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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. 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.
  2. tumbleweeds
    Aug 24, 2013
    9
    Gone Home has a very touching story which moved me close to tears a few times, and I think it manages to not tip over the edge of being too sentimental, although it's a close call in a few parts.
    I understand people bashing the game for not having actual gameplay, but you can't judge all games from the same criteria. Looking at what the game (or, more accurately, interactive story) tries    Gone Home has a very touching story which moved me close to tears a few times, and I think it manages to not tip over the edge of being too sentimental, although it's a close call in a few parts.
    I understand people bashing the game for not having actual gameplay, but you can't judge all games from the same criteria. Looking at what the game (or, more accurately, interactive story) tries to accomplish it does it very well.    … Expand
  3. liamdawe
    Aug 24, 2013
    10
    Personally I thought the story was lovely and enjoyed it from start to finish, wish it was longer! If it gets any sort of DLC to carry on I would love that.
  4. PizzaWizard
    Aug 24, 2013
    6
    The best way to describe this is as a virtual easter egg hunt. Instead of easter eggs you find story fragments, you assemble them together in your head to paint a picture, like putting together pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Sure, you don't need every jigsaw puzzle piece in order to understand what the big picture is but some are more vital than others.

    What will determine how much you like    The best way to describe this is as a virtual easter egg hunt. Instead of easter eggs you find story fragments, you assemble them together in your head to paint a picture, like putting together pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Sure, you don't need every jigsaw puzzle piece in order to understand what the big picture is but some are more vital than others.

    What will determine how much you like this game is how much you like the stories. Two of the stories are delivered very well. You have to put the pieces together on your own which makes them very intriguing. The other story is the one the game dedicates itself to most. It is pretty heavy handed and is the most poorly delivered and the least interesting. This is where the game failed with me. If you are annoyed by teenage infatuation then this isn't for you. If you love the 90s and lifetime dramas then you'll be all over this.

    6/10 for an interesting idea that could have communicated an interesting story but failed    … Expand
  5. strifeltd
    Aug 23, 2013
    10
    I don't really write game reviews but seeing such negative feedback from the community for such a brilliantly developed game made me want to take the time for this.

    Here are my thoughts. Most reviewer took issue with things like game mechanics, lighting, textures, etc. Great, yes, this game is not Crysis 3 or Bioshock Infinite. Though, in all honesty, I was nowhere nearly as glued to my    I don't really write game reviews but seeing such negative feedback from the community for such a brilliantly developed game made me want to take the time for this.

    Here are my thoughts. Most reviewer took issue with things like game mechanics, lighting, textures, etc. Great, yes, this game is not Crysis 3 or Bioshock Infinite. Though, in all honesty, I was nowhere nearly as glued to my computer screen playing Bioshock or Crysis as I was with this game. While those games are novel and have a unique set of features that make them enjoyable to play, Gone Home has an unparalleled level of depth that most modern games can't compare to.
    Its mature. Its thought provoking. It's the most realistic (situation/story line) game I have ever played.

    I think what most people who reviewed this poorly missed out on was how the game makes you feel. They get too caught up in the details instead of looking at the bigger picture and just experiencing the game for what it is instead of judging it for not having realistic enough graphics. I don't blame them. The first time my buddy eagerly showed me Minecraft and his elaborately built (and highly time consuming) castles, I though "your sh%$ing me right?" Not until I sat down and played the game did I realize its brilliance (just think back to your first night spent in Minecraft and you'll understand). These sorts of games are different but not necessarily wrong. Too many "gamers" are just trapped in the "better graphics, bigger explosions better game" mindset. Which, of course, couldn't be further from the truth.

    So to any of you who can appreciate a storyline that goes beyond the standard "hero's journey" narrative and woven into a realistic atmosphere, you'll be glad you played.    … Expand
  6. Truology
    Aug 23, 2013
    10
    This is the most beautiful game I have played in my entire life. I thought I knew what emotions a video game could give me when Mordin died in mass effect. And this orchestral game made me feel for the characters in a way that made Joel and Ellie's relationship in Last of Us seem like something you would find in a gears of war game. Honestly, this game is the next gen point and clickThis is the most beautiful game I have played in my entire life. I thought I knew what emotions a video game could give me when Mordin died in mass effect. And this orchestral game made me feel for the characters in a way that made Joel and Ellie's relationship in Last of Us seem like something you would find in a gears of war game. Honestly, this game is the next gen point and click adventure. Every cliche you think it would fall into it does not. It is absolutely beautiful. Now people have a right to their opinions, but I do not understand people disliking this game. This is the interactive story-telling at it's finest. If you are looking for a combat game go play Battlefield or Skyrim (not being disingenuous I love both of those games the latter the most) but if you want to play a game where you get a story as beautiful as the Last of Us but distilled to a point that every action grips at your heart, and no zombies just real beauty this is your game. If I paid $60 for this game I would be just as happy, this isn't a great "Indie game", this is just a great game period, no modifiers needed.… Expand
  7. 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
  8. chaser2099
    Aug 23, 2013
    6
    As someone who honestly enjoys a good playable story, this hits relatively high. The gameplay is smooth, the sound is smooth, everything regarding the game is smooth. Unfortunately, the game is quite short and on top of that, the story is a bit lacking at points.
  9. 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
  10. ISB5223CDN
    Aug 23, 2013
    2
    Gone Home should be in Barnes&Noble not GameStop. It is interactive fiction and a very short story at that. To sum it up, this "game" doesn't feel like a GAME. This feels more like a drawn out intro to an actual game. After it is done, you might find yourself saying "Is that it? WTF was that? I paid $XX for that? I could have went on Re/max Realty and read a short book while taking aGone Home should be in Barnes&Noble not GameStop. It is interactive fiction and a very short story at that. To sum it up, this "game" doesn't feel like a GAME. This feels more like a drawn out intro to an actual game. After it is done, you might find yourself saying "Is that it? WTF was that? I paid $XX for that? I could have went on Re/max Realty and read a short book while taking a virtual tour of a house.". In other words, like many other of us non-paid gamers have said, either believe the "pro-getting-paid" critics hype or save your money, pick up a short story novel and use your imagination for a graphics processor.… Expand
  11. 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!
  12. Drowkin
    Aug 23, 2013
    4
    As a storytelling experimentation, Gone Home hits the spot and hits it hard. The game feels interesting enough to drive you to go forward and learn what's been going on in your new house while you left. And every piece fits right into place. The 90's atmosphere is incredibly well rendered, and anybody who grew up in these times will smile at the VHS, audio tapes, old TVs, and overall looksAs a storytelling experimentation, Gone Home hits the spot and hits it hard. The game feels interesting enough to drive you to go forward and learn what's been going on in your new house while you left. And every piece fits right into place. The 90's atmosphere is incredibly well rendered, and anybody who grew up in these times will smile at the VHS, audio tapes, old TVs, and overall looks of the house. The attention to detail is there, and is part of what compels the player to hear the whole story.

    But let's face it As a game in the strict sense of the term... Well, Gone Home is simply not a game. It's a VERY SHORT interactive story, that might be of interest to 15 years old girls.

    Video games are at a turning point, the indie market has grown, huge and mature, and I am the first one to rejoice at that fact. But Gone Home falls flat on his face when it comes to telling an interesting story. The ending is nothing more than pure disappointment, leaving me behind my screen, thinking "What That is all Am I supposed to feel something right now I had absolutely no sense of accomplishment when I got to the end of the story. No last minute twist, nothing sad, nothing happy. Just a big nothing.

    This game represents everything that is both good and bad about experimental storytelling. Its puzzle-driven narrative and great atmosphere makes you want to go deeper into the story... But it's shortcomings and lack of interactivity makes you wonder why is this a game and not an audio book. As part of a bigger game, it would have been incredible. Imagine that instead of having a cutscene that just unfoils the story to you, you would have to explore, read, listen, solve (easy) puzzles and just be attentive to what's going on around you.

    What I don't understand is how can a serious reviewer give this "game" a 9/10 or 10/10 The 7th Guest, the 11th Hour, Beneath a Steel Sky, Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max... There are so many great adventure/puzzle games that manage to deliver a good story, and that actually make you feel like you accomplished something at the end, that I don't understand why Gone Home is apparently deserving of such high scores from the "professional" critics. Ironically, all these games are from... The 90's.

    Gone Home is simply an experiment in storytelling. Like many games are trying to do nowadays: Convincing people that the video game can be a great media to tell a good story. But Gone Home is very far from being the most interesting one.    … Expand
  13. 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.
  14. MaskedMetal01
    Aug 23, 2013
    7
    This game could have easily scored a perfect 10/10. The atmosphere is great, the sounds, graphics and overall has a spooky feeling to it. The story was nice and the voice acting was good.
    The game doesn't have much content though. It just lasted an hour for me, and I'm quite sure a speed run would only take a few minutes Like I said, the content is pretty tight. There were times I got    This game could have easily scored a perfect 10/10. The atmosphere is great, the sounds, graphics and overall has a spooky feeling to it. The story was nice and the voice acting was good.
    The game doesn't have much content though. It just lasted an hour for me, and I'm quite sure a speed run would only take a few minutes Like I said, the content is pretty tight. There were times I got startled even for the most littlest of things. And most of the stuff you find around in this game are useless and is just to kill time. But for the price, this game ain't worth it. A game that just lasts for half an hour or more, shouldn't be priced this high. I'm going with a 7/10 for Going Home.    … Expand
  15. ultika
    Aug 22, 2013
    3
    This game is a big disappointment, it starts out mysteriously and gets exciting and creepy sometimes and gets your hope up for a mindblowing ending but it's just not what you expect. I only give 3 score because the voice acting is good, but this story, i can't tell how disappointed i am.
  16. gabrieldevue
    Aug 22, 2013
    4
    In short: get this game if its less than 5 bucks or part of a bundle. It feels like a longer demo. The setting and sound are nice, but characters, story (in a story centered game) are very bland and way too short. The only interaction is the pacing. You can influence nothing else.

    Gone home... does not really do anything wrong. It does not anger me as many games did in the last time...    In short: get this game if its less than 5 bucks or part of a bundle. It feels like a longer demo. The setting and sound are nice, but characters, story (in a story centered game) are very bland and way too short. The only interaction is the pacing. You can influence nothing else.

    Gone home... does not really do anything wrong. It does not anger me as many games did in the last time... And I do enjoy games that tend to be very calm and with a minimum of interaction (Myst) or narrated movies (Walking Dead). I also identified with the main character (who has such few characteristics that this is not hard.) and enjoyed the fact that 2 girls are the center of attention here.
    Myst has a compelling world and culture, the Walking Dead tells a gripping story of multi-faceted characters (yeah, stereotypical some). Gone home is also story centered and the story in my view is utterly standard and told in a very boring way. So does this just boil down to my taste?
    In the beginning i was very intrigued: I had not read anything and expected suspense, maybe horror (x-file tapes lying around, the name "Steven King" popping up). I hoped that this was the way the story would go. Or if not, that i would be cleverly cheated out of my sheepish reasoning.
    The 90 points on meta critic also did their fair share. I have to think carefully if I can afford buying a game the screenshots, trailer, soundtrack and meta critic score convinced me. Also I love supporting a genre that really needs more good publishers.
    Now i really, really regret having spent 20 Euro on this game. I still would have liked to play it but not for 20 Euro. I would recommend it to people who like interactive stories (not really interactive... the story does not react to you you cannot influence anything but the pacing), the sound is nice, the voice acting as well. I especially liked the effort put into the handwriting. But this is simply... not enough for a game. Where Journey captures you with mood and also some essential game-play and difficulty here, there is absolutely no difficulty at all. I could have picked up the (well written) diary of a 15 year old girl instead. I have no reason of "playing" this a second time or watching somebody else playing it. I could not even talk about the game with friends. I actually feel cheated... There does not have to be a shocking twist or compelling tragedy in every story, but the whole set up, the premise is so intriguing, that the very banal 1000times heard many times told better story with 0 interaction disappointed me a lot. Maybe I would have liked that story more, if i was 14 or 15. But then the time period the game is set in might not have been so interesting to me.    … Expand
  17. chibistevo
    Aug 22, 2013
    1
    Gone Home is the latest Indie effort to be bound and gagged on the plaudit train. And, while Indie efforts are usually worthy of praise because they strain to do something different, Gone Home is clearly a case in point that stresses different is not always a driving point for a game. While it's true there genuinely isn't an experience like this 'out there', most gamers out there willGone Home is the latest Indie effort to be bound and gagged on the plaudit train. And, while Indie efforts are usually worthy of praise because they strain to do something different, Gone Home is clearly a case in point that stresses different is not always a driving point for a game. While it's true there genuinely isn't an experience like this 'out there', most gamers out there will probably suggest there is a reason for that.

    The critical acclaim is quite baffling, but I doubt it's worth trying to figure out. Just as critics felt like they had to give room for post modern art, it seems game reviewers here are doing the same thing. They see something unusual, something that tells a story a different way, they say it has emotion and involves the player.

    Here's the thing, though, Gone Home doesn't succeed on any of those points. There have been games this year that have evoked emotional storylines, and still given you something to physically do. Gone Home's only hook is that you allegedly have to piece the story together, from aeons of crumpled up notes and journals. The rest of the two, yes, count it, two hour experience is spent picking up items which either have no use, or make vague nods to what's going on in the house, or to pop-culture of the 1990s. Know how games put the odd easter egg in here and there? That's Gone Home's idea of a fully interactive experience. And the less said about the overall tone and theme/message of the story, the better. It's as if the writers decided on this subject to make a point, a point they had obviously done little research of.

    Thing is, regardless of how unique GH is, there really isn't a need for it. This is a once in a lifetime game that will hopefully fall off the radar, or find a niche of gamers that would be happy doing this. I can't imagine anyone wanting to go through such an experience again, unless the same gimmick was improved vastly beyond the non-game GH is.

    And, the final point, as people have mentioned, is the price. 20 bucks for a 2 hour game is laughable.

    There are plenty of better interactive story games. I point you to 999 and Virtues Last Reward. A story that surpasses anything told in GH here, and one that truly makes the player think far beyond when the credits roll, so much so, a replay is almost a guarantee. These games are 40 hours long, and barely cost much more than what the guys who made GH are asking for.    … Expand
  18. Argyle
    Aug 22, 2013
    0
    Twenty dollars for a poorly narrated coming out story? Is this some sorta joke?
    Credit where it's due, the gameplay concept is intriguing but the execution is far off the mark, it would have been a far more compelling game if the player wasn't put on such a linear path and when the narration and writing is so lacking it really detracts from the experience. It's borderline offensive how    Twenty dollars for a poorly narrated coming out story? Is this some sorta joke?
    Credit where it's due, the gameplay concept is intriguing but the execution is far off the mark, it would have been a far more compelling game if the player wasn't put on such a linear path and when the narration and writing is so lacking it really detracts from the experience. It's borderline offensive how badly this game is made, to handle delicate subjects such as someone coming to terms with their homosexuality in such a hamfisted manner as this game does is plain tasteless.    … Expand
  19. SmashLampJaw
    Aug 22, 2013
    1
    While the concept of a story based game is all well and good, and a game without conflict is also well and good, Gone Home's narrative is trite and boring. There is no conflict, there is no mystery, nothing happens. You get some audio logs detailing the relatively boring and uninteresting lives of a family, learn where to go, go there, and the game is over. Perhaps, if this game was fiveWhile the concept of a story based game is all well and good, and a game without conflict is also well and good, Gone Home's narrative is trite and boring. There is no conflict, there is no mystery, nothing happens. You get some audio logs detailing the relatively boring and uninteresting lives of a family, learn where to go, go there, and the game is over. Perhaps, if this game was five dollars or less, it might be worth looking at merely to expose yourself to something which is experimental. But for 20? Gone Home is barely worth your time even if you want new experiences and certainly isn't worth your money.… Expand
  20. omgroland
    Aug 22, 2013
    10
    A lot of user reviews of Gone Home can't accept Gone Home for what it is, which is perfectly okay. The game does feature well-developed female characters and uses a simple interface to tell a moving and personal story. I would argue it's a game with far more emotional complexity that shines through because the game allows you to simply experience its story instead of insulting yourA lot of user reviews of Gone Home can't accept Gone Home for what it is, which is perfectly okay. The game does feature well-developed female characters and uses a simple interface to tell a moving and personal story. I would argue it's a game with far more emotional complexity that shines through because the game allows you to simply experience its story instead of insulting your intelligence at every turn or demanding you experience a story through violence. It's beautiful, well-crafted, and a fresh of breath air against the backdrop of countless shooters and fantasy escapism. It's an adventure game where the adventure takes place in your own imagination instead of force fed in little chunks. Some people can't handle a truly great game when it comes around, which is perfectly okay.… Expand
  21. pyromcr
    Aug 22, 2013
    0
    This is not a game. To be considered a game there needs to be some way to lose, but that's not the case here. All you do is walk and look at stuff and it can be beaten in less that 50 seconds. Why does this cost $20 again? To give you an idea of how bad this is, FEZ was more of a game and Dear Esther was more engaging. It really is that bad. Only buy this if you get off to burning money.
  22. Marce2240
    Aug 22, 2013
    1
    A game with little to no gameplay that lasts 2 hours at most and 47 seconds at least, all of it for 20$.
    The fact that critics are praising it's story is a sign of the extremely low standards the videogame industry has in that particular field. I guess it's worth approaching if you want to watch a movie but feel the need to have some level of interaction (and keep in mind, it's a 20$    A game with little to no gameplay that lasts 2 hours at most and 47 seconds at least, all of it for 20$.
    The fact that critics are praising it's story is a sign of the extremely low standards the videogame industry has in that particular field. I guess it's worth approaching if you want to watch a movie but feel the need to have some level of interaction (and keep in mind, it's a 20$ movie). If you're not the type of person that, for whatever reason, is looking for that in a videogame, you should avoid this like the plague.    … Expand
  23. SteelCard
    Aug 22, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gone Home is a video game that is triumphs in tapping into the one thing we all seem to share an imagination gone wild in the face of uncertainity. It's an experience all of us likely had at some point in our lives you're home, alone, with the sounds of a creaky house settling, maybe with or without a nasty storm outside. Any sound, any shadow evokes a response of fear when, in reality, the logical side of your brain knows there is nothing there. Gone Home takes all of that and wraps it up into one fantastic package.

    The setting of Gone Home immediately forces gamers back into that lonely situation just described. The raging storm coupled with a creaky old house that is immediately dubbed the "psycho house" immediately forces our minds to jump to the wildest of conclusions, much like any time you were home alone as a kid. Also, the fact that you're playing a video game certainly helps, as there are very few games that do not have some sort of fantastical moment associated with them.

    And despite pouring everything on with the setting and entertainment medium, the developers keep trying to convey the same message over and over again: you're letting your imagination run wild, and there is typically a perfectly good explanation for everything. The bathtub is the perfect example of this. Who didn't see that and immediately think "Oh there it is! There's the first clue to this murder mystery!" when all it was was a hair dye job gone awry? And then there is the parent's messy room. You probably thought "Oh! They had to hurry out of here! See! Something nuts happened!" when, really, they're probably just lazy slobs. (How else can you explain a family who still has moving boxes in their entry hallway nine months after moving in?) Then we start seeing things about a possible affair, leading to "OF COURSE! THE DAD MURDERED THE MOM!" when of course they're just gone for the weekend. By this point, if you believed any of the occult stuff was going to go anywhere, well, I don't know what to tell you.

    Of course, all of this doesn't really feel clear until making it to the attic. Personally, my heart was pounding as I raced to the attic, expecting full well to see something horrific b/c, well, it's a video game. Then, nothing. And it all made sense at that point. Of course! I let my imagination run wild! We all did! This game might as well have been called "Occam's Razor."

    All the while, learning about the four family members is a fascinating character study that all of us can likely relate to personally. I would say all of us have experienced feelings of sibling jealously, not understanding our parents/kids, work frustration, relationship frustration, or living up to impossible expectations. This could be an entire other story.

    Judging this game by the graphics or gameplay is, frankly, unfair. It shouldn't even be part of the grading scale on a game like this. Movie and music reviewers have had to learn this in the past, and video game reviewers are just starting to scratch the surface of it. When I evaluate a game, I ask myself "Did the developer achieve their goal? And was their goal one worth striving for?" In the case of Gone Home, I say yes.

    Gone Home takes some of our most base expectations of the world around us and the video game medium and shines a light on them in a way most of us have never experienced. Sometimes, the simplest answer is the correct answer. No, that creaky floorboard isn't a murderer who crawled through the window. Stop letting your imagination get the best of you.    … Expand
  24. dakan45
    Aug 22, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The so called "critics" need to check their state of minds.

    Dear critics, we turn to you to infrom us about games, when a game gets 9.5s we assume that we MUST play this game and it somehow revolutionizes gaming.

    The game costs 20 bucks, its a linear story based fps exploration game inside a house. You move around and pick up objects and twist them around, then you hear an audio log and you continue doing that till you get to the last one and the game ends.

    That is the essential gameplay, The graphics are pretty good and the game is optimized but its not a "game"

    Its a tech demo.

    Reviewers will tell you that the story is pretty good, yet its a about a lonely girl who thinks she is a lesbian when in reallity she never had a boyfirend so she justs runs away with another girl who actually is a lesbian, thats it, not much of a resollution either, yet it gets 9.5 and most importantly it costs 20 bucks.

    The consumer is ripped off 20 bucks for 1 hour and a half of linear exploring in a tech demo, rather an actual GAME.

    There are far better GAMES to play for 15 bucks, shadowrun returns,rise of the triad, call of juareze gunsliner, hell even mars war logs.

    Sure they have flaws, but they are GAMES with GAMEPLAY and the reason they are criticized by reviewers and have lower scores is because the so called "critics" criticize the flaws in their GAMEPLAY since this game has no gamplay whatsoever and you keep moving in a linear fashion and pick up objects and examine them, there is no gameplay flaws to criticize so that gives them 10/10.

    That is the truth and it hurts but this notion that the less gameplay the game has and less complex it is, the better, has to stop, or we will be playing movies instead of games pretty damn soon.

    The user score shows that the so called "critics" should og and criticize movies instead and not games.    … Expand
  25. pocky
    Aug 22, 2013
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Why even try to make it scary?
    I didn't pay for this game and it sounds like I was better off, as it is less than 2 hours long. It tries to be scary and atmospheric and then at the end you are left thinking, "is this it?" It's ground breaking in the slightest, point and click interaction isn't new, it's a favorite genre of mine but I was expecting more. To try to scare you with bad scare tactics and then have such an uplifting ending is bizarre to say the least. You know what would have been a better ending? A suicide pact and the mom leaving with the ranger. You could have been finding their bodies. So her father was distant, the mother would be running off, and she'd be loosing the girl. That would have kept the horror feel, the sadness of forbidden love. Although come on, it's the 21st century no-one is shocked by lesbians anymore, it's par for course. They exist, they're nice people, we're over it. Stop milking it just to get reviewed by people who think if they say the game is bad they are somehow bigots. Political correctness at it's best is what you can see from the reviewers. One thing that made me laugh about the game is all those bathrooms and no mirrors. Not a single mirror in the house, strange that. Kind of a cop out. Almost like they didn't have the budget but perhaps with the high price of this game they can show you looking in the mirror in a sequel. You can't do a scary atmosphere game without taking advantage of mirrors. I'd recommend you experience the game, it had some cool points, but don't pay full price for less than 2 hours.    … Expand
  26. massivechicken
    Aug 22, 2013
    5
    Very short lived, simple, yet compelling gaming experience. Ultimately I enjoyed it, however, felt a bit empty. Some good ideas that weren't explored fully the way the game tells you the story (by letting you find scraps of paper with notes on them) gets old pretty quickly. I was expecting a more intricate storyline. It was almost like a tech demo and the actual "game" was an afterthought.
  27. DaVod
    Aug 22, 2013
    10
    This is the best game I played for a very long time. Luckily I hadn't have any spoilers and I did not know what to expect. After I get used to the spooky atmosphere I was consumed by the story and couldn't stop to play it. I even caught myself turning around (ingame) as I heard a creaking noise... Beautiful!
  28. PeterRJG
    Aug 22, 2013
    7
    Great story, like most people say, but it's too short and for about three hours play time at maximum (to say nothing of the lack of replay value), it's not worth $17.95 or whatever Steam wanted for it. For $5 like Dear Esther was, then yes, this game would rate a 9 or a 10. But yes, if you like stories of empowerment and self-discovery, this game is right up there.
  29. Deschain89
    Aug 22, 2013
    1
    9/10 for a game that is not a game in first place. Sure you can move around and click on things, I guess the developers thought my morning routine deserves a 20 dollar price tag on it, for it takes me an hour, feels completely rushed and there is not a real story to it.

    See, here is the real twist, were I a lesbian, my morning routine would be deemed as "IMPRESSIVE", "OUTSTANDING",    9/10 for a game that is not a game in first place. Sure you can move around and click on things, I guess the developers thought my morning routine deserves a 20 dollar price tag on it, for it takes me an hour, feels completely rushed and there is not a real story to it.

    See, here is the real twist, were I a lesbian, my morning routine would be deemed as "IMPRESSIVE", "OUTSTANDING", "GRANDIOSE", or any other adjective truly devoid of meaning when it comes to modern gaming.

    Almost no game-play, a so-so story which is only viewed in high regards for the feminist inquisition takes no prisoners and we would hate to be labelled as a chauvinistic people, and a length that makes angry birds seem as long as a first play-through of Skyrim.

    I would suggest avoiding this one, or waiting for a Steam sale of under a buck; 20 dollars for a movie ticket is excessive, then why is it not for a game which provides with little more?    … Expand
  30. Ghasemn
    Aug 22, 2013
    10
    What is the most fun of playing adventure games? you'll have to put everything you knew away because GONE HOME is not a usual video game that my come every year. games like this- i you find of course- is what called "Art Game" and that's true because of the story. story of GONE HOME is not an excuse for gameplay or something like that. its the reason. the reason you should play GONE HOMEWhat is the most fun of playing adventure games? you'll have to put everything you knew away because GONE HOME is not a usual video game that my come every year. games like this- i you find of course- is what called "Art Game" and that's true because of the story. story of GONE HOME is not an excuse for gameplay or something like that. its the reason. the reason you should play GONE HOME is story and in the end; story give you an important better-than-jewelry gold reward. it's a story about love, and it's not the matter of ages and gender... it's about love.… Expand
Page:

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
See all critic reviews »