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. dclowd9901
    Aug 25, 2013
    3
    I literally created an account just now so I could warn against dropping $20 on this game. And I'm going to leave it spoiler-less so people won't be inclined to skip it.

    I'm seeing a lot of hemming and hawing in this review thread about why "professional" reviewers were going nutso over this game. I think I can boil it down to two things: Nostalgia and Originality. These are great    I literally created an account just now so I could warn against dropping $20 on this game. And I'm going to leave it spoiler-less so people won't be inclined to skip it.

    I'm seeing a lot of hemming and hawing in this review thread about why "professional" reviewers were going nutso over this game. I think I can boil it down to two things: Nostalgia and Originality. These are great qualities in a game, but this game relies almost entirely on them.

    I'm also seeing a lot of talk on here about the gameplay being "non-gameplay". It's an adventure game they don't traditionally rely greatly on twitch or other tired game types. And it clearly doesn't want to be a game like that. In fact, the game does a pretty good job at being simply an adventure game, in that it unfolds in front of you and gives you plenty to interact with.

    Where that falls short is that there are no interesting puzzles in the game at all. No head scratchers, nothing you even have to figure out on your own. It's not Myst, not even close. It had plenty of opportunity to be that kind of game, but I think the developers were more interested in telling their story.

    Of course, I'd even be fine with that (a la Heavy Rain), but it fails miserably at being an interesting story. It's true that it's not a story you often see depicted in video games, but it's been done to in Hollywood and literature for decades. The climax itself is so trite and overdone it's almost laughable. The game tries to look at you with this wry smile like, "Aren't we bold and interesting? Look how progressive we are!" to which I just shake my head in confusion.

    And the length? When I finished the game, Steam smirkingly showed that I had done so in 99 minutes. By my math, that's about $0.20/min. Parking in San Francisco is cheaper than that, and at least I'd see more interesting things wandering around the city for an hour and a half than I did wandering around this game.

    I promise you're not missing anything here. Wait for a Steam sale if you must, but I promise your money is better spent on just about anything else.    … Expand
  2. thingamajiggly
    Dec 27, 2013
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is one of the worst games I've every played. I even created a Metacritic account to write a review. This game presents itself as a suspense/mystery/thriller. Even the trailers indicated such. My boyfriend got me this game for Christmas, because I had been interested in trying it out.

    It starts out with a creepy feeling, what with the music and the storm. The house looks like it was ransacked. The lights flicker. The house creaks. No one is home, and you don't know where anyone is. You find out your father had a psychopath for an uncle, and it might possibly run in the family. Your mother is on the verge of having an affair. The house might even be haunted! All of these are the ingredients for a perfect casual mystery thriller. But no, this ends up being a young lesbian love story, and a pretty stupid one at that. The house isn't haunted, your father is completely sane, your parents are in couples therapy, and your teenage sister just ran off with her lover.

    It was a complete waste of two hours, in my opinion. I only gave it a "1" because I finished it. Silly me, I thought the story would develop further than it did.    … Expand
  3. eccentriceclect
    Sep 3, 2013
    3
    My review in two words: Hipster ****

    I have no problem with games that are nothing more than interactive stories. The Walking Dead game by Telltale Games is phenomenal and does the genre the correct way. Gone Home falls flat because there is no reason to play the game more than once and it does an awful job of getting the player to care about the people that are NEVER seen in the    My review in two words: Hipster ****

    I have no problem with games that are nothing more than interactive stories. The Walking Dead game by Telltale Games is phenomenal and does the genre the correct way. Gone Home falls flat because there is no reason to play the game more than once and it does an awful job of getting the player to care about the people that are NEVER seen in the game. It's intriguing at first, but the story is hackneyed and presented poorly. Without posting any spoilers, I can say that the "build-up" in the story is completely wasted by the ending. It's a shame too, because with better writing, this game could have been terrific. As it is, there is no reason to care about the characters.

    My other beef with Gone Home is the $20 price tag: Massive ripoff. The Walking Dead games were $5 per episode and a single episode is longer than Gone Home. I explored the game carefully and still finished in 2 hours. I could go back and look for the hidden doors, but I have NO motivation to do so, as it doesn't change the story.

    Instead of wasting money on this story, try one of the better done interactive stories, such as The Walking Dead or Dear Ester. Even the point and click adventures of the late 90's (like King's Quest series) had better storytelling and re-playability than Gone Home.    … Expand
  4. Alecrast
    Sep 5, 2013
    4
    This game was EXTREMELY disappointing, the story is just dumb, and this type of game is all about story. I don't care for gameplay, i don't care for enemies or puzzles, i LOVE a good -story only- game (To the Moon being one of my favorite games of all time) But the story of "Gone Home" is flat, the ending is terrible and inconsequential. You don't care what happens to this stupid sister ofThis game was EXTREMELY disappointing, the story is just dumb, and this type of game is all about story. I don't care for gameplay, i don't care for enemies or puzzles, i LOVE a good -story only- game (To the Moon being one of my favorite games of all time) But the story of "Gone Home" is flat, the ending is terrible and inconsequential. You don't care what happens to this stupid sister of yours, I was expecting a great shocking revelation or something and what we got at the end is just DUMB. DON'T BUY THIS.… Expand
  5. Poroz
    Aug 25, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The only thing they did right was, ummmmm, ummmmm, nope cant think of anything. You play 2 hours to find out your sister is gay, and your family is on vacation. Seriously who comes home from vacation and does this?… Expand
  6. noname123
    Aug 25, 2013
    1
    $20 for a virtual, empty mansion. Know what you're getting into before buying this is NOT a horror game. Arguably not even a game at all. All you do is walk around while listening to your lesbian sister whine about her first-world problems. If I wanted to hear a spoiled rich white girl whine, I'd just go to Tumblr. Your local library also most likely has a bunch of sappy teenage romance$20 for a virtual, empty mansion. Know what you're getting into before buying this is NOT a horror game. Arguably not even a game at all. All you do is walk around while listening to your lesbian sister whine about her first-world problems. If I wanted to hear a spoiled rich white girl whine, I'd just go to Tumblr. Your local library also most likely has a bunch of sappy teenage romance novellas that you can read for free. It's not that I hate a good story Silent Hill 2 is a game that combines excellent, moving storytelling with a chilling atmosphere but this is amateur, cringeworthy nonsense. When she said "the morning sunshine is the saddest thing I've ever seen," I had to hit the mute button. It is extremely hard to feel sympathetic towards a character that does absolutely nothing but whine, whine, whine.… Expand
  7. bden19
    Aug 25, 2013
    4
    This visual novel gets this score from me because of 2 things: the price and the length (also probably because they don't state its a visual novel, which it is.) $20 for 20 minutes of audio clips and the screaming female punk music of the 90's scattered across an hour of walking around a house. The story is probably the only thing that gives this any points in my book, and you can see whyThis visual novel gets this score from me because of 2 things: the price and the length (also probably because they don't state its a visual novel, which it is.) $20 for 20 minutes of audio clips and the screaming female punk music of the 90's scattered across an hour of walking around a house. The story is probably the only thing that gives this any points in my book, and you can see why there are some very positive and very negative reviews. But even with what the story is about, the length to price is unforgivable.… Expand
  8. danglingshrimp
    Aug 28, 2013
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gone Home is a game, if that's what you can even call it, about exploring a house and uncovering a mystery. You would think that this would be exciting and riveting if the mystery solving didn't focus on walking around a poorly designed house reading notes because, well, that's all there is to Gone Home. It's simply a hour of you walking around a house, rummaging through cabinets and drawers, discovering poorly hidden secret passages that, if found prematurely, can make the game as short as 45 seconds.

    It tries hard to tell a interesting story which it does succeed in one point, the voice acting, which is the best part of the entire "game". The other point is the completely forced story involving a closet lesbian finding out her true self. The game tries to be subtle, but it manages that as well as someone trying to hide a blood stain on a dress with ketchup.

    The game simply does not hold up to the raving reviews it is receiving by critics across the board. It doesn't captivate you emotionally, it isn't entertaining, and it sure as hell is not worth $20 dollars.

    Yes, a game that can be completed in less than 45 seconds, that consists of nothing more than walking and turning on lights, is worth $20 dollars.

    20 AMERICAN DOLLARS.    … Expand
  9. Xarxan
    Aug 25, 2013
    0
    I simply cannot believe how low games have fallen for something like this to be considered one. A fact that is not helped by the quite frankly pathetic and desperate pandering of the ''professional'' reviewers by giving it such high scores just to seem ''progressive'' and ''mature'' when all it really does is lower their credibility.
    It's depressing to even say this but the game itself is    I simply cannot believe how low games have fallen for something like this to be considered one. A fact that is not helped by the quite frankly pathetic and desperate pandering of the ''professional'' reviewers by giving it such high scores just to seem ''progressive'' and ''mature'' when all it really does is lower their credibility.
    It's depressing to even say this but the game itself is not what got it those high scores since it is barely a game to begin with but rather it's push by non gaming tumblr feminists who get high on the ''I'm progressive thus I'm better than you'' mentality.
    Nothing else to say about it really it's just a incredibly short and shallow attempt of the ''interactive movie experience'' with it's only real selling point being that it's ''PROGRESSIVE''.    … Expand
  10. BradBrad
    Aug 25, 2013
    3
    Could have been a 4/10 movie but ended up getting a 9/10 videogame by critics.
    Bad writing, bad "gameplay" bad bad bad bad

    Not worth the time to watch it on youtube much less buy it like I did.
  11. freedomgirl
    Sep 27, 2013
    3
    I like to think of myself as an adventure game aficionado, having played most games in the genre from Zork to Amnesia. This "game" is a supreme disappointment. Like a lot of indie titles, it has great promise at the start: interesting and novel storyline, realistic characters...that quickly dissolves into the player wishing that a larger game company would have come along and taken overI like to think of myself as an adventure game aficionado, having played most games in the genre from Zork to Amnesia. This "game" is a supreme disappointment. Like a lot of indie titles, it has great promise at the start: interesting and novel storyline, realistic characters...that quickly dissolves into the player wishing that a larger game company would have come along and taken over the game so it could live up to it's potential.

    Pros:
    - Great voice acting and interesting characters.
    - A big, empty house to explore with lots of attention paid to the design of the objects you can pick up
    ....
    Cons:
    - A storyline that starts out with promise and fizzles quickly into a dull, anticlimactic ending that seems rushed and devoid of any real tension.
    - Character stories that go nowhere and have zero closure.
    - No real scariness or tension, even though there was plenty of potential for it.
    - Overly simplistic gameplay. Actually, you can't call it gameplay. It's more like you are walking through a storyline picking up pieces of the narrative as you go. You can look at objects but rarely do they serve any additional purpose.
    - A VERY SHORT GAME THAT IS OVERPRICED FOR WHAT IT IS!

    You should buy this for $5 max. Seriously, you will be done with it in 2 hours and kick yourself for having paid any more for it.

    P.S. I loathed Dear Esther, and this is just a couple steps above.    … Expand
  12. Morgenstern72
    Aug 25, 2013
    4
    Well, i played this game because of the wild over-the-top reviews and because I like good stories. And yes, this "game" has a good story. But that's all there is at the positive side. All the high reviews seem to be just based on the "special" story. I can't tell you the big secret (you stumble upon about 10.15 minutes in the game) without spoiler but it's a sad fact that this is theWell, i played this game because of the wild over-the-top reviews and because I like good stories. And yes, this "game" has a good story. But that's all there is at the positive side. All the high reviews seem to be just based on the "special" story. I can't tell you the big secret (you stumble upon about 10.15 minutes in the game) without spoiler but it's a sad fact that this is the reason why this "game" is so hyped.

    The length if the game, with each and every stone turned, everything read, every cassette heard was exact 2 hours. The graphics are bearable, but not very good. The atmosphere is a little bit spooky, but otherwise it's just an old house with tons of cups, pens and rooms. While every review tells you it is not a puzzle game, it is: search for the next key to unlock the next door. A key might be a special year as a lock combination or just a key.

    So: nice story, super short, old graphics, absolut not replayable (except hearing the message machine again). For 5$ I would have said: yes, it's an interactive (very) short story. Let's give it 7/10. But for 20$ on Steam this is a joke. Compare it to true storytelling treasures like the Walking Dead episode game. And then PLEASE tell me why you would rate this game more than 4.    … Expand
  13. ToNoAvail
    Aug 25, 2013
    2
    You go around a house to read and check things out and unfold a poorly written story. Like a shallow interactive book, 95% of stuff you explore will add up to NOTHING. That load of stuff you just learned about the family? It means nothing, the game never puts it to a test or challenge. There is not even a challenge to this game. That whole time you wasted reading useless information aboutYou go around a house to read and check things out and unfold a poorly written story. Like a shallow interactive book, 95% of stuff you explore will add up to NOTHING. That load of stuff you just learned about the family? It means nothing, the game never puts it to a test or challenge. There is not even a challenge to this game. That whole time you wasted reading useless information about useless characters WILL BE IRREVOCABLY THROWN INTO THE VOID.

    You'd expect like a more serious back story as to "why the hell is nobody home after I arrive from a long ass trip to another continent" other than a bunch of sweet love stories and meaninglessness. Don't listen to people blindly praising this for "being different" (which is not an excuse to be crap). You'll even notice that some people are praising this for homosexual relationships. Truly the end of times this is.    … Expand
  14. Trigonometry
    Aug 25, 2013
    2
    Gone home is a game that has become famous for being finishable in 47 seconds, or played through for TWO HOURS and charge you 20 bucks. It's at this point that I mention how most indie games last more than that time and often sell for less. It's insulting to sell a game at this price for it's length. It tries to excuse itself from this by stating that it's a story driven game, when theGone home is a game that has become famous for being finishable in 47 seconds, or played through for TWO HOURS and charge you 20 bucks. It's at this point that I mention how most indie games last more than that time and often sell for less. It's insulting to sell a game at this price for it's length. It tries to excuse itself from this by stating that it's a story driven game, when the only thing of note in this generic drama, and the reason why everyone is giving it high scores, is because the main character is female and lesbian.

    Gameplay-wise, the game is a first person 'Adventure' game. You arrive at your house, your family has apparently gone missing and you must uncover the mystery behind it. Now, I like games with mysteries, I like exploring environments and finding clues and reaching a conclusion that is correct and won't direct me to the bad ending (Or just be wrong and give me some penalty) but with this game, the writing was awkward and it felt like reading a generic drama. The only difference was that it took time to turn the page because you had to search for the next one in the house, which is the reason why this is called a 'game'.

    Graphics are okay. I don't judge games based on graphics, but considering the short duration of this game and poor story it's something I have to point out. It's an Indie game with good graphics and that at least pulls the score up a bit from the effort that was put on that front.

    However, this game has no replayability. Nothing changes when you replay the game, and if you check a certain wall the moment the game starts you can finish the game within 47 seconds of starting it.

    The thing that bothers me the most about this game though, is how it has a Metascore of 90 for a game that isn't a game, for as much as one may praise a story and like story driven games, lasting two hours isn't an excuse when you charge 20 bucks for it. Want a good story driven game? You can buy the Soul Reaver story arch and Defiance from the Legacy of Kain series from the same price as this game, Three games lasting at least 8 to 10 hours each with proper voice acting and a compelling story. That amounts to 24-30 hours of gameplay for around 20 bucks, compared to 47 seconds-2 hours of gameplay for 20 bucks. Make your choice.    … Expand
  15. 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
  16. TravisT
    Sep 1, 2013
    1
    Overpriced, way too short, and not much of a game. It is being pushed on the merits of it's story, which isn't all that great. This game has a bunch of positive reviews from people trying to push the politically correct agenda and rate it highly because it features social issues they support, but they are completely ignoring it's lack of merit as an actual game.
  17. W4nt
    Sep 23, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let me tell you my experience from start to finish, and why I gave the score I did.

    I bought this for $20, expecting an ambient psychological horror story, as the game presented itself in the trailers as eerie but not filled with jump-scares, so I obviously expected creepy rather than scary. The moment I went in, I got chills down my spine at the sound design. Every little sound and movement sounded fantastic.

    Ten minutes in, and I'm enjoying the references, I feel the build-up coming towards me and I wonder if I'll walk into a room of a ghost, maybe a hastily closed door. But as I drag on, I realize the new initiative of the game: a girl who, as she ages, begins to show sexual confusion and melodrama. It's become a girl's cryfest. Fun.

    An hour in, and the only thing roping me in now is the detail they put in everything and the side stories, hoping they will lead to new tunnels. Nope, it's like introducing side characters that get used once and are never talked about ever again. At this point I'm pretty sure I know what's going to happen.

    Two hours in, I'm staring at my screen, thinking, "That's it?" There was no twist, no increased conflict, no actual ending. The girl just up and went with her lover, there is no chase, there is no panic enunciating from HER OWN SISTER, who would rather keep rummaging through her missing sister's junk. Then I think, "Come to think, what the hell about her sister?" The sister doesn't do anything, other than being a reason to walk around the house. No input from her was disappointing, definitely a letdown.

    Three hours in, and I'm uninstalling the game. Uninteresting, scatterbrained story and the budget was put into all the wrong things. I don't care about the price of this pen, or how your lesbian lover is in the army.

    Verdict: The game had an interesting idea, top-notch voice acting and sound design, but these points are null when you poorly execute a story. It's like trying to immerse yourself in a multi-million roller coaster ride that goes 3 miles an hour. The way to pick up stuff and move them is interesting, but certainly nothing innovative. The only way you'll enjoy and relate to this story is if you are a teenage adolescent, have never picked up a book in 3 years, and enjoy generic, predictable outcome melodrama. I do not recommend thisgame.    … Expand
  18. mac_s1
    Aug 27, 2013
    1
    This game is like a movie idea that got rejected. I seriously felt like i was watching a long episode of degrassi or something. Not worth your money and the scores metacritic blows out of proportion saying inflated statements about this game.
  19. Rambutan
    Sep 1, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Meh,

    I don't have a problem with this being a "interactive story" instead of a game. But I do have a problem with the story creating lots of situations that doesn't solve.

    Why is the house called the psycho house? What happened with the morphine addict uncle, why was he in that situation? What about the Grandfather, why was his painting defaced? Is the father an alcoholic? Does the mother have an affair with a co-worker?

    The sister is lesbian, great, I already understood that before I entered the basement, but what about the rest of the family? The conclusion was sooo disapointing.     … Expand
  20. Ungor
    Sep 2, 2013
    1
    This is not a game.

    There is literally no gameplay here, and the developer makes a selling point of it, saying "No Combat, No Puzzles." I got the game from a friend and didn't read anything about it before playing. There was some tension before I realized that nothing in the game world was going to kill me, but once that dawned on me the sense of suspense drained away. I was still    This is not a game.

    There is literally no gameplay here, and the developer makes a selling point of it, saying "No Combat, No Puzzles." I got the game from a friend and didn't read anything about it before playing. There was some tension before I realized that nothing in the game world was going to kill me, but once that dawned on me the sense of suspense drained away. I was still curious about where the story was going to go, but I figured out what was going on about a third of the way through and wanted my character to just go to bed and talk to people in the morning.

    This is an interesting experiment in alternative storytelling, but that starts to fall down as it progresses and relies less and less on user discovery and more and more on linear narration via voiceover. It shows hints of what can be done with this approach, but it feels experimental. As such, it isn't worth paying money for, even if you you're not looking for an actual game.

    The story lasted me about 3 hours, and while it was initially engaging it became more and more tedious as I continued. There's a good bit of 90s nostalgia scattered about, but that only goes so far when the main experience falls flat.

    Ultimately this is an art project, and like most art projects reviewers are afraid to give it low scores for fear of looking like they don't "get it." I think genuinely good things could be done with this approach, but this is essentially a prototype for the process. A promising prototype, but charging $20 for it is frankly insulting. Calling it a game is misleading.    … Expand
  21. Falcondor
    Aug 24, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wow. Game.

    Your sister is a lesbian and your mother is cheating on your father...whoopdeedoo.

    I do like how it played with my expectations but besides that it was very bland. I think people are really getting onboard with this game because of the sister-is-a-lesbian-who-runs-off-with-her-military-lover story-arc. This may be enlightening, endearing, or perhaps even shocking to some people. However as a person who is already comfortable with same-sex relationships this game loses its impetus. It merely becomes a rather ordinary (and ultimately boring) experience.

    I do believe that there is a need for games like this to be played, especially by the ignorant. But for someone that lives in a place like, oh, PORTLAND OREGON, this game is a hideous waste of time. I felt like it was trying to teach me something that I already knew, to impart some piece of its marvelous 'wisdom' upon me and help me be a better person. Too late. That's ultimately what this game is, it's late to the party. Not just hours late, but decades.    … Expand
  22. Paradosi
    Dec 27, 2013
    0
    I wish I could give a lower review than a zero, this "game" would deserve it.

    In short, this is NOT a game. This is not worth 20 bucks, this is not even worth 2 bucks. It's an interactive walk and pick up simulator, on a backdrop of 3deep5me nonsense. Just another case of how big time reviewers don't give a about the quality of the game at all, just the bull**** they can get out of it.
  23. Pekunen
    Aug 19, 2013
    0
    Do you rate this as a game, or as a visual novel?

    As a game, it's terrible. There is barely any gameplay, and what little there is is nothing to write home about. You walk around a house, looking at stuff. That's about it. As a visual novel, it's more of a thing. Gameplay doesn't matter in visual novels, so let's talk about a story. It's nothing to write home about either, and the    Do you rate this as a game, or as a visual novel?

    As a game, it's terrible. There is barely any gameplay, and what little there is is nothing to write home about. You walk around a house, looking at stuff. That's about it.

    As a visual novel, it's more of a thing. Gameplay doesn't matter in visual novels, so let's talk about a story. It's nothing to write home about either, and the ridiculous reviews given to it by "critics" are most likely due to the hip agenda the game addresses.

    As a game, it's a 0/10. As a story, it's 3/10 at best. That amounts to 1.5 average, but I'll just give it 0 to balance out all the 10/10 reviews that COMPLETELY ignore how terrible a game it is.. If it can be called a game to begin with.    … Expand
  24. iamymr
    Aug 18, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Warning: This review also spoils Iron Man 3 if you haven't seen it. This review is also long.

    I am feeling mixed emotions at the moment. I literally just finished the game about twenty minutes ago. I downloaded it about five hours ago, but my Steam in-game timer says I have only played it for three hours.

    First things first: I barely read any reviews at all. I think I skimmed either Joystiq's or IGN's or something, I cannot recall. I saw some of the screenshots, and then I checked the game out on Steam.

    Missing family members? Check.
    Resident Evil-like mansion? Check.
    1995 spooky period setting? Check.
    Detective emphasis where you pick up items and look for clues? Check.

    So this game is obviously about either a murder, a haunted house, or some sort of missing family detective game, judging by the screen shots and Steam profile, right?

    I boot the game up. Title screen is pretty spooky and ominous. I bet my family's bodies are in that second floor left window because it's illuminated on the title screen!

    The game opens with a "Hey don't mind me, I'll find my own way home" phone call. I have an inventory system and a map. I'm digging it. It's dark, stormy, the lightning and creaking noises are scary and ominous. This giant Resident Evil house is deserted and abandoned. I decide that I'm going to hug the left wall the entire game, and check every nook and cranny. And I do.

    I learn about my "father's" failed book sales, I learn about the creepy voice message on the phone, read about my great uncle's will. I enjoyed the X-Files references, and the Street Fighter stuff was great. All right, every thing is pretty cool for now. I bet my family is dead upstairs or something. The atmosphere is awesome. I get genuinely creeped out the dark hallways and the thundering and lightning. I keep thinking there is going to be a dead body or a zombie or something every time I enter a new room.

    After a great first hour or two of scary lightning and ominous noises, things start to get a little weird once you get to the second floor. The first girl punk rock cassette was okay I guess, but now these other ones are annoying me. Oh, here's a story about a pirate captain uh cool? I'm not really feeling it, though.

    And then "it" happens. The moment that makes me say "Uh what just happened?" Remember the trailers for Iron Man 3? Remember how it seemed so dark and ominous? How Tony was all alone? How the Mandarin was such a powerful and evil guy? And you see it and like it at first, but then the Mandarin reveal happens? And following that scene, the movie just loses all appeal. You are no longer invested. What you thought and expected is completely replaced with confusion. That moment happened to me in this game.

    "Dear diary I like Lonnie." Uh okay. That's cool, I guess? Seems a little unrelated to the dark and ominous feel of the game. My family is still totally dead and murdered, right?

    Nope, all the ominous darkness and set-up is basically for naught. After that reveal, it turns into a high schooler's interactive "Dear Diary, me and Lonnie let's be pirate punks blah blah blah." The game attempts to return to the "dark and ominous" setting with cryptic clues about your deceased great uncle and stuff.

    A little further, I get a little more hope when I find out there's a pagan ritual going on and some Ouija board talk. I thought to myself, "Awesome. She's totally killed herself in the attic, right?"

    Nope. Your parents are away at a couple's retreat because your mom is probably cheating on your dad, and your sister at the ripe age of 17 with all of her wisdom runs off with a now AWOL Lonnie and the game ends.

    I'm terribly confused as to why they marketed it the way they did if the main story line (your sister is gay and ran off) has nothing to do with the dark and ominous setting.

    Did I enjoy it? That first hour or so going about the house was great. Scouring corners for clues, attempting to find out what happened to my family, old creaky noises, Resident Evil flashbacks, etc. But then after the "Dear diary" event, I just stop caring. It got to the point where the game mentions a Kate/Kaitlin, and I honestly forgot that it was my character's name. Other than a few postcards, I am just a boring uninteresting protagonist going on a easter egg hunt for my sister who is apparently a master at setting up cryptic notes and secret passages.

    Does it matter if Sam was gay or not? Not at all. Even if Lonnie became Lenny, I don't care for a high school girl's 3 hour version of Dear Diary.

    The game is misleading in its tone and advertising. Do I regret my purchase? I don't know. $18 is a bit much for a 3 hour game I will never play again. All the hype and great reviews are a little misleading. This game could have been a great spooky detective murder mystery. You could have been a protagonist that mattered. But nope. You are just a boring older sister that no one cares about it seems.    … Expand
  25. ShinChuck
    Aug 21, 2013
    2
    I wanted to like this game, I really did: a combatless detective mystery solving the mysterious disappearance of your family. But what it essentially boils down to is an hour and a half or two of reading notes. The plot amounts to the same vapid 90210-level writing that the game itself mocks multiple times, with several cringe-worthy lines that carry a rather clichéd story to a forced,I wanted to like this game, I really did: a combatless detective mystery solving the mysterious disappearance of your family. But what it essentially boils down to is an hour and a half or two of reading notes. The plot amounts to the same vapid 90210-level writing that the game itself mocks multiple times, with several cringe-worthy lines that carry a rather clichéd story to a forced, unrealistic end. The roughly three dozen pages of notes could easily be read in ten or twenty minutes on their own, and amount to something you can already find all over on Deviantart.

    But you can't charge money for that, can you? The slow plod of having a player-character who must trudge around the mansion picking up these scraps simply serves as a vehicle to slow down the pace of this reading. The graphics and atmosphere are initially enticing, but they quickly become irrelevant, comprised of empty rooms that requiring you to poke at something before the next bit of storyline text appears.

    The game looks nice. The premise is intriguing. But unfortunately, it amounts to an hour or two of unnecessary trudging around and clicking around for the next bit of text, mere padding that allows them to charge $20 for a few pages of generic drama.    … Expand
  26. LFrostByte
    Aug 25, 2013
    2
    "It's a two hour game, almost devoid of challenge, and without replay incentives"
    This is a quote from a review that game this game a 10/10. I fail to see how you can give a "game" without any gameplay characteristics a 10/10. This thing would be no different if it were a movie or visual novel. You may or may not enjoy the story, but a good story isnt a game, it's a book. If you want to    "It's a two hour game, almost devoid of challenge, and without replay incentives"
    This is a quote from a review that game this game a 10/10. I fail to see how you can give a "game" without any gameplay characteristics a 10/10. This thing would be no different if it were a movie or visual novel. You may or may not enjoy the story, but a good story isnt a game, it's a book. If you want to play a great story centric game, play Planetscape Torment, The Longest Journey, Myst, even Penumbra.
    It's a crime that this game is being fawned over, I hope capable developers don't try and emulate the success that this thing has received instead of developing real games because at that point Gone Home actually begins to have a negative impact on gaming.    … Expand
  27. Account33
    Aug 19, 2013
    0
    The only semblance of gameplay Gone Home has to offer is ~90 minutes' worth of pitiful, painfully easy exploration. Exploration that can be further simplified with in-game options. Couple that with a hamfisted narrative that exudes pretentiousness and you're left with a $20 interactive novel. To call this a video game is insulting. If you want to tell a story or make a statement, go writeThe only semblance of gameplay Gone Home has to offer is ~90 minutes' worth of pitiful, painfully easy exploration. Exploration that can be further simplified with in-game options. Couple that with a hamfisted narrative that exudes pretentiousness and you're left with a $20 interactive novel. To call this a video game is insulting. If you want to tell a story or make a statement, go write a book or a screenplay or something. Videogames are not about narrative exposition. Absolutely disgusting.… Expand
  28. Sterlin
    Dec 29, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was horribly misrepresented by what I saw on steam. I expected a neat mystery with revelations and real discovery.. yet what i am met with is some stupid (albeit well told) little story about a lesbian girl and her aspirations or whatever. The exploration was somewhat cool and interesting until i found out what it was about. Then i just felt disgusted and betrayed.… Expand
  29. Soupstorm
    Aug 19, 2013
    0
    Unbelievable. If only games journalism was a licensed field of work, then we could strip it from everyone who rated this game higher than a 3 out of 10. This is not a game, and is an "interactive story" in only the loosest sense of both words. Yet another high watermark in a long-standing tradition of prominent games journalists broadly failing to do their jobs properly.
  30. Marce2240
    Aug 22, 2013
    1
    A game with little to no gameplay that lasts 2 hours at most and 47 seconds at least, all of it for 20$.
    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
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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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