualify for the designation of game it would have to have gameplay, which this completely lacks.There are no challenges in the game that need to be overcome in order to progress and no systems to be learned and manipulated. It shares no characteristics withThis simply isn't a game and doesn't belong in this section. It is a fine and interesting piece of interactive fiction. In order to qualify for the designation of game it would have to have gameplay, which this completely lacks.There are no challenges in the game that need to be overcome in order to progress and no systems to be learned and manipulated. It shares no characteristics with anything that has been called a game from ancient egyptian Sennet to Chess to Settlers of Catan to X-Com. The sooner that interactive fiction artists stop insisting on their work being judged and classed as a game the sooner interactive fiction can grow and develop as it's own medium. In the meantime this work is being sold and examined under the same criteria as a Call of Duty or a Dragon Age.… Expand
  90. beskow
    Sep 2, 2013
    1
    Seriously not what official reviews make it out to be... left me very.... meh. like i knew what it was from the start. how it ended. waiting for a scary monster or to finally meet the people in the notes.
  91. Zime
    Nov 9, 2013
    4
    I'm so happy I bought this at a steam sale with 50 percent off because this was quite frankly, very boring. A video game should always focus on what sets video games apart from other mediums, which is solid gameplay. This is the strong foundation of a good game, so it doesn't matter how good the story is or how many spot on 90's references there are if the game is not engrossing to play.I'm so happy I bought this at a steam sale with 50 percent off because this was quite frankly, very boring. A video game should always focus on what sets video games apart from other mediums, which is solid gameplay. This is the strong foundation of a good game, so it doesn't matter how good the story is or how many spot on 90's references there are if the game is not engrossing to play. It is NOT engrossing to go around and read notes for two hours.… Expand
  92. thisisg
    Dec 25, 2014
    0
    It's absolutely awful - this is a "game" that you can complete (without cheats) in 1 MINUTE, 58 SECONDS.

    I use the term "game" extremely loosely, because in reality, it's just the inner workings of a white whiny hipster's mind, with some awkward and clumsy lesbian wish fulfilment thrown into the mix.

    If you hate games, buy this. You'll LOVE It.
  93. Duduziuz
    Jul 8, 2016
    0
    Entediante, sem emoção nenhuma... uma historinha bem fraquinha contada de uma forma chata. Nada de inesperado, nada de revelador, nada capaz de lhe envolver ou emocionar.
  94. Uzumakitony
    Oct 8, 2013
    4
    I tried. I genuinely tried to find meaning in this game but it just isn't there. A girl at home with a dot on her forehead...or her eyes? bad graphics, they should have at least shown her body. In a gaming world where everyone is trying something new it isn't unheard of to make a game like this. but the graphics and the boring aura of the game made it BAD
  95. Supagoat
    Dec 11, 2013
    1
    I can appreciate why the story of this game resonates with some people. Not just LBGT it's a story that can resonate with most any teenager.

    That said, the game is terrible. The story is delivered almost exclusively through audio diaries and a couple souvenirs that reinforce what the diary entries were about. There is no game here. It's a static environment that the player    I can appreciate why the story of this game resonates with some people. Not just LBGT it's a story that can resonate with most any teenager.

    That said, the game is terrible. The story is delivered almost exclusively through audio diaries and a couple souvenirs that reinforce what the diary entries were about. There is no game here. It's a static environment that the player navigates, poking around for diary entries. There are no puzzles. There are no enemies to defeat. No skill challenges. No choices to be made. It barely qualifies as an interactive fiction, since most entries into that genre involve the player in the story with dialog choices or action decisions.

    It won game of the year based entirely on the social content it took on. That's laudable, but not worthy of a best game award.

    Oh, and it's very short.    … Expand
  96. mystero
    Dec 10, 2016
    2
    No, dura meno di 1 ora, la trama è di circa 30 frasi, devo scrivere piu io per pubblicare questa recensione che l'autore per pubblicare il gioco.
    Non vale nemmeno gratis, spendete questo tempo per guardare le macchine che passano in mezzo alla strada, è piu produttivo.
  97. jah1138
    Dec 28, 2014
    3
    It's nice, but not overly compelling. There are no puzzles to solve, no mystery to uncover, and the player doesn't contribute at all, she's simply a consumer. There's really no game here, it's just pure exposition -- essentially, it's a short audio/visual story.

    The thing that really puts Gone Home into perspective is that the gameplay made me think of Myst, and in that context it    It's nice, but not overly compelling. There are no puzzles to solve, no mystery to uncover, and the player doesn't contribute at all, she's simply a consumer. There's really no game here, it's just pure exposition -- essentially, it's a short audio/visual story.

    The thing that really puts Gone Home into perspective is that the gameplay made me think of Myst, and in that context it becomes clear how much more Myst achieved with a similar format (and far more limited resources) 20 years ago. Myst was superior visually, had a far more compelling story, real interaction with the environment, and the player had an important role in the story. Myst required the player's participation, and the player had to think hard and make decisions to move the story forward.

    So while I appreciate what Fullbright has tried to do with Gone Home -- focusing on a human story -- it feels very limited, even incomplete. It's nice to check out, but with its limitations, and at a 2+ hour runtime and zero repeatability, it's not worth anywhere near the retail price.    … Expand
  98. kake11
    Jan 29, 2016
    4
    The game is about a girl name Katie who been in Europe, and when she came home the house was empty. And she had no idea where her parents and sister could have been. She started to look after information on where they are. She found out that her parents had moved to new house and her sister Samantha was gone. And she found a lot of information about her sister that she don’t know before.The game is about a girl name Katie who been in Europe, and when she came home the house was empty. And she had no idea where her parents and sister could have been. She started to look after information on where they are. She found out that her parents had moved to new house and her sister Samantha was gone. And she found a lot of information about her sister that she don’t know before.
    The game is a typical mysterious game, and the house was fully with a lot of secrets. The house was huge, and we had to go everywhere to find out what we was looking for. The graphic was really good, and it was like we are there in real life. The narrator tell in chronological time, but you can find a lot of information that are in past time.
    I think the key message is when you are gone for a while, and when you came back everything could have been changed. You have to accept that not everything was as before, because everything can changes.    … Expand
  99. angrybeaver23
    Jan 15, 2017
    0
    This game is all hype. No ghosts. GAYEST. GAME. EVER. Literally. I wish I could get a refund for the time I spent playing it. I was optimistic all the way until the end. But on a positive note, my husband was right all along.
  100. d0x
    Apr 18, 2016
    1
    I have no issue with the walking simulator genre itself provided it tells a good story but this story is awfully generic. Based on professional reviews you would think it was written by Shakespeare. That is not the case.

    The "gameplay" itself is nothing more than walking, finding notes and keys and hearing things read to you. If you go super slow and look everywhere... Every possible    I have no issue with the walking simulator genre itself provided it tells a good story but this story is awfully generic. Based on professional reviews you would think it was written by Shakespeare. That is not the case.

    The "gameplay" itself is nothing more than walking, finding notes and keys and hearing things read to you. If you go super slow and look everywhere... Every possible corner the game might take an hour to finish. There isn't $10 worth of quality story here let alone $20.

    The visuals aren't exactly ground breaking either nor is the audio so I'm not quite sure why the game released for $20.

    If the game was $5 I'd say go ahead and buy it but any higher and you are wasting your time and money. Luckily with steams refund policy you can return it after completion... If you can manage to suffer long enough to make it that far.

    There are ways to make "games" like this interesting. This developer did none of those things. Even that could be completely ignored if the story was compelling or even half way decent but you can find better stories on internet forums that are more artistically satisfying as well as free
    I bought this game on the day it came out based on what was certainly purposefully misleading information from what was at the time an independent gaming site that I had trusted more than any other.

    It was strongly insinuated that this was some type of horror title but it was never outright spoken in the name of "spoilers". The way they played and spoke and where they stopped was misleading to the point where I no longer trust a word this " journalist " writes and he's only gotten more deceptive since.

    .    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best PC Game of 2013
11
#11 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
3
#3 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 56 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 56
  3. Negative: 0 out of 56
  1. JeuxActu
    Feb 10, 2015
    85
    Grow Home is an interesting surprise from a publisher who get used to mismanaging his own IP's. This platformer like no other has everything going for you and for a very low price tag. You can easily give it a try.
    Read full review
  2. IGN Italia
    Jan 5, 2014
    95
    A beautiful, emotionally engaging, artfully crafted game, completely centered around exploration and telling a mature story through interaction.
    Read full review
  3. RPG Fan
    Dec 2, 2013
    75
    A story that will move some and alienate others.
    Read full review
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