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. RapNoize
    Aug 18, 2013
    10
    A perfect example of a game of this genre. Story is strong, visuals are intensive and sounds are very atmospheric. Discovering hidden secrets is enjoyable as ever. 10 out of 10.
  2. RetRap
    Aug 20, 2013
    9
    It seems that a lot of people are missing the point of Gone Home. It's unfair to call this a game, it is truly a piece of interactive story telling. If Gone Home is anything, it's a glimpse into a future of entertainment where the task of thinking is given back to the viewer rather than the program maker. Gone Home tells a tail of familiar teenage development in a beautifully haunting way.It seems that a lot of people are missing the point of Gone Home. It's unfair to call this a game, it is truly a piece of interactive story telling. If Gone Home is anything, it's a glimpse into a future of entertainment where the task of thinking is given back to the viewer rather than the program maker. Gone Home tells a tail of familiar teenage development in a beautifully haunting way. Think of this in the same way as you would a thoughtful piece of television drama but with the magical twist that you're the director. Being able to dictate the pace and flow of the piece really does open up a whole new perspective in drama and I for one applaud the team behind Gone Home for being brave enough to complete this vision.
    Yes it has a step asking price, and frankly I think it's too high a price for most. However, ignoring the economics of the situation Gone Home gives me hope that 'gaming' can continue to become a medium more and more accessible but at the same time, more engaging and enlightening. Supporting this game (even with it's ridiculous asking price) gives hope to the medium.    … Expand
  3. Chabooski
    Aug 18, 2013
    9
    I am simply shocked at the number of low user scores. Perhaps 'Gone Home's incredible writing, beautiful story, great use of lighting, mysterious house full of secrets, and wonderful interaction aren't for everybody. But I found this game, apart from its short length, to be nearly flawless. Discovering new things about the characters and the house itself through the power of explorationI am simply shocked at the number of low user scores. Perhaps 'Gone Home's incredible writing, beautiful story, great use of lighting, mysterious house full of secrets, and wonderful interaction aren't for everybody. But I found this game, apart from its short length, to be nearly flawless. Discovering new things about the characters and the house itself through the power of exploration was a blast, and the story brought me to tears. A video game doesn't need explosions to be a wonderful demonstration of the medium. I would recommend this game to anybody, especially high school students and parents with teenage children. This game perfectly captured how it feels to be a teenager, how the 90's felt, and how awesome it feels to explore large houses during a thunderstorm. 9/10. If you don't like it, I believe steam is currently having a sale on Call of Duty (They aren't really, I was just being a clever douche).… Expand
  4. Magespower
    Aug 18, 2013
    9
    Gone Home is a game that wants to tell you a story and does so with such ease that you feel invested in it from the first journal entry till the last. In gone home you play as Kaitlin Greenbriar returning home after being abroad in Europe to find your house empty and your parents and sister Sam missing. Your goal is to solve the mystery of where your family has mysteriously disappeared to.Gone Home is a game that wants to tell you a story and does so with such ease that you feel invested in it from the first journal entry till the last. In gone home you play as Kaitlin Greenbriar returning home after being abroad in Europe to find your house empty and your parents and sister Sam missing. Your goal is to solve the mystery of where your family has mysteriously disappeared to.

    The main and only objective of the game is to search the empty house for clues, and as you find them Sam will tell a story in the form of journals entries. The game is set in a house in the year 1995 and The Fullbright Company does the era justice from finding cassettes to VHS tapes littered around the house. What makes gone home so special though is the storytelling.

    In my two hour play through I felt so many different emotions that in any other form of entertainment would not have been possible. From scared, sad, nervous, and much more I can honestly say a game has never encouraged me to feel so much. If your looking for a game packed with action and fighting bad guys this game is most certainly not for you, but if your interested in one of the best stories I've experienced in recent memory this game is a must buy.    … Expand
  5. JuanRegular
    Aug 17, 2013
    10
    As these reviews here undoubtedly made clear, 'Gone Home' isn't a game that will appeal to everybody. It's definitely a difficult game to review or even describe. People will say that all you do is walk around a house and look at stuff. That is very much true. It's all you do in this game, but it seems to me like a lot of people fail to understand why that is or at least can be a goodAs these reviews here undoubtedly made clear, 'Gone Home' isn't a game that will appeal to everybody. It's definitely a difficult game to review or even describe. People will say that all you do is walk around a house and look at stuff. That is very much true. It's all you do in this game, but it seems to me like a lot of people fail to understand why that is or at least can be a good thing. Gone Home is in essence a story based exploration and puzzle game, but not quite in the way you might expect. Talking about puzzles in Gone Home means that the game challenges you to puzzle out its characters through the things you find in the house. You learn all these little details about the Greenbriar family by finding their belongings, investigating them and drawing your own conclusions as to what they might mean. Remember the Ratman hideouts in Portal and your thought process as you tried to figure out what might have happened there? Gone Home has a ton of these little moments of environmental storytelling, but instead of an abandoned sci-fi research facility, it takes place in a setting you know, that you can completely relate to. There was one moment in particular that involved the father of the house who we never see or hear but through several notes and clues I found I was able to understand his inner struggles and his character better than I would ever have any other way. It was a proper 'holy crap' moment and it was glorious. This is why Gone Home is very much a game. It doesn't have the traditional gamey challenges you might expect, but instead sets out to challenge you in very different and new ways and in my humble opinion brilliantly pulls it off. This kind of storytelling is simply impossible in any other medium.
    It is short at about 2 to 3 hours of playtime and it's understandable that at the current price point that may not be enough for a lot of people but I think it's well worth it. It's an experience unlike anything else and at least for that it should be appreciated even it isn't you cup of tea.    … Expand
  6. Masterhummel
    Aug 17, 2013
    9
    So... yeah, it was good.

    Got trough in good one hour and a half but there's probably double the length if you really digg into it. It wasnt bad since it made me go trough several emotions. Is it worth 20$? Well, i dunno. Think 10$ would be more appropiate but on the other hand the game actually is pretty unique. Short, if you liked Dear Esther you will probably love this one. If    So... yeah, it was good.

    Got trough in good one hour and a half but there's probably double the length if you really digg into it. It wasnt bad since it made me go trough several emotions. Is it worth 20$? Well, i dunno. Think 10$ would be more appropiate but on the other hand the game actually is pretty unique.

    Short, if you liked Dear Esther you will probably love this one. If you're expect a real adventure, think it over twice.    … Expand
  7. GameInterpreter
    Aug 18, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Words can almost not describe what this emotionally gripping story of a misunderstood teenage girl makes you feel. It gives you a feeling of happiness, sadness, fear, and even humor at points, but in the end it chooses a route that you at first believe you will dread that actually gives you a sense of hope and happiness that shows that love is a powerful force that can drive people to do things that some would call foolish, but I believe it to be extraordinary. Not since The Last of Us has a video game made me shed tears, but instead of tears of sadness I shed tears of happiness and joy for an ending that denied usual trend of dark, gloomy, or even uncertain endings and gave us the fantastic narrative that is Gone Home.

    Absolute 10 out of 10    … Expand
  8. halldoc1
    Aug 17, 2013
    9
    Really great game. Different than I though. Too short though or I would have given 10/10. However, the detail and story they put into it makes up for any other issues. They need to make more indie games like this.
  9. cylemmulo
    Aug 18, 2013
    9
    I think there is some justification for people giving bad review, this isn't something for everyone which I'm sure the developer knew going in. HOWEVER Certain people saying the story was to simple really didn't get everything out of it. There are many subplots that you really have to explore the game all the way to see and they are honestly just as interesting. As well as how the mainI think there is some justification for people giving bad review, this isn't something for everyone which I'm sure the developer knew going in. HOWEVER Certain people saying the story was to simple really didn't get everything out of it. There are many subplots that you really have to explore the game all the way to see and they are honestly just as interesting. As well as how the main story is laid out is just great, finding things in the way you do (ex. listen to the answering machine right away and having no clue whats going on with it)

    The Graphics are pretty good for an Indie game, the lighting was pretty cool and there were so many objects to see it was great. However for some reason with alot of lights on sometimes performance plummeted on my laptop and I have a GTX 660M which is far above the requirements.

    All in all, I agree it might be more for a lower price tag but there were some really great production values in this and it was a game that a lot of people just won't forget. You got to kind of have more in touch with the main character and feel a bit more like you were there, not just watching.    … Expand
  10. ArmCritic
    Aug 16, 2013
    9
    Gone Home is astonishing Great story telling and voice acting Whoever likes indie games like Dear Esther must play this one for sure 9/10 great game
  11. andrewb694
    Aug 16, 2013
    9
    Gone Home is a fantastic Interactive Story, and if you think of it as that then the $20 price is justified. However it is dreadfully short, I personally beat it in an hour.

    The story in this game is still fantastic enough for me to say that this is one of the games everyone will want to play. Newly released hardcover books are $15, movie tickets are anywhere from $10 to $20, and this    Gone Home is a fantastic Interactive Story, and if you think of it as that then the $20 price is justified. However it is dreadfully short, I personally beat it in an hour.

    The story in this game is still fantastic enough for me to say that this is one of the games everyone will want to play. Newly released hardcover books are $15, movie tickets are anywhere from $10 to $20, and this fits in that price range.

    +Godly amazing environment and story.
    -Short
    9/10    … Expand
  12. Elynora
    Aug 17, 2013
    10
    This was a very touching story, and like Dear Esther will have a lasting effect on me. I'm not sure why people complain that this 'shouldn't be a game'; as if it shouldn't exist as anything more than written text. Why not give it an atmosphere you can play through? I felt completely immersed, which is what I expect the creator of Gone Home was aiming for. I really enjoyed the subject ofThis was a very touching story, and like Dear Esther will have a lasting effect on me. I'm not sure why people complain that this 'shouldn't be a game'; as if it shouldn't exist as anything more than written text. Why not give it an atmosphere you can play through? I felt completely immersed, which is what I expect the creator of Gone Home was aiming for. I really enjoyed the subject of the story it wasn't what I was expecting when I first began to explore, but I was quite relieved that this didn't turn out to be another ghost/stalker story.… Expand
  13. Brandonb1
    Dec 26, 2013
    0
    This is not a game, this is a pretentious interactive lifetime movie. There are literately no game mechanics to speak of. The story telling is on the same level of deviant art fan fiction. Absolutely horrible, avoid at all costs.
  14. DMets27
    Dec 26, 2013
    1
    Can we stop with the obsession with this game? Gone Home has an interesting setup and completely falls flat after that. Sure the atmosphere is spooky but the game does nothing with it. I don't mind a game with minimal to no gameplay, such as The Walking Dead (which is amazing by the way), but Gone Home's story is very cut and dry, goes from point A to point B and then the game ends... INCan we stop with the obsession with this game? Gone Home has an interesting setup and completely falls flat after that. Sure the atmosphere is spooky but the game does nothing with it. I don't mind a game with minimal to no gameplay, such as The Walking Dead (which is amazing by the way), but Gone Home's story is very cut and dry, goes from point A to point B and then the game ends... IN UNDER 90 MINUTES!! Save your money and do not buy this "game"… Expand
  15. Mauraer
    May 31, 2015
    0
    If you enjoy pink haired hipster pretentious "art" pieces, passing as a videogame... you will enjoy this... else avoid at all cost...
    Not worth a penny
  16. DashingMT
    Oct 8, 2014
    0
    I've seen many a poor game in my day; none as poor as this.

    I gave this "adventure" the benefit of the doubt and played it through. Needless to say, the banal experience I received is near impossible to put into words.

    The best part is the fact that it cost me 19,99€.
  17. Frosty1979
    Jul 29, 2015
    0
    Played this because of the good reviews from professional sites. Geez, after playing this "game" I feel like the victim of a prank now.

    At first I thought it's some kind of horror game, but in the end it was just a little love story about your lesbian sister running away with her lover. Well great,,, what a wast e of time.
  18. douggernaut
    Jun 29, 2015
    0
    A lesbian coming of age story!! The very least they could do is tell you that. I heard stories of finding yourself alone in your home looking for your missing family. Sounded interesting..but no one would say anything more about it. Not what I was expecting. Feeling duped. If that is what you are looking for then enjoy! But it needs to be said out front...this is the story of a lesbianA lesbian coming of age story!! The very least they could do is tell you that. I heard stories of finding yourself alone in your home looking for your missing family. Sounded interesting..but no one would say anything more about it. Not what I was expecting. Feeling duped. If that is what you are looking for then enjoy! But it needs to be said out front...this is the story of a lesbian family member! That is all.… Expand
  19. FilipWiik
    Jan 28, 2016
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gone home

    Game review:

    Gone home was a game about a girl called Kaitlyn Greenbriar. She had been to Europe for a year. While she had been gone, her family had moved to this new house. But when she came home, there was no one there. The rain was pouring down and the wind was blowing.

    I think the main message in this game was to tell a short story about Kaitlyn’s little sister Samantha Greenbriar, and to show how to tell a short story in a game setting.

    The story is told in a chronologic order. With letters from Samantha every few months while Kaitlyn had been gone.

    It was quite a few important relationships in this game. Of course one of the relationships in the game was the family, but it wasn’t really the most important relationship in the game. In my opinion Samantha’s relationship to Loney was by far the most important in the game. But it also looked like Samantha had a pretty special relationship to her bigger sister Kaitlyn because of all the letters she wrote for her.

    Even though Kaitlyn is the controllable character in this game, I think that Samantha was the main person in this story. The reason I think Samantha was the main person is because the story told in this game was mainly about Samantha, and the whole point of the game was to find out about the story.

    I think the tone and setting in this game was quite creepy. With the empty house, the weather, all of the dark rooms in the house, and that the game was set in night-time made the whole setting both creepy and pretty mysterious.

    The gameplay in this game was at least in my opinion a bit boring. Without any action really happening and you just going around in a dark house all by yourself wasn’t the most exciting I’ve ever played. And I don’t know if it was the game or if it was just the computer I was playing on, but the frames per second rate seemed really slow and because of that the game had a lot of lag. And by doing nothing else than looking for letters and reading them made the game really bad in my opinion. But even though I wasn’t a fan of this kind of game, I could really see why some people would like it.

    If I were to rate this game I unfortunately wouldn’t be able to give it more than a 4/10.    … Expand
  20. thelion71
    Jul 20, 2015
    1
    The numbers first:
    Graphics - 2/10
    Story - 2/10 Voice acting - 4/10 I was honestly disappointed that this even has the title of game! It would be better defined as an interactive story and not a very good one at that. There are elements that seem wildly out of place and do not add anything to 'the story' at all. I was sure that I just was not getting what this was about, so I had two    The numbers first:
    Graphics - 2/10
    Story - 2/10
    Voice acting - 4/10
    I was honestly disappointed that this even has the title of game! It would be better defined as an interactive story and not a very good one at that. There are elements that seem wildly out of place and do not add anything to 'the story' at all.
    I was sure that I just was not getting what this was about, so I had two of my friends play it (both of whom are girls) and they also panned it.
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!    … Expand
  21. Steyraus
    May 25, 2019
    0
    Walk around a boring empty house, read and listen to stuff. That is the entire "Game" . but you cant really call it a game. theres no gameplay. Just walk and look, The only thing interesting about it is how is exposes the stupidity of gaming journalism, giving this junk stupidly high score because its easy and they like easy game , because they are bad at games.
    Honestly on of the worse    Walk around a boring empty house, read and listen to stuff. That is the entire "Game" . but you cant really call it a game. theres no gameplay. Just walk and look, The only thing interesting about it is how is exposes the stupidity of gaming journalism, giving this junk stupidly high score because its easy and they like easy game , because they are bad at games.
    Honestly on of the worse experiences I have forced myself to play ever, I had to see why it was getting high scores though and now I know it shouldn't have.
    If you rate game high, just because they align with you political views, you should not be reviewing games    … Expand
  22. emilieeilime12
    Oct 27, 2017
    0
    The main character Kaitlyn arrives home after a year abroad. She expects her family to greet her, but there is no one home. Something is not right, and Kaitlyn must search the throughout the house to find out what.
    The good things about gone home is that non-structured exploration. You get a big house all by yourself, to explore and do whatever you want. The freedom and the fact that you    The main character Kaitlyn arrives home after a year abroad. She expects her family to greet her, but there is no one home. Something is not right, and Kaitlyn must search the throughout the house to find out what.
    The good things about gone home is that non-structured exploration. You get a big house all by yourself, to explore and do whatever you want. The freedom and the fact that you must find out a lot by yourself in the game, I really like. The story of the game is an emotional, relatable and relevant story today. The game portrays homosexuality well, and it tackles problems like abuse and bullying in a good way. I think the graphic is very well done. The house is filled up with objects from the 90`s, and all the details makes it look realistic.
    A negative thing about the game, is that the story is too simple. I think the story about the family could be more detailed. You piece together a family story, but there is not enough depth in it. You find a lot of hidden things, but a family story is much more detailed than that. I would also like that something more happened, which was not thought to happen. The game is quite predictable, and you never get surprised at what is going on.
    Overall, the positive things about the game weights more than the negatives, so I have a good impression. For people that plays a lot of videogames and PC-games, it will maybe be too easy. For me and people that never have played something like this before, it is perfect. Not too complicated and you won’t get impatient, because you can finish it in three hours. I also like the fact that a PC-game can tell such an important and relevant story for today’s society. I would definitely recommend this game for people between 15 and 18 years old. I think it is in this age you enjoy this kind of games the most. The game is probably also, for beginners and not for experienced PC-game players.    … Expand
  23. TitaniumDragon
    Oct 31, 2016
    6
    Gone Home is either a bare-bones adventure game or a walking simulator which included a very small number of puzzle elements. I would suggest it is really more like the latter from a cladistics point of view; its attraction lies in that direction, and if you’re looking for really cerebral gameplay, this isn’t the place to look.

    Gone Home is really a story that happens to be presented in    Gone Home is either a bare-bones adventure game or a walking simulator which included a very small number of puzzle elements. I would suggest it is really more like the latter from a cladistics point of view; its attraction lies in that direction, and if you’re looking for really cerebral gameplay, this isn’t the place to look.

    Gone Home is really a story that happens to be presented in a video game format. The game consists of you (a early 20s woman who lives as an independent adult – you were in the military) coming home after a vacation in Europe to an empty house; your parents and your sister are all absent, and as you explore the house, it becomes increasingly clear that it is a bit disheveled. You find some notes from your sister scattered around, as well as various notes and scraps of life left by your sister and parents. Some of these trigger audio logs from your sister, which are really journal entries that you are listening to. These tell the story about what your sister has been going through over the last year, and the story of her relationship with Lonnie, a girl she knows.

    There are other stories interwoven into that one – your father, who is a failed writer who is trying to climb back on the horse while working a real job, and your mother, who is struggling with her relationship with your father and who might or might not be having an affair, or at least contemplating one, as well as the story of the former owner of the house that your family moved into while you were in the military.

    These stories all come together to create a picture of a family that is troubled, but not broken, and of people who are people. Your sister is an immature high school student, but she is mostly immature like rebels without a cause are. Lonnie seems to be simultaneously more and less mature; she’s a bad influence on your sister in some ways, but also seems to have a more realistic and grounded view of the world in other ways.

    I liked the story of the lives presented here; it is sort of everyday drama, with people struggling with real problems rather than contrived situations (much as the game likes to pretend at one point that there might be supernatural elements involved).

    What I didn’t like, however, was the ending; when you get to the end, it seems to sort of throw away Lonnie’s character to force a “happy ending” which, if you think about it, isn’t actually really a happy ending at all. And this sort of ruins the story to an extent, because the whole story had been about growing up and trying to accept reality and find happiness through it, and then the end has Lonnie and your sister throw all that away while making a very stupid decision which flies in the face of Lonnie’s prior characterization, as well as the general theme of the piece.

    I’ll also note that it is possible to sequence skip in this game; as I assumed it was more gamey than it really was, I managed to find some secret passages, including the one that lead to the very final area of the game, far before I was supposed to. This partially spoiled a major aspect of the story to me from quite early on. The worst of it is, finding these secret passages isn’t even very hard if you are familiar with floor plans and realize that there are empty spaces which, in a real house, would have rooms in them.

    In the end, I’m left feeling ambivalent about this game. I wouldn’t not recommend it – I thought it was a decent enough use of two hours of my time – but simultaneously, I feel bad about recommending it, because in the end, the story doesn’t really feel like it actually came together thematically and tossed its build-up away for an ending that the game thinks is a happy one, but which the rest of the story (and plain logic) suggests wouldn’t be.    … Expand
  24. coustoe
    Jul 2, 2015
    1
    This isn't really a game, its just a boring marginal social justice story, it has no gameplay elements all yo do is walk around a house and find out that a girl has a lesbian lover and thats the story, no surprises twist interactive mutliple outcomes decisions nothing, this is not a game, and people who fall for this because the Social justice media tells them to like it are fools.
  25. thanatopsis
    Jan 3, 2016
    4
    This is a true walking simulator. If you like that sort of thing, you might like Gone Home.
    It might be worth $5, but no more. It takes no more than 2 hours to complete.
    I actually liked the way the story unfolds and how the locked rooms become unlocked little by little, but the story is not that compelling. What really annoyed me is that is has a sense of foreboding that just doesn't    This is a true walking simulator. If you like that sort of thing, you might like Gone Home.
    It might be worth $5, but no more. It takes no more than 2 hours to complete.
    I actually liked the way the story unfolds and how the locked rooms become unlocked little by little, but the story is not that compelling.
    What really annoyed me is that is has a sense of foreboding that just doesn't go anywhere. The dark rooms and thunder exist for no reason but to make you think something sinister might happen. And does it? Well yes: I spent $6 and two hours of my life on a walking simulator that went nowhere. It is pretty frightening to think people actually spent $20 on this and liked it.    … Expand
  26. filiphendrickx
    Jul 19, 2015
    3
    I only made a account on metacritic just to warn people of this game. Although it has a nice soundtrack and the intention of the game developers probably was in the right direction, the end results is an abomination. The gameplay is horrible (click on everything until you can proceed, even bad for a click and point), the story has a lot of red herrings and the game is just TWO hours long!I only made a account on metacritic just to warn people of this game. Although it has a nice soundtrack and the intention of the game developers probably was in the right direction, the end results is an abomination. The gameplay is horrible (click on everything until you can proceed, even bad for a click and point), the story has a lot of red herrings and the game is just TWO hours long! If this were a free game I would give it an okay score, but this isn't the case. This game gets a lot attention because of the 'deep message' it conveys to the player. But unless you're a homophobic red neck who still believes in male supremacy, you will find the story ( and especially the ending) not groundbreaking but boring as hell.… Expand
  27. reavor
    Nov 16, 2015
    4
    Severely overpriced for just about 1-2 hours. Not really a "game" since you can't loose. It's just an interactive story, although severely limited in it's interactivity. There was a lot of thought put into the story I guess, but not much more than that.
  28. Renovatia
    Dec 14, 2015
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is graphically a lightweight (< 1.5 GByte) Adventure, but decently looking. One plays the character Kaitlin who returns home and is to explore why her sister Sam isn't there and why she left an awkward note.

    This game is about taking you through a story, and it's far less about challenging your intellect, trigger amazement or boost your adrenaline like many other adventure games do! Be prepared to read a lot, because that's how you learn about Sam.

    Fundamentally it's a typical 3d Adventure, but confined to a single house. You walk around and interact with items to learn more about Sam's story. As the story progresses, you'll find out Sam is a lesbian and she ran off to her lesbian friend to live with her.

    Gaming-wise I have only one beef: your efforts as a player are not very rewarding. You have to read a lot of text but not much leads to a anything. You only gained more knowledge. You have to pick up almost everything (there's a lot to pick up) in the hope to find a secret code or a hidden key. When you finally found something, you're happy for a few seconds but then eons of boredom starts again; picking up stuff endlessly and hoping you didn't miss a thing.

    The biggest beef I have is about what the game does and about what kind of persons are behind this game.

    First of all this game is clearly an effort to celebrate LGBT issues and the method used is the good old "feel pity for the person, and when the desired emotions have been set, one automatically likes that person for being gay". For example this has been done in the movie "The Imitation Game" as well. Both the events in the movie and the flow of the game is a preamble to promote the LGBT culture.

    And, as often the case, the people behind such undertakings find reasons to stir some drama and artificially create victimhood: they refused to showcase their game at "PAX Prime" because they didn't like the convention managers' opinions. They (managers) don't buy too much into the usual political correct propaganda and therefore they are, according to the makers of this game, homophobes, transphobes and you name it.

    All in all this game is a project by, and for Social Justice Warriors, but you are not to find out until you're halfway into the game. Better not pay for this. It only encourages SJW's. Stay away from their world and focus on achieving something in your life; like saving money to buy a non-political, more challenging and rewarding game.    … Expand
  29. mcullen98
    Dec 16, 2015
    6
    Being a mysterious adventure exploring a modern locale, Gone Home includes a story line of problem solving to find where the main character’s family is. Throughout the game the player will encounter many rooms and clues such as notes and other artifacts which help move the plot forward and ultimately lead to the final scene revealing the mystery previously unsolved. This game incorporatesBeing a mysterious adventure exploring a modern locale, Gone Home includes a story line of problem solving to find where the main character’s family is. Throughout the game the player will encounter many rooms and clues such as notes and other artifacts which help move the plot forward and ultimately lead to the final scene revealing the mystery previously unsolved. This game incorporates themes of other games, and adds its own refreshing sense of family and feminism, which makes it appealing to women as well as men, something most games are not able to accomplish.

    Gone home takes time and focus to understand the game fully, and creates a need for attention to detail such as music, lighting, and relating it to personal experience. Gone Home is designed to be fine combed which makes the game that much more intriguing. Considering that many people find this aspect of the game a bit tedious, it adds to the realism of it. One thing that is done very well is the level of low lighting they use which adds a feeling of mystery. The player is constantly stimulated with music which relate to the atmosphere of the house therefor drawing the player even deeper into it. Along with the music, the graphics create a very real feel for the player. If not played properly you miss most of the messages meant to be taught and therefor making the game much less enjoyable. Another aspect which was well established was the option to play Gone Home a second time with developer’s commentary, which explains problems which the developers had to overcome when creating the game, and developing a more in depth explanation of many rooms of the house. After playing this game I found myself feeling multiple emotions, however one which was the most apparent was the feeling of disappointment that it was over.

    Aspects of the game that could be improved are spread out among the entire game. One aspect which needs to be addressed is the direction given when playing the game. Understanding the game is supposed to be a free exploration for the gamer to experience, some guidance of where to go or what to see would be helpful. After talking to many people about the gameplay, they mentioned that they missed a few very important pieces of the game because they did not know they were a part of it. If the developers were to include a list of things needed to be accomplished, the game would be easier to understand. The objects being examined should be tweaked to allow collection of knowledge for everyone. Some of the letters or books were written in very neat, but hard to read cursive which restricted many people from understanding some of the clues.

    Overall the game itself presented the aspect of mystery, adventure and difficulty which will appeal to many players who enjoy story line games. The gameplay was enjoyable and aside from little tweaks, the game was well developed. Taking into account the difficulty of some aspects such as opening and closing doors, the developers made great use of coding to make the game the way it is. The story drew the player in, overall pleasing the senses of the player. I would recommend this game to people who strive for adventure and interest in knowledge of the game.    … Expand
  30. MaxDV
    Dec 16, 2015
    4
    Gone Home, a first person exploratory adventure game that allows the player to go through the family mansion. By family, I mean the Greenbriars. You play as Kaitlin who comes home from vacation to find her families house empty. The task of the game is to go through the story of tracing clues and ideas as to what has occurred to have no family there. The Game is created by the FullbrightGone Home, a first person exploratory adventure game that allows the player to go through the family mansion. By family, I mean the Greenbriars. You play as Kaitlin who comes home from vacation to find her families house empty. The task of the game is to go through the story of tracing clues and ideas as to what has occurred to have no family there. The Game is created by the Fullbright Company also famous for Minerva’s Den in BioShock 2.

    So, Gone Home allows you to go through your family mansion, which has many hidden secrets. The story of your family unfolds as you play the role of a detective figuring out different aspects of your family members lives. Oh and by family, I mean Terrence Greenbriar (your father), Janice Greenbriar (your mother), and your sister Samantha. All 3 of whom are not in your house and have left various pieces of their lives to be picked up and figured out by you. It’s a seriously cool twist of mystery and adventure.

    At many points in Gone Home, voices will speak to you. Usually it will be Samanthas or your own. After examining items or objects sometimes they will activate a voice recording that will normally tell you more information about whatever you’re on about. Walking through the house also gives a mysterious vibe as some lights are left on and off, and you have the power to turn on most lights open all doors and basically walk through the story. Without giving too much away you are taken through various past experiences that lead to future parts of the story and allow you to understand and appreciate the gameplay much more.

    In all honesty I myself did not enjoy playing Gone Home. I am not one for storyline exploratory games as they attract some for an exciting tale, they bore me. Gone Home had a lot I think that could’ve made the experience more fulfilling. A lot of what I found was boring useless achievements to figure out a story that didn’t reward you with anything at the end of the game. This is where the FullBright Company could have made a difference. Adding extra and bonus content and special unlocks to altar gameplay just makes everything more enjoyable. It allows the player to take exciting new approaches to games whilst enhancing the game itself for pure enjoyment.

    Overall Gone Home presented a fulfilling task of mystery and exploration. It created an environment of examination and thought rather then action and destruction. Gone Home gained much success but also much criticism from the gaming community. It is a fun slow paced game for those who look for more detail in a story mode, and will leave you wanting more!

    Thanks for reading!
    Max    … 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.
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  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.
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  3. RPG Fan
    Dec 2, 2013
    75
    A story that will move some and alienate others.
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