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. CorbanDallas2
    Sep 15, 2014
    10
    This is a master piece of storytelling. something like I've not experienced before.
    The people who have given this a low score do so for a few valid reasons, one of which is that technically I would not call this a 'game'. At its core it is simply a well told story which you as the 'player' unravel as you explore the house and try to uncover the mystery as to where your family has gone    This is a master piece of storytelling. something like I've not experienced before.
    The people who have given this a low score do so for a few valid reasons, one of which is that technically I would not call this a 'game'. At its core it is simply a well told story which you as the 'player' unravel as you explore the house and try to uncover the mystery as to where your family has gone to.
    The main plot about your sister 'Sam' whilst at time it may feel cliched, is very accurate to life growing u up in the 90's, an example of which are the hand written notes passed between her and her school friend Lonnie scattered about the house, with silly drawings on them etc. These and other factors make the experience given by Sam to be memorable, believable, compelling and emotional.
    There are several other sub-plots focusing at the core of each on a family member, your parents and your great Uncle all have their own stories to tell.

    If you want action and adventure and car chases and guns, stay VERY far away from this as you will likely hate it. (see the negative comments/bad reviews of the game)

    For me, 'Gone Home' did something I've not experienced in a long time from games, and that is the feeling of being truly immersed into the game, into the characters, and their story. I lost track of time, and found myself rummaging through cupboards and boxes looking to try and find out what had happened, and at several moments during the unfolding of the stories thinking to myself as the protagonist 'okay but where the hell is everyone?!?!" out of genuine concern. and that is an experience i have not gotten from a game in many years!    … Expand
  2. Exwin0880
    Dec 26, 2014
    10
    This is one of my most enjoyable gaming experiences of the past year.

    The story is good, the exploration and the setting are great. It's a joy to play a game that feels like it's story is good enough without having to fluff it with repetitive kill stuff or solve overly complex and out of place puzzles. I mean, my house isn't like a typical adventure game where you have to figure out    This is one of my most enjoyable gaming experiences of the past year.

    The story is good, the exploration and the setting are great. It's a joy to play a game that feels like it's story is good enough without having to fluff it with repetitive kill stuff or solve overly complex and out of place puzzles.
    I mean, my house isn't like a typical adventure game where you have to figure out how to make a troll drop a banana, to give to a monkey to drop a socket wrench set, to fix a car so you can to upstairs and continue the story. It's nice to see an exploration game be all about exploration and the story. I will definitely be checking out the next game that Fullbright makes.    … Expand
  3. bobbbbbbb
    Dec 14, 2014
    10
    Gone Home is a first-person interactive story video game. It is set in the year 1995, the plot focuses on exploring a mansion in Portland, Oregon, and you must examining common household objects within the home. It starts with you arriving at an empty mansion. Your name is Katie and you are the eldest daughter of the Greenbriar family, you have just returned after a year abroad in Europe.Gone Home is a first-person interactive story video game. It is set in the year 1995, the plot focuses on exploring a mansion in Portland, Oregon, and you must examining common household objects within the home. It starts with you arriving at an empty mansion. Your name is Katie and you are the eldest daughter of the Greenbriar family, you have just returned after a year abroad in Europe. She expects her parents and sister to be there to greet her. Instead she finds only a deserted house, filled with secrets. It is up to you to explore the house and find out what has happened. Overall I thought that this was an incredible game, because it has a remarkable story and to me that is one of the most essential parts of a game. It was really entertaining to go around the house unlocking doors and solving the mystery of where your sister and parents are. The graphics in this game where mind-blowing, it was so good it almost felt like I was in an actual house. It was extremely realistic, it feels like your in a real house because there are all sorts of objects that you can pick up to examine that would be in a real house such as books to read and records to listen to. The kitchen is disorganized, and the bedrooms feel like someone is actually living there. The makers of the game put a lot of time and effort into all the small details such as all the objects that you can pick up, they all look very convincing. As you explore you come across notes, telephone messages, and diary entries that offer clues necessary for you to solve the mystery. The sound and graphics added a whole other level of complexity to it, because the lights flicker, there’s a thunderstorm outside, and the house seems to moan, which made it all scarier and more realistic at the same time. Throughout the game you get voice messages from your sister and they are really well done because they sound lifelike and give you hints about the plot but don’t give to much of it away. One of the parts that I didn’t enjoy was that there wasn’t a lot of action, you couldn’t jump or run which adds a layer of fun to a game. Over all I really admired the game. I had a lot of fun exploring the house and solving the mystery. I would recommend it to anyone I know because of its great mystery and story.… Expand
  4. Mateuse
    Dec 15, 2014
    10
    Gone Home is a wonderful demonstration of just how well a virtual game can resemble reality. Kaitlin Greenbrier, the protagonist you play as through first-person view, is a twenty-year-old returning from a trip abroad to a new home her family has mysteriously inherited. As you enter the home, a strange note awaits you on the door saying that your younger sister is sorry and that she hasGone Home is a wonderful demonstration of just how well a virtual game can resemble reality. Kaitlin Greenbrier, the protagonist you play as through first-person view, is a twenty-year-old returning from a trip abroad to a new home her family has mysteriously inherited. As you enter the home, a strange note awaits you on the door saying that your younger sister is sorry and that she has left home and may never come back. As soon as you enter the house, you want to believe something horrible has happened to your family. Fear grips you as you listen to a crying female’s message left on an answering machine calling for help; the house seems alive with creeks and groans. The masterful use of sound creates an ambiance of horror will lead you will believe that something ghastly or ghouly is hidden around every corner, in every closet, waiting to strike. But the only thing to fear in Gone Home is fear itself; there is only the illusion of fear masterfully created by the strange and eerie music and the randomized claps of thunder and flashes of lightning. As you progress through the house, soda cans, half eaten bags of potato chips, and empty pizza boxes litter the floors. All this garbage everywhere reminds me of my own house, and how my mom would leave garbage out to rot because I never used to clean up after myself. Almost every little piece in the Greenbrier household contributes to one member of the family’s life in some way, if not being used in a comical way by the game creators *cough* purple basketball *cough*. At the beginning of Gone Home, the evidence left around the house points to you sister being a lonely troubled young girl who is struggling fitting in at school. As you progress through the house, the evidence you find suggests that she is developing into a rebellious free spirit with the help of her new friend Lonnie. If I go into any further depth on Sam and Lonnie, it will spoil the storyline of the game.
    Overall, Gone Home is an excellent game that does not require you to kill anyone to enjoy it.    … Expand
  5. localcoder
    Dec 16, 2014
    10
    This is an awesome experience. You arrive at an empty house, and have to figure out what happened to your family while you were travelling.

    I really felt my character's discomfort and fear as I tried to understand. Arriving home in the middle of the night, in a storm, and finding no-one there... it's probably nothing, right? You'll all laugh about it tomorrow... right? If you were    This is an awesome experience. You arrive at an empty house, and have to figure out what happened to your family while you were travelling.

    I really felt my character's discomfort and fear as I tried to understand. Arriving home in the middle of the night, in a storm, and finding no-one there... it's probably nothing, right? You'll all laugh about it tomorrow... right?

    If you were around in the 90s, you'll enjoy seeing cassette players and hand-written notes and other objects you remember from back then. These made the game feel very personal to me.    … Expand
  6. holland23
    Dec 30, 2014
    10
    Fantastic experience. Notice i called it an experience and not a game. You have to enter playing it with a completely open mind to appreciate it - it's not like what you're used to. Very well told story that piques several emotions wonderfully.
  7. EthanO
    Jan 5, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gone home, a game created by the Fullbright Company, shows the true brilliance of non-violent first person adventure games. The game brings you into the mind of Katie Greenbriar and forces you to think and use your mind to solve puzzles and unwrap the mysteries within the game. Now, let’s start exploring.
    The best part about this game, I believe, is the real life connection’s that are made throughout the game. The Fullbright Company really did well by creating references and objects that resemble real life things. Throughout the game you pick many items, from brochures to Mexican skulls this game has it all, but the items that are the most interesting are the ones that are real. Another fun thing about the game was the weirdly satisfying feeling of being able to snoop through someone else’s things. It’s almost like you as a person are the one that is finding the combination to a safe to unlock it and the secrets inside. The further I progressed into the game the more emotionally attached I felt.
    The worst part of this game would be the game speed. The game can be completed on average in about 2-3 hours, which is a decent amount of time to be playing a game on your laptop. Also the movement of your character in the game is very slow and there is no option to sprint or move any faster. With the long competition time and slow movement it makes this a very tedious game to play, and at points boring. Another thing about the game is the quality of the graphics and attention to detail. The graphics are alright; I believe Fulbright could have put a little more effort into this section of game development; especially considering the game was created in 2013. The game does have the option to change your resolution settings but anything about the lowest resolution created in game lag and long loading times.
    Overall I would definitely recommend this game to others, however, not to everyone. Firstly, I would not recommend this game for any teenager because the style of gameplay would not satisfy the growing video game market for teenagers. However, I would recommend this game to anyone who has passed through their years of being a teen because this game makes a lot of connections to the past, especially 1995, which is the year the game supposedly takes place. Another reason is because the game requires a lot of thinking and puzzle solving which is the non-violent substitute for TDM and Domination. All things considered I believe that Gone Home is unquestionably worth a shot.    … Expand
  8. mariels
    Apr 21, 2015
    10
    Short and sweet first person point-and-click game. The story is the main selling point, so do not expect any heavy action. Do not buy this if you want anything action packed. Do buy this if you want to play a game that unfolds a really touching story. Excellent voice actiong.
  9. Moortiii
    Nov 8, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gone Home is a first-person action adventure game released by Full Bright Company on August 15 2013. The game takes place in an old mansion on Arbor Hill, Oregon in 1995. The main character, Kaitlin Greenbriar, has just returned from a year-long trip to Europe only to find that the mansion is completely abandoned and that her sister has left but a vague message telling her not to search for clues about where she’s gone and why she chose to leave.

    I think that, right off the bat, a lot of players were expecting Gone Home to be your average Joe’s horror game filled with jump-scares, ridiculously difficult puzzles, monsters and an insanity-meter. I find this completely understandable, because at first I felt the exact same way and almost signed it off as a dull remake of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. However, it didn’t take very long to realize that Gone Home was completely different and that it wasn’t supposed to be played like any other game I’d ever tried before.

    My favourite thing about the game was Sarah Grayson’s voice acting. Never before have I “connected” with a character so quickly and I also want to highlight how well the developer managed to show that a video game made in 21st century doesn’t necessarily need to include a lot of violence, or any sort of combat system for that matter, in order to be interesting and entertaining. Some might argue that the storyline needs some altering, because it was fairly predictable, but personally I feel like having a huge plot-twist wouldn’t have fit the game and that the current ending is all it needs to be - a form of closure.

    In conclusion I can say that, for me, Gone Home was the game that I didn’t know I wanted until I first played it. With it’s interesting storyline and stunning graphics it’s hard not to love it. The player is instantly immersed in the story and the artifacts from the 90’s spread around the house makes the story believable and even makes the house feel lived in. I personally loved the game and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to try something different or just enjoys searching for clues and piecing together information.

    Rating: 10/10    … Expand
  10. diaper
    Dec 1, 2015
    10
    This game is an indie game done right! Unlike Undertale, this game is good and thought provoking. The gameplay is awesome and fluid! The controls are excellent. This is the best written game I have ever played. Great game! Overall score: 10/10! My personal game of the year for 2013.
  11. Leandervolkmann
    Dec 7, 2015
    10
    Gone home is an exciting first person game with spooky effects and a creepy atmosphere. The game allows me to poke and pry at all the different stories the Greenbriar family has gone through. The best in this game is that every object picking up is important for solving the game. Putting together the information from all of them we have a completely insight of the family and we have theGone home is an exciting first person game with spooky effects and a creepy atmosphere. The game allows me to poke and pry at all the different stories the Greenbriar family has gone through. The best in this game is that every object picking up is important for solving the game. Putting together the information from all of them we have a completely insight of the family and we have the totally opportunity knowing where they are. We do not just solve the main story but create a picture of who each of them are.
    I will absolutely recommend this game. It is different to others. Normally I play games with levels/stages and different upgrades. GTAV is a good example of this. To get further in the game I need to complete missions. If I fail, I can try again. When I have reached and completed the last mission, I’m Finished. In Gone home, we are totally on our own. We have to find different evidences to get further in the story. The biggest difference between gone home compared to other games is that when we have opened all doors, and we cannot get any longer, we have not completed the game. The game has terminated when we have figured out the whole story about what has happened to the family. You have the responsibility to find the information and to decide when the game is over.
    The reason for why I like this sort of game is that I have to think in another way. I need to use the information to get further and every piece of evidence is important.
    There are many effects and objects, which affects the game experience. There are important sounds from thunder, door squeaks and squeaks from walking. In addition to the sounds there are lightning effects and flashing lights. I think, personally, that the game designer/designers has/have designed the house in a perfect, old and spooky way. The objects spread around in the house, are typical for 1995. The interesting thing about the objects is not that they just create the old atmosphere, but that they also are important to the story. Cassette players, for example, tells us something about one of the characters.
    I recommend this game to everyone who wants to try something different and special. It is perfect for those who like to investigate and/or like the feeling of fear and surprising. The game is easy to control, which means it is easy to play. Therefore, you do not need to be a “professional” gamer.    … Expand
  12. pettersolheim
    Dec 8, 2015
    10
    Gone home – game review

    You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is left alone. Something is not right; what has happened? Where is everyone? The game is based on the story composed by Chris Remo and published by Fulbright. It was released in 2013. This is interactive fiction, which means it’s a simulating game where the player uses the    Gone home – game review

    You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is left alone. Something is not right; what has happened? Where is everyone?

    The game is based on the story composed by Chris Remo and published by Fulbright. It was released in 2013. This is interactive fiction, which means it’s a simulating game where the player uses the keypad to control the character or the avatar you “are” during the game.
    Your mission is to find out what took place in the creepy, old and spooky house at Arbor Hill. There are clues to search for in the house, and each clue leads to another. For each step you take in to the deeply confusing and tragic story, you get closer to the answer. The story unfolds facts about every single family member.

    The game has a good build up and a lot of exciting aspects. What makes it interesting in my opinion, is the unkown concept and story that plays out; we have absolutely no idea what this game is about and how it will develop. Many people would say that lots of movies have the same exciting aspects, but to me the game is a bit different.
    In particular, I liked the graphics and the realistic surroundings. The producers have done a great job with the all the visuals and audio effects, which made the game a whole lot better.
    Another thing I noticed with the game was how quick you could finish it. Maybe the producers should have made it a bit longer; and you can’t skip right to the end. They have in a way done this already by adding “Sam`s notebook”, which we need to complete to get the full story.

    I would recommend this story to people with a general interest for both computers and stories. I don’t people with interest for opposite things would like this game. However, I think almost everyone could find joy from this game as it is a good concept. I would also say this game possibly would be more fun to play for kids than adults, as the game in a way is build up in a bit childish way.
    I think using this game in school is a very good solution and makes the class become a better one; where the class is different from the rest.    … Expand
  13. anettemogster
    Dec 9, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gone home
    Gone Home is a videogame developed and published by a company from Portland, Oregon called The Fullbright Company. It was created by Steve Gaynor and some more people and released 15th of August 2013. Gone home is a fictional game that is packed with surprises and hidden adventures.

    At the beginning of the game, you get a phone call that gives you information about the character you are playing as. Her name is Katlin Greenbriar. You begin on the porch of the house the game takes place in and find some baggage that tells you that the year is 1995. The plot is about discovering the family’s secrets in the mansion in Portland, Oregon on Arbor Hill. You play Kaitlin Greenbriar in first-person who is the oldest daughter of the Greenbriar family. She has two parents, Terrance and Janice and a younger sister, Samantha. Samantha, also called Sam is 17 years old.
    After being in Europe for the past year Kaitlin returns back to America and arrives to an abandoned house. The objective of the game you try to find out what has happened to the family. The more you look the more clues you find making the game much more exciting.

    I think the game was a little bit disappointing. It did not turn out the way I thought it would and that kind of disappointed me. I think it is a really good story and the effects and mystery behind builds up the story, but I wish it would turn out in another way. One thing I really liked about the game was the diary Sam had written to Kaitlin, and especially when it got told in Sam´s voice after you had found something in the house. Other things I enjoyed include the music, the graphics and the house. It was really exciting to walk around in the enormous house. I loved to play the game and didn´t want to stop
    It is a really fun game to play because you can do so much. You can walk almost anywhere you want, pick up stuff and look at it making it feel very interactive and real. Except for the end it was one more thing I didn’t like, and that was that if you looked the “wrong” place you could finish the game after around 10 minutes, so I wish there was some sort of a block so that you wouldn’t be able to end the game before it was supposed to end.

    I would recommend the game to someone else because all in all I think it was a fun and exciting game. I think it is suitable for both girls and boys between age 14 to 18 and I would especially recommend it to people who like mystery.    … Expand
  14. cr7madeinheaven
    Dec 15, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The video game Gone Home is a first-person storytelling, adventure game. It was made and published by the Full Bright Company. In the game you take on the role of the eldest daughter in the Greenbrier family. Her name is Kaitlin and she has just returned back from a year long trip abroad to find her whole family missing and a note on the front door written by her younger sister Sam, warning her not go looking for her family. You, as Kaitlin, proceed to investigate the house to try to find clues on the whereabouts of your family. This game provided me a similar experience to reading a novel. Despite having choice over what you do, everything seems pre determined. Additionally, the amount of detail present in the game is unparalleled to any other I have every played. I feel that the immersive graphics play big part in establishing a personal connection with the family. However, most of the objects in the house that did not play a significant role in the story had a very simple design. This allows the player to see their own life and house in the game. This is called masking. You also very rarely see Kaitlin and Sam’s face in the game. This purposefully vague technique is effective in two ways. Firstly, it is a form of masking and secondly, it forces you to create an opinion on the character without judging them by how they look. The graphics were used to full effect to develop a link between the game and gamer. The audio is a very important aspect of the game, as it sets the tone of the story. As you are playing you can even hear footsteps or lights flickering. At the conclusion of the game one is left wondering if they were all read herrings, or truly ghosts in the house. This uncertainty keeps the gamer on his toes and ensures the player keep searching the house so they can find the truth. I loved Gone Home because of the fact that there was no big twist, no revelation, and no ghost. I truly enjoyed developing real feelings for the characters in the game as I played. Finding out the small side stories felt just as rewarding as solving the mystery at the end of the game. If you are looking for your typical shoot-‘em-up game this is not for you. On the other hand if you want to experience something a little more fulfilling Gone Home may be worth a try.… Expand
  15. RoneDawg
    Dec 16, 2015
    10
    The computer game “Gone Home,” developed by Fulbright was based in Portland 1995. After a year, young Kaitlin Greenbrair returns home to her house in Arbor Hill, Oregon. To her surprise no one appears home and the house is empty. The objective of the game is to figure out what has taken place in the house since the departure of Kaitlin. As you read more and discover clues, a very strangeThe computer game “Gone Home,” developed by Fulbright was based in Portland 1995. After a year, young Kaitlin Greenbrair returns home to her house in Arbor Hill, Oregon. To her surprise no one appears home and the house is empty. The objective of the game is to figure out what has taken place in the house since the departure of Kaitlin. As you read more and discover clues, a very strange picture seems to form. The game centers around Samantha, her parents and the many elements of love, confusion and disaster that are scattered around the mansion.
    Samantha’s story in the game was developed brilliantly combining many themes of love and teenage drama. As the player, you take on the role of Kaitlin, which investigates rooms to discover various documents and clues to what has occurred in the house. As the player moves through the house, he or she discovers a series of letters written to Kaitlin from Samantha located in her journal, which she has kept for the duration of the year. The player learns that after moving into the new house, Samantha also moves into a new school and is soon to be recognized as “the Psycho House Girl.” The name was given to her due to a man called Oscar Masan, who is the great uncle of Kaitlin and left everything in his will to her father, including the house. When Samantha attends school she notices a senior girl dressed in a military uniform. Samantha eventually speaks to the girl with the military uniform and the player learns that her name is Yolanda “Lonnie” Desoto who has always had the desire to view “The Psycho House.” Samantha, being desperate for friends, invites her to come over the next day. Their friendship sparks over the months and they become extremely close, sharing activities and viewing movies such as Pulp Fiction. Their relationship begins to escalate quickly by Lonnie telling Samantha that she “Looks beautiful.” Moreover, after they see a Halloween show in “the city,” they decide to stay overnight at a friend’s brother’s house and slept together. Lonnie commences to put her arm around Samantha and reveals her feelings for her; Samantha has mutual feelings but can not bring herself to speak. A couple days pass and Lonnie again visits Samantha at “The Psycho house”. However, this will be an encounter, which Samantha will not soon forget. Lonnie kisses Samantha and that’s when their relationship becomes serious and they become secret girlfriends. As the Kaitlin goes on, she discovers that Samantha was organizing and preparing herself for a college creative writing course. However, Lonnie explains to Samantha that she is serious about enrolling in the military and is to be shipped out on June 6th. Samantha’s parents then intervene and soon discover her relationship with Lonnie. They state that the relationship is “a phase,” not accepting the fact that Samantha is in fact a lesbian. Forty-eight hours before Lonnie is to be shipped out, Samantha becomes upset and wishes that she could go with Lonnie. The day Lonnie is supposed to be shipped out Lonnie can’t go through with joining the military and asks Samantha to run away with her where they will start a life together; Samantha agrees to join her. She packs up her valuables and writes a letter for Kaitlin, which the player discovers, stating, “ I love you so much, Katie. I’ll see you again, someday. Love, Sam”.
    While discovering these letters, Kaitlin looks through her father and mother’s room, along with her father’s study. She finds old novels her father, Terry, had published. All novels were based around the topic of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Kaitlin learns that two of her father’s books had sold poorly and his publishing partner had dropped the series. Kaitlin also learns that eventually, Terry gave up writing due to writer’s block, an issue which makes the person unable to think about what to write. Sometime over the duration of the year, Terry received a letter from another publishing firm stating that they were willing to republish his two books under a new cover. Terry accepted and included a new novel, set 20 years after the second book. The player also learns that Kaitlin’s parents are at a couple’s counseling getaway, with evidence stating her mother may have had an affair with a coworker, and are due to return the following day. Kaitlin also learns that her great uncle sexually abused Terry. As the player tours the house, you may even see the various locations where the abuse has taken place.
    In addition discovering the story while investigating the home, this game also includes mind-altering graphics and eerie sounds. Fulbright manages to encompass the game with a creepy graphics along with a mysterious storyline. For example, upon entering the house you begin in the foyer where the light instantly flickers causing a dark atmosphere. Also stating, another characteristic of the graphics, which was well done, are the 3D effects when holding and looking through objects.    … Expand
  16. Kroko1234
    Jan 29, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gone Home

    Gone Home

    Katie comes home after a year in Europe. Voltage turned quickly into amazement when she realizes that the house stands empty . No little sister, mother or father is at home in the new , semi- stranger their house. What have happened. Where they are? Where they went from the new house? Your mission is to help to find out this. You will find secret passages and documents that will help you to find out of this mystery.

    Gone Home is the biggest gameplay I have had. Gone Home was so realistic. In the house you will find cartridges, recording box etc. All this is clearly helping to make the game more realistic. This is the best game I ever have played.

    In the house you will find cartridges, recording box etc. All this is clearly helping to make the game more realistic.

    I give it a big six-star rating. You must play it.    … Expand
  17. mentalundead83
    Mar 15, 2016
    10
    ♥love this game♥ because of the story.Really enjoy the soundtrack who wouldn't! bratmobile,and the messages stand up fight back ! smash patriarchy! great game ! love it ,support it,can't wait for more ♥
    cons: it is a short duration game ,wish it was more!and a bity pricey since its a short game.
    but overall loved it cause of the story plot .

    P.S Smash Patriaarchy!! ;)
  18. natyacero
    Jun 1, 2016
    10
    Gone Home is a narrative videogame where the player must discover details of the story to understand what is going on and what to do next. The story is about a Katie (you as a player), a girl who just came back from a year abroad, to discover that her dysfunctional family is gone and her sister (Sam) has left a note for her at the door warning her not to look into it and saying herGone Home is a narrative videogame where the player must discover details of the story to understand what is going on and what to do next. The story is about a Katie (you as a player), a girl who just came back from a year abroad, to discover that her dysfunctional family is gone and her sister (Sam) has left a note for her at the door warning her not to look into it and saying her goodbyes. The house was left to them by their uncle, who will also be an important part of the search. As Katie walks into the house, she sees the mess that they left behind and it’s the purpose of the game to go through it and draw conclusions from whatever it is you find.

    Apart from the storyline, this game has something very unique: Sam’s journals. As you find key objects to the investigation, you get pieces of audio talking about what you just found. For example, there is one that talks about how hard it was for Sam to move to the new school. These tapes create a sense of completion, where you are not missing a part of the story, but you are getting all the information because in a way, it is a reward for finding what you just did. They also add a lot of details to the narration and by being able to know what Sam was really thinking, not what her stuff wanted to let us know, it also became relatable. There are many feelings and many situations that, although keys for this occasion, might be everyday for us or might be something we see at school or at home. In this sense, the videogame managed to capture my favorite characteristic of the novels I read. No matter what it is about, there are feelings or situations that you can always make connections with. This is normally different with games. For example, Grand Theft Auto is not really that relatable… unless you enjoy stealing cars and randomly killing people.

    Additionally, Gone Home has a lot of details that don’t really matter at the end, but during the run, they seem crucial. This is because the game has parallel stories, one being the disappearance of Sam and the other one being the backstory of the house. While the player gets to discover little details of Katie’s parents and sister, he/she can also find items such as obituaries, game boards, books, and letters, that reveal details of Uncle Mason, who left the house to Katie’s dad when he died. Through Sam’s diaries, you also get to know about his reputation and that only feeds the environment set by the appearance of the house. This same appearance is the one that allows the player to imagine multiple different outcomes, many of them cynical, a mere fantasy, or even a supernatural event. These two parallel stories combine perfectly together to create an expectation or a hypothesis on what happened to Sam or at least, the reason why she left. This also allows for the hooking of the player with the game. Creating expectations on the players causes the plot twists to be even more shocking and leave the player impatient to know what will happen, just like in a novel.

    Gone Home is the best integration of literature into a videogame that I have ever seen. It is true that it can be solved in two seconds, but that is only when you know where to look. The fun part of this game is not to win, but to follow the story and try to connect all the creepy things you might find in your search for your virtual sister.    … Expand
  19. PixelPigeon
    Jun 28, 2016
    10
    Gone Home, in my eye's is an amazing game, but not many people will agree with me. The game does lack a lot in gameplay, but totally makes up for it in story, not everyone likes the story but if you do you will fall in love with the main characters. This game let's you explore in anyway you desire and this game is 100% player driven, you control the pace not the game, your hand is neverGone Home, in my eye's is an amazing game, but not many people will agree with me. The game does lack a lot in gameplay, but totally makes up for it in story, not everyone likes the story but if you do you will fall in love with the main characters. This game let's you explore in anyway you desire and this game is 100% player driven, you control the pace not the game, your hand is never held but you still know where to go through great game design. The story is the crowning jewel of this game, telling a rich and realistic story that will get you invested for the couple of hours that you play this game. Also this game is really short, about 1-3 hours but I feel like 3 hours is perfect for a game like this it give you quality over quantity. As said not everyone will like this game, there's basically no gameplay, the story isn't for everyone, and I can imagine for some people the pacing is quiet slow. But if you like games like Life is Strange then you will absolutely love Gone Home.… Expand
  20. TeenGirlGamer
    Mar 19, 2017
    10
    Oh My God! I started this game 2 hours ago and i just finished it.Now it's my favorite game.I loved everything in it.It just made me cry so much because it ended..♥
  21. Dr_Zaroff
    Mar 30, 2017
    10
    A game that evokes fear, sadness, happiness, and memory. Such a simple game but so well executed. Much like a well-written novel, this game is able to set the dreary mood and atmosphere with so little action! That proves just how well put together this game is. The details, the sound, the lighting, all come together to create something special.

    Another great thing about this game is    A game that evokes fear, sadness, happiness, and memory. Such a simple game but so well executed. Much like a well-written novel, this game is able to set the dreary mood and atmosphere with so little action! That proves just how well put together this game is. The details, the sound, the lighting, all come together to create something special.

    Another great thing about this game is that anyone can play it! You don't have to be a gamer to enjoy it, you just have to be someone that enjoys a good story.

    I will continue to recommend this game to everyone I know.    … Expand
  22. cmykeith
    Jul 31, 2017
    10
    This game is powerful, intricately crafted, and emotional. Though the gameplay is simple and it's much shorter than traditional games (I finished my first playthrough in about 2 hours), this game is complete without any unnecessary details. The sounds, music, and voice acting are all orchestrated beautifully.

    At it's heart is a story of joy and sorrow, distress and euphoria. It takes    This game is powerful, intricately crafted, and emotional. Though the gameplay is simple and it's much shorter than traditional games (I finished my first playthrough in about 2 hours), this game is complete without any unnecessary details. The sounds, music, and voice acting are all orchestrated beautifully.

    At it's heart is a story of joy and sorrow, distress and euphoria. It takes you on a journey of discovery.

    Gone Home is a piece of art. As all art, one's experience of it will be filtered through our expectations, personal interests, and biases. Those that expect a traditional game may be disappointed, but those that can appreciate a heart-felt experience will be delighted.    … Expand
  23. Philosophical
    Jul 9, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a difficult game to review, not because it's bad, but because it's such an experience that it's hard to describe. But, I'm going to attempt to. First off, this is one of the best first person narrative games I've ever played, and there are a lot of reasons for it. Let's begin with the graphics. The graphics aren't anything to go insane about, but they're not horrible to the point that it looks like someone took a crap on a copy machine. One of the only issues I had with the game was that the default brightness was, in my opinion, too dark. It could just be because I can't see well, but I had to turn the brightness up, though it didn't hinder my experience. With the graphics being just good, the audio is a whole other story. There isn't much background music, only a bit of very atmospheric tracks that helped add to the immersion. The sound effects were used well, and at times made me jump because of how engrossed I was in this game. There isn't a lot of voice acting, but when it's used, the performances are great. The journal entries by Sam were read so well, it truly at times made me feel for this character we only saw in photos. This leads me into the next part of this review, the story. The story is very emotional, and I was tearing up every five minutes playing this game. This is one of, if not the best game to tackle the themes of sexual orientation acceptance, and does it very well. The emotional turmoil described through the journal entries truly struck a chord with me. This is definitely one of my favorite plots throughout the game, and I think that the length was just right, not too short to be unable to justify my purchase, but not too long that I'd fallen out of the immersion. The gameplay is probably the least impressive part of the game, though it's still good. The simple key placement makes it easy to manage. Other than that, the controls are very basic. Overall, this is one of the few games I would give a 10/10. Though I do believe that you should go through this game in one sitting, and go into the game blindly. This is how I did it, and I believe it enhanced my experience. Other than that, this is a fantastic game that you should grab for only 20 bucks. Now, I'm sure there are many people who were disappointed with this game, but you should realize, this isn't meant to be a 40-hour game, it's meant to be a short and sweet experience. It shouldn't matter how long a game is, but the actual quality of the game.… Expand
  24. MusicScoresDK
    Dec 10, 2020
    10
    For the purpose that this game tries to achieve, it's perfect.
    For me, Gone Home was the game of 2013, and I would love for this story to be continued, to find out what happens with the family.
    What mostly stands out to me, is the voiceacting, the musicscore, the interaction with the environment and the level of detail found around the house. This is a story-based first-person game,    For the purpose that this game tries to achieve, it's perfect.
    For me, Gone Home was the game of 2013, and I would love for this story to be continued, to find out what happens with the family.
    What mostly stands out to me, is the voiceacting, the musicscore, the interaction with the environment and the level of detail found around the house.

    This is a story-based first-person game, where you must uncover the story as the game progresses. Curiosity carries the game, and you are like a detective trying to find out what has happen.

    I respect that this game is not loved by anyone, but for me it ticks all the boxes for what I love in a game like this. It has funny, sad, serious and lovely moments, and the dynamic of the game changes as you learn more about the story. And I like this story, and I would like to know what happens next.    … Expand
  25. Perfect_Smith
    Dec 29, 2021
    10
    норм игра. вполне приятная история и бродилка по дому, симулятор клептомана.
  26. Kraxlord
    Jun 18, 2023
    10
    Maybe one of the best games I have ever played! It's an intense story-driven experience for roughly 2 hours!
  27. The_Icon
    Aug 27, 2013
    9
    Not a single shot is fired, not a single blood is spilled and it over in 2 hours. Yet...in just 2 hours the game tells far more story and creates much more compelling characters than most videogames in their 20 hour run.
    Gone Home was amazing experience.
    It illustrates how far we have come in the videogames industry. Once it was all about scoring the most points or reaching the finish    Not a single shot is fired, not a single blood is spilled and it over in 2 hours. Yet...in just 2 hours the game tells far more story and creates much more compelling characters than most videogames in their 20 hour run.
    Gone Home was amazing experience.

    It illustrates how far we have come in the videogames industry. Once it was all about scoring the most points or reaching the finish line; now it is about experiencing the lives of individuals and see the world through their lens. The game shows the might of interactive story telling where other entertainment media falls short in delivering.    … Expand
  28. Just1nsane
    Feb 15, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I cant believe the thoughts of the negative scores of this game. You should be all ashamed of yourself to criticizes a girl being different as a child and growing up finding herself. The game is really well made even if it was like 3 hours its the experience that got to me.… Expand
  29. 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
  30. iamthespark
    Aug 29, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm not going to get into a discussion of "what is" or "is not" a video game. I think that is a silly conversation.

    Gone Home is a great story, that had me right from the beginning to the very end. I checked every bit of that house, no Kleenex box was left unturned. It captured how I felt when I was alone at home with a storm outside. Everything was creepy, shadows looked sinister, etc, etc.

    The story also hits really close to home (pun intended), and for that.. for that I thank the developers. I honestly didn't think I would play a game that told a queer story, and told it so simply, and so well.    … 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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