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. Windolicker
    Oct 19, 2013
    0
    F*** this game....and f*** the critics. I think the creators knew that critics would just get on the bandwagon like the sheep they are; thus causing us poor gamers to buy it. Unbeknownst to us, the critics gave it good reviews on the most superficial of basis' possible. I felt like this game was similar to a film which wins an Oscar. In this case, it is similar to a film that clearlyF*** this game....and f*** the critics. I think the creators knew that critics would just get on the bandwagon like the sheep they are; thus causing us poor gamers to buy it. Unbeknownst to us, the critics gave it good reviews on the most superficial of basis' possible. I felt like this game was similar to a film which wins an Oscar. In this case, it is similar to a film that clearly doesn't deserve it, but won simply because of its "groundbreaking" message or some gay crap like that.… Expand
  2. Foursur
    Feb 16, 2014
    0
    Boring, short, and uncreative. This game has nothing to offer as a game; and it is hardly passable as a interactive story. Save your money guys, buy yourself something you'll actually enjoy.
  3. xPocketRavex
    Sep 11, 2013
    3
    sorry i this is a short review but its really hard to give an in depth review without spoiling it

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Games are for kill, explore and feel adrenaline, not for that.
  5. azadi
    Nov 5, 2013
    5
    I want to start out by saying I enjoy the gameplay elements of this game and want to see it used in a horror game. But the story is poor and mediocre. The only reason the story is praised is because of the gay elements but it nothing more then a cliched, teenage angst story made to look like could have horror elements.
  6. drjones254
    Aug 30, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let me save you $20.

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

    Nothing special here folks.    … Expand
  7. wasabi1787
    Oct 22, 2013
    2
    Really I don't understand the rating of this game. So much praise for the story, but there it is pretty straight forward and generic (and I think was supposed to be a "twist" really can't count as one in the 21st century). In addition to that, the entire game took less than 90 minutes on the first playthrough... It was really just uninteresting for what the cost of the game is. On top ofReally I don't understand the rating of this game. So much praise for the story, but there it is pretty straight forward and generic (and I think was supposed to be a "twist" really can't count as one in the 21st century). In addition to that, the entire game took less than 90 minutes on the first playthrough... It was really just uninteresting for what the cost of the game is. On top of that, the atmosphere was a farce (don't be fooled by hints of ghosts and the occult). The scariest thing in the game is a light bulb burning out. There is really no saving grace to make this game more than a two, which it earned on the fact that it was well put together. If it ever shows up for $5 or less, go for it. Basically you're renting a mediocre movie.… Expand
  8. Zodmo
    Dec 18, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am an older game player (62). I think this game is average in just about every way: graphics, sound, story line. Perhaps the thing that bothers me most is the ending. I think the fact that our young friend decided to be a runaway is disconcerting. Kids that age have all sorts of strange ideas and drives. This game seems to laud very questionable behavior. Let's face it: she has no money, and no real education. She is taking off with her friend to a life that will almost certainly be a miserable one, once the initial thrill wears off. I just to heck that this games does not encourage anyone else to do this sort of thing.… Expand
  9. 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.
  10. 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!
  11. gearsofwar98
    Dec 10, 2013
    0
    One of the games that proved reviewing websites are terrible. With a incredible short and overhyped story this game was not worth playing for free. The story was incredible mediocre and cliche and I feel if anyone thought it was well written probably has never read a book in there life. Anyone saying it was special is either a LGBT shill or just a woman. Do not play this game or give theOne of the games that proved reviewing websites are terrible. With a incredible short and overhyped story this game was not worth playing for free. The story was incredible mediocre and cliche and I feel if anyone thought it was well written probably has never read a book in there life. Anyone saying it was special is either a LGBT shill or just a woman. Do not play this game or give the company money for garbage like this.… Expand
  12. Discordy
    Sep 27, 2013
    7
    A unique experience. Past games taught me to be afraid of dark, empty houses, and at first I was expecting monsters to jump at me from around the corners. By the end of the first half-hour, though, it's clear that this is about exploration and story, told through all mediums: text, audio, and graphical notes.

    It's a shame the story wasn't better...
  13. LilD
    Nov 1, 2013
    6
    Let’s begin by confirming what others have been saying that there is no way this game is a 87. Paying $20 for a few hours of gameplay inherenently made me feel cheated. There is really no replay value.
    When you first get dropped off and realize that something is not quite right. You get the sense that you’re in for a treat and the game will be every bit as good as the critic scores    Let’s begin by confirming what others have been saying that there is no way this game is a 87. Paying $20 for a few hours of gameplay inherenently made me feel cheated. There is really no replay value.
    When you first get dropped off and realize that something is not quite right. You get the sense that you’re in for a treat and the game will be every bit as good as the critic scores suggest. Unfortunately, the “twist” comes somewhat early, which really kills the mystery to the game. That feeling of unknowing mystery from the beginning quickly dissipates. There are a few times where you think that the game could reintroduce a sense of mystery, but those themes lead to nothing and feel like immensely missed opportunities. Luckily, The atmosphere at has a twinge of creepiness that just goes along with being in a mansion by yourself. It never really amounts to anything. Additionally, the gameplay isn’t too varied. Pretty much all clues are in the form of scattered documents. I found it too often that pages 1, 2, 3, 4 of one document are at completely different corners of the house. It really does feel like a contrived bread crumb for you to follow. The game is a great concept that I hope will be expounded (to a much greater extent) into the future. While there are a few surprises, this game could have been so much more and it is the first feeling I got when I had completed the game.    … Expand
  14. M0vingon
    Sep 7, 2013
    6
    Don't buy into the hype, but don't fall for the extreme negativism either. I bought this game as a result of the reviews. To me it doesn't earn a 10 or anything above a 6.
    The amount of game play to complete does not, IMO, warrant a $19.99 price tag. Unlike other users, I had no issues with glitches or the functionality of the game.
    The storyline was engaging enough to keep me playing    Don't buy into the hype, but don't fall for the extreme negativism either. I bought this game as a result of the reviews. To me it doesn't earn a 10 or anything above a 6.
    The amount of game play to complete does not, IMO, warrant a $19.99 price tag. Unlike other users, I had no issues with glitches or the functionality of the game.
    The storyline was engaging enough to keep me playing (which is saying something), but the end was sadly predictable. I found myself waiting for something startling to happen, but it didn't. Frankly, short was good considering I was tired of following the predictable plot line.
    The ability to interact with objects was unnecessarily overdone. There were far too many empty drawers to open, tissue boxes and 3-ring binders to pick up- all with no relevance to the game. And no, I don't care about the nutritional information on the cans of cola strewn about the mansion.
    Props to the devs for the retro theme. I had particular fun with the 3D print in Sam's room as a throwback to the '90s.
    I would like to have seen the parents' individual storylines fleshed out much more.
    Overall, I'm giving it a 6, because I feel that this genre of game has massive potential (think Zork from the '80s), but it is also extremely difficult to do well. It is easier to captivate with big baddies and shiny loot than to engage the player with simple environments and story driven plots. Gone Home had me engaged from the beginning to end, but ultimately I may not have had the patience for it to go on much longer as it is written. For the price, I am looking for better.    … Expand
  15. louieshaw
    Oct 23, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. DO NOT BOTHER SPENDING YOUR MONEY. This game may seem interesting and for the first five minutes it is.

    But then the realisation descends that it is some humdrum love story about a lesbian and her girlfriend. There is NO mystery, nothing going on whatsoever. Even a subplot about the house's past owner that is far more interesting is not developed.    … Expand
  16. epaga
    Feb 1, 2014
    5
    I finished the game in 2.5 hours and was really disappointed. The storyline kept you interested the whole time, and the 90s memorabilia lying around the house was fun, but that was about it. Other than that it was simply entering rooms, switching on lights, and listening to emotional voiceovers that walked you through a story worthy of Dawson's Creek. Really too bad because with a betterI finished the game in 2.5 hours and was really disappointed. The storyline kept you interested the whole time, and the 90s memorabilia lying around the house was fun, but that was about it. Other than that it was simply entering rooms, switching on lights, and listening to emotional voiceovers that walked you through a story worthy of Dawson's Creek. Really too bad because with a better story the medium would have made for a simply AWESOME game. This way: meh.… Expand
  17. mmmMatto
    May 5, 2014
    4
    After all the rave reviews praising the story, voice acting, etc, I was hoping for something special. Gone Home turned out to be a big disappointment. I'm a big supporter of the LGBT community, and I'm glad someone tried to make a story that incorporates that, but this game feels like it was hastily written to placate Anita Sarkeesian so she'll shut up for a few minutes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Because the game play is poor, the story is awful, there is no replayability, and the cost of the game is 20$ I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone play this game. If the game were free, I would not recommend this game be played, the only thing my memory will take from this experience is the let down from all the media hype surrounding it I got sucked up in.    … Expand
  21. kaere
    Oct 30, 2013
    0
    Not a game, period. You walk around a vacant mansion while your sister whines about her first-world problems. Two hours playtime, max. Several people have "beaten" this in under a minute not exaggerating. Even those terrible Sega CD-era FMV games were more fun than this. There is nothing more to say. In the time spent reading this review, you could have beaten this "game!" If you reallyNot a game, period. You walk around a vacant mansion while your sister whines about her first-world problems. Two hours playtime, max. Several people have "beaten" this in under a minute not exaggerating. Even those terrible Sega CD-era FMV games were more fun than this. There is nothing more to say. In the time spent reading this review, you could have beaten this "game!" If you really want to experience it, you won't be missing out on anything if you simply watch someone else "play" it on YouTube.… Expand
  22. 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.
  23. Damieh
    Sep 1, 2013
    0
    Jesus christ. I registered in order to tell you what I read on a review (and didn't believe) before buying this game:

    DO NOT TRUST THE REVIEWS ONLINE.

    This game is one of the worst ""ADVENTURE"" (it should be called something like storytelling) games I've played. Please do yourself a favor and don't even try it.
  24. omniscient
    Dec 27, 2013
    5
    There isn't much to a game with edgy storytelling if there isn't much of a story to tell. Gone Home excels in pushing the boundaries of storytelling but suffers as the story it's trying to tell is bland and banal.
  25. fzpd95
    Sep 11, 2014
    0
    That's it??? Really??? This is what all the hype was about? This "game" was a complete waste of my time and money. The graphics were underwhelming, the soundtrack (if you want to call it that) made me want to stick sharp objects in my ears, the characters were sad and pathetic, and the story was boring and predictable. On top of that, it's a very short game. DO NOT WASTE MONEY ON THIS!
  26. Marcusdw
    Feb 4, 2015
    0
    Dreadful. Note really a game at all - wander round a house, uncover a rather dull story about a tedious family. Ghosts? Nah. Puzzles? Nah. Surprises? Nah. Save your money.
  27. Taylor_
    Mar 16, 2015
    0
    a game with no gameplay,no way of losing ,no enemy's or challenges

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

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

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

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

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

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

    If you buy this game, you are throwing your money down the drain. It's up to you. But if you like slow-paced indie games which are actually interesting and fun, I suggest you instead buy The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, or Everybody's Gone to Rapture.    … Expand
  29. conserd
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    I am not totally against story based games as the walking dead was excellent but gone home is horrible bad graphics which is important for atmosphere in these types of games all you do is collect notes with a forgettable story and all the blind thick skulled critics gave it a 10/10 $20.00 is $20.00 too much.
  30. Trunkis
    Jan 10, 2015
    0
    Don't let them fool you, this is a badly written "adventure" game... If a character in a play, book or videogame , it is not interesting enough for you to care or relate to it.... it is badly written....

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

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

    Recommended if you are a sjw hipster... then you will love it...    … Expand
  31. Draculamarth
    Nov 26, 2013
    0
    Metacritic, please remove this from the video games section because it's not a game. It's hard to describe this.... whatever the hell it is. All I know is that it promotes statutory rape and can be "beaten" in 2 minutes. Don't "play" it under any circumstances. Don't even pirate it.
  32. JudgmentJay
    Sep 13, 2013
    0
    This is the worst "game" I have ever played. I bought into the hype and purchased Gone Home a day or two after release. Late-night Lifetime Network-tier story, Bad graphics, bad aesthetic, boring environment, poor sound quality, 90 minutes long, and $20. This is the first time I have ever had buyer's remorse toward a game. The meta score shows just how out of touch journalists are withThis is the worst "game" I have ever played. I bought into the hype and purchased Gone Home a day or two after release. Late-night Lifetime Network-tier story, Bad graphics, bad aesthetic, boring environment, poor sound quality, 90 minutes long, and $20. This is the first time I have ever had buyer's remorse toward a game. The meta score shows just how out of touch journalists are with what a majority of gamers want out of a video game.… Expand
  33. mlumpz
    Aug 17, 2013
    6
    This game was interesting, as far as game "play" and storyline. However, is it short, short, short. I played through the ENTIRE game in about 2 hours. A little disappointing for the price.
  34. 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
  35. ianpac
    Aug 28, 2013
    0
    This "game" is just walking around an empty house opening drawers to find notes. This is not a game, it is a simple story with only one character that has any depth of development. Would you spend $20 on a book that is only one page long and only has one discernible character?

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

    The only good thing about the production is the voice acting, everything else is average at best. I am giving this a score of 0 to balance out the ridiculous reviews this "game" has been receiving. The hype is farcical and I guarantee this title will quickly become forgotten in the dustbin of flawed projects.    … Expand
  36. multibear
    Aug 25, 2013
    1
    £15 is not a justifiable price for a 90 minute long adventure game which offers so little. This title wouldn't have measured up in innovation, craftsmanship or storytelling to other games 15-20 years ago, let alone today. The interaction is limited and poor, the puzzles are nonexistent, the story is preachy and the linearity is so forced that you might as well be on rails. I understand£15 is not a justifiable price for a 90 minute long adventure game which offers so little. This title wouldn't have measured up in innovation, craftsmanship or storytelling to other games 15-20 years ago, let alone today. The interaction is limited and poor, the puzzles are nonexistent, the story is preachy and the linearity is so forced that you might as well be on rails. I understand that many gamers are insecure and defensive about having their medium validated as an artform, but this can be achieved without promoting mediocrity.… Expand
  37. Friar_Zero
    Aug 22, 2013
    0
    This simply isn't a game and doesn't belong in this section. It is a fine and interesting piece of interactive fiction. In order to qualify for the designation of game it would have to have gameplay, which this completely lacks.There are no challenges in the game that need to be overcome in order to progress and no systems to be learned and manipulated. It shares no characteristics withThis simply isn't a game and doesn't belong in this section. It is a fine and interesting piece of interactive fiction. In order to qualify for the designation of game it would have to have gameplay, which this completely lacks.There are no challenges in the game that need to be overcome in order to progress and no systems to be learned and manipulated. It shares no characteristics with anything that has been called a game from ancient egyptian Sennet to Chess to Settlers of Catan to X-Com. The sooner that interactive fiction artists stop insisting on their work being judged and classed as a game the sooner interactive fiction can grow and develop as it's own medium. In the meantime this work is being sold and examined under the same criteria as a Call of Duty or a Dragon Age.… Expand
  38. beskow
    Sep 2, 2013
    1
    Seriously not what official reviews make it out to be... left me very.... meh. like i knew what it was from the start. how it ended. waiting for a scary monster or to finally meet the people in the notes.
  39. Zime
    Nov 9, 2013
    4
    I'm so happy I bought this at a steam sale with 50 percent off because this was quite frankly, very boring. A video game should always focus on what sets video games apart from other mediums, which is solid gameplay. This is the strong foundation of a good game, so it doesn't matter how good the story is or how many spot on 90's references there are if the game is not engrossing to play.I'm so happy I bought this at a steam sale with 50 percent off because this was quite frankly, very boring. A video game should always focus on what sets video games apart from other mediums, which is solid gameplay. This is the strong foundation of a good game, so it doesn't matter how good the story is or how many spot on 90's references there are if the game is not engrossing to play. It is NOT engrossing to go around and read notes for two hours.… Expand
  40. Sroty
    Dec 27, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Strange game. Word "game" is too enough for this. Interactive story or maybe interactive book, but not the game. Gone home has no interaction, no puzzles (except key hunting) but almost every time you're reading scraps of leters, opening drawers and turnings lights, investigating where your family is and what happend. That is the probably the most interesting thing in the game. The end came fast, all the time I expected some story twist but didnt come.… Expand
  41. mraboud
    Dec 17, 2013
    9
    From the creators of the famous RPG game, BioShock comes Gone Home, an intriguing and suspenseful, first-person game played from the point of view of Katie Greenbriar. When Katie arrives home from Europe, she realizes that her entire family has deserted the house. As our heroine begins to search for clues about their disappearance, terrible secrets and an intricate plot line emerge toFrom the creators of the famous RPG game, BioShock comes Gone Home, an intriguing and suspenseful, first-person game played from the point of view of Katie Greenbriar. When Katie arrives home from Europe, she realizes that her entire family has deserted the house. As our heroine begins to search for clues about their disappearance, terrible secrets and an intricate plot line emerge to capture the player’s imagination.

    Gone Home is a unique style of game, as it is exploration based, and the player merely roams around the house finding clues, unlike most games, which involve violence and conquering levels. The subtlety of the game is also a rare quality, since the plot is not obvious at first, although the plot later shows the complexity of characters, and their history, once scrutinized. Without giving too much away, the story involves unusual and complex relationships between characters. Although the graphics are not modern, their lack of sophistication reflects the 1995 setting effectively. In fact, the game has been praised for its realistic depiction of the 1990s and, indeed, items such as tube television sets, auto stereograms, and 90s board games frame the time period convincingly.

    The realism, however, is at times bothersome because the game is too darkly lit. It is often overly time consuming for the player to wander around finding light switches, which feels like an odd use of the player’s time. Another negative aspect of this game is its length, as it only takes a few hours to complete from start to finish. Also, in terms of gameplay, the replay value is diminished since there is a static narrative, which limits the gaming experience.

    Overall, Gone Home is an enjoyable for the person who likes story-based games rather than brutality. In other words, fans of GTA and Call of Duty may not appreciate the nuanced mood and activities, where Katie collects personal notes, family secrets, and discovers underground passageways and keys to the past. Readers may enjoy this game as most of the game’s strength lies in the layered narrative structure. As mentioned above, the game length is not comparable to popular games as the cost per hour of gameplay is significantly higher, although it may provide the same satisfaction for the more thoughtful player.    … Expand
  42. thisisg
    Dec 25, 2014
    0
    It's absolutely awful - this is a "game" that you can complete (without cheats) in 1 MINUTE, 58 SECONDS.

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

    If you hate games, buy this. You'll LOVE It.
  43. GenuineOpinion
    Jul 11, 2014
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Plain and simple, it's an interactive story. I'm not knockin' it for that. It's just that.....
    ....that ending was absolutely ridiculous! I cracked up so hard. To summarize, the main character's little sister has a lesbian love affair, and their Ouija board tells them to run off together, and the parents are gone looking for them. That's why you come home to an empty house, lol!    … Expand
  44. fartheststar
    Dec 17, 2014
    7
    I enjoyed the game alot. If you like just exploring a world, and letting the world tell its story, then you should like this game. There's also more going on than the main storyline if you let yourself soak in the story. It's a story about family and family history. There's a lot been written, but I found myself engaged the entire way through, and felt the pacing and development were spotI enjoyed the game alot. If you like just exploring a world, and letting the world tell its story, then you should like this game. There's also more going on than the main storyline if you let yourself soak in the story. It's a story about family and family history. There's a lot been written, but I found myself engaged the entire way through, and felt the pacing and development were spot on.

    It's not a scary game. I don't like scary/tense games. This is not like that. Don't let concerns like that bother you. It's atmospheric - stormy night, big empty old unfamiliar house... but nothing there is gonna eat you!

    Other games that might have similar gameplay experience. Dear Esther (I liked Gone Home better than Dear Esther) and perhaps Lifeless Planet (which I really enjoyed). To The Moon is probably a similar experience (but different art aesthetic.)

    If this sounds the least bit interesting, I suggest you give it a try. I'm glad I played    … Expand
  45. Duduziuz
    Jul 8, 2016
    0
    Entediante, sem emoção nenhuma... uma historinha bem fraquinha contada de uma forma chata. Nada de inesperado, nada de revelador, nada capaz de lhe envolver ou emocionar.
  46. linkenski
    Sep 3, 2013
    6
    First of all, this is a "reactive" review, and i'll explain what I mean shortly. After seeing so high praise for this game, I decided it was time to play it myself. Is 1 out of 10 justified..? No but giving this a 10 out of 10 is just as bad.

    This game is very interesting and I think a lot of people hating it, are not admitting they actually liked playing it, because arguably this is a    First of all, this is a "reactive" review, and i'll explain what I mean shortly. After seeing so high praise for this game, I decided it was time to play it myself. Is 1 out of 10 justified..? No but giving this a 10 out of 10 is just as bad.

    This game is very interesting and I think a lot of people hating it, are not admitting they actually liked playing it, because arguably this is a very enjoyable game if you like story-focused games. The problem however, is that when everything in Gone Home is said and done, you'll leave house of the Greenbriar family with a feeling of emptiness. It offers what ends up being a very cut and dry, completely ordinary and nowhere near thought-provoking story.

    If someone spoiled the story for you, you've already heard what there is to experience in this game. It offers nothing more and for a 1-3 hour game I don't think the price-point it launched with was justified.

    Don't let this game fool you. It's not deeper than it seems. There is nothing to learn from this game aside from observing the way it tells its story. That's the true meal of Gone Home. It has a lot of great ideas to tell its story, because it uses red herrings as a means to distract the player from the main story and in the middle of the game the player might be unsure of whether it's actually a tragic tale or just an ordinary day for the protagonist.

    I think all the 2s out of 10s this game is getting by the user base is a reaction on all the praise it gets from the bigger video-game reviewers. There's nothing particularly special about the story in this game, and in the end it feels like you've been cheated.

    I'm letting Fullbright off the hook with my review. It was interesting to play Gone Home, and I enjoyed it a lot. But when I finally pieced everything together I realised I might actually have been wasting my time. This is a definitive "hipster-game"    … Expand
  47. Uzumakitony
    Oct 8, 2013
    4
    I tried. I genuinely tried to find meaning in this game but it just isn't there. A girl at home with a dot on her forehead...or her eyes? bad graphics, they should have at least shown her body. In a gaming world where everyone is trying something new it isn't unheard of to make a game like this. but the graphics and the boring aura of the game made it BAD
  48. Supagoat
    Dec 11, 2013
    1
    I can appreciate why the story of this game resonates with some people. Not just LBGT it's a story that can resonate with most any teenager.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    .    … Expand
  54. gumpei
    Nov 12, 2016
    4
    boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short, short.........
  55. Atr0s
    Jun 19, 2015
    4
    At first sight, it's a decent-looking game and you can interact with a lot of what you can see, and it's something you are supposed to do to get some insight in your character and everyone else involved. Unfortunately the game is about it, exploring an empty house and piecing together minor facts from the characters that advances the story toward the ending (with a few plot twists). TheAt first sight, it's a decent-looking game and you can interact with a lot of what you can see, and it's something you are supposed to do to get some insight in your character and everyone else involved. Unfortunately the game is about it, exploring an empty house and piecing together minor facts from the characters that advances the story toward the ending (with a few plot twists). The challenge is non-existent, there are no puzzles or any other sort of minigame, so this is more like an interactive book than a conventional game. A very short book, I must add.… Expand
  56. frankielee
    Jan 4, 2016
    6
    it was a little bit of a dissapointment for the game was praised a lot and i had high expectations. it is very short and when you finish the game you see that there is no mystery element. although through the gameplay, there is some. i dont know why they placed the "mysterious" objects in the house and the weird previous owner in the game because they have no function at all.
  57. AhmadAlsumain
    Oct 2, 2013
    5
    I bought this game because the very good reviews all around the Internet, I was so hyped as I love this kind of games which are very story (and narrative driven). I got the game, and it is by far one of the worst games I've ever played. It does not worth my time and money.

    Let's start with the good first. I loved the first 30 minutes of the game. It was very thrilling and well    I bought this game because the very good reviews all around the Internet, I was so hyped as I love this kind of games which are very story (and narrative driven). I got the game, and it is by far one of the worst games I've ever played. It does not worth my time and money.

    Let's start with the good first. I loved the first 30 minutes of the game. It was very thrilling and well narrative. Reading documents and trying to analyze the mystery was fun at first. But here is the real problem, the game is just too short. When I say too short I mean really really short. It took me about two hours to go through everything on the game to finish it. Which is why this game does not worth the price tag 20$, not even half of the price. My second problem with the game is the story. I said I loved the atmosphere and the narrative, but when it comes to the story, I did not like it at all. I do not want to spoil anything, but the story simply bad.

    At the end, I regret every second playing the game. I really thought I might have fun with it. I was so looking forward to spend a good night with the game, but it turns out the game does not worth my time     … Expand
  58. Hufff
    Jun 22, 2016
    3
    Gone Home is quite possibly one of the most boring games I've ever played. It's a stretch to even call it a video game, as most of what you do it uncover narrative clues in order to find out the story. As the twist becomes more and more apparent, rather than becomes intrigued, like the game wants you to, I found myself collectively losing more and more interest in a world which failed toGone Home is quite possibly one of the most boring games I've ever played. It's a stretch to even call it a video game, as most of what you do it uncover narrative clues in order to find out the story. As the twist becomes more and more apparent, rather than becomes intrigued, like the game wants you to, I found myself collectively losing more and more interest in a world which failed to ever grab me. There's no real gameplay to be had, but the story itself, being all that the game has to hold on to, never comes to be anything interesting or gripping, instead making me go "ok, so that's why critics liked this game" instead of actually offering me anything worth liking myself. It doesn't help that the game hinges so much of its setup on 90's nostalgia either. This period is perfect for targeting the primary demographic of games reviewers, who have been the ones singing praise of Gone Home, but if, like me, you didn't grow up in the 90's and therefore have no connection to period, the references only become irritating rather than endearing as they are meant to be. If you're really inclined to know what this game's all about, do yourself a favor and look up a YouTube playthough rather than shelling out money on an actual copy. The level of interactivity here is so low that you'll lose nothing by seeing someone else click on the long list of "interactable" objects rather than doing it yourself.… Expand
  59. Caribou
    Aug 30, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a game, or explorable, interactive environment if the word "game" doesn't quite fit, Gone Home seems to work hard to tell a story, use a voice, that is not commonly, if ever, heard in games. There are laudable intentions and good ideas here, but, for all the critical praise it has been given, even if you enjoy or appreciate some or all elements, it's not something that is without flaw or fault. No creative endeavour ever is.

    So, under the hyperbole, what is Gone Home? It's an interesting and valid way to tell the story of a white teenager, Sam Greenbriar, in her own voice, expressing her experiences and sexual identity. The player as her older sister, Katie, gets to discover not just what has been happening in Sam's life during twelve months away in Europe, but also what has been happening in the lives of Terry and Jan, their parents.

    It's a great premise; if you have the opportunity to find out about the details and secrets of the people closest to you, do you actually want to know what you discover about them? This is where Gone Home is at its strongest. It treats most of the characters as complex, realistic people and regardless of whether you like or empathise with them personally, you get to know them through the material aspects that surround them.

    Unfortunately, it can also highlight the weakness of narrative technique. Sam's story and personality dominates with the voice over work (although the English-speaking voice actress is good) to the point that it leaves the other characters feeling a bit flatter and lacking in dimension by comparison. Although it is definitely Sam's story it doesn't have to be told to the detriment of an ensemble cast.

    There's also story pacing problems and this is where the technical limitations, like re-use of assets, can become noticeable. It's an understandable problem, but when you're beginning to notice that there seem to be a lot of the same pizza boxes, piles of scrap paper and envelopes or that Jan seems to really, really love the same three types of house plant, it's rather like when your attention is on the over-acting extras in the background of a film than the scene that is happening with the actors in the foreground. The scene becomes broken.

    One of my biggest issues with the game is the misdirection of the 'haunted house' themes that play out. There's a couple of jump scares and a consistently heightened atmosphere for the player, but if you're a fan of supernatural horror it's probably going to be a disappointment at the lack of pay-off you receive and that the game also consistently points out that the supernatural elements all have completely logical and in-game context reasons for happening.

    If you're not a fan and don't buy into the sometimes creaky deployment (e.g the looping lightning storm that stays at the same exact intensity no matter how long you take to reach the end of the game or where you are in the house) then it can seem an unnecessary use of tropes. It doesn't add anything in particular to the story that couldn't have been included by different means. The worst part of its use has to be with how it factors into Terry Greenbriar's backstory.

    This is the literal 'dark secret in the basement' which the player has to mentally piece together with evidence found elsewhere in the house. It's a piece of stereotypical genre writing that portrays something that absolutely doesn't need a re-telling for the nth time in this way, either through the imagery used or the basic awfulness of who it is that has the greater role in revealing it to the player. The Fullbright Company, in this case, you can do better, much better.

    Overall, it's a take on the exploration and discovery experience that is very much needed and has some good ideas and execution, if bound by technical limitations. If it's going to come down to the handing out of laurels; I'd say this is a company to watch from this point on rather than piling fulsome praise on what is a first full game that has its own particular growing pains.    … Expand
  60. Mariokata
    Nov 30, 2013
    6
    I DON’T RECOMMEND THIS GAME AT FULL PRICE

    BUY ONLY AT 75% OFF. Gone home is a first person exploration game. Well maybe it’s not a game but more of an experience. There are no puzzles, no challenge and nothing to put your game skills to test here. This “game” is all about exploring a house, looking at items and basically learning more about the people who live in the house and their    I DON’T RECOMMEND THIS GAME AT FULL PRICE

    BUY ONLY AT 75% OFF.

    Gone home is a first person exploration game. Well maybe it’s not a game but more of an experience. There are no puzzles, no challenge and nothing to put your game skills to test here. This “game” is all about exploring a house, looking at items and basically learning more about the people who live in the house and their background. Without spoiling the story because this is the meat” of the game I will have to say that it tries to create an emotional connection with the user but the problem here is that THIS connection is hard to be established on all people who play the game and it depends on their own norms/values. That is also the reason that some people like the game and others dont. Furthermore this game is full of Easter eggs. If you were born in the 80’s just like me you will find a lot of references here. Some items will bring back memories from your childhood. The “game” is all about creating nostalgia but nonetheless it covers a very sensitive topic.

    Personally the story for ME was not very touching and to tell the truth I enjoyed exploring the house and finding those 80’s and early 90’s easter eggs more. The main story was average and predictable to say the least.

    Pros: beautiful environment that looks and feels like a real house, lots of Easter eggs, 80’s nostalgia is everywhere, good voice work, the soundtrack is excellent and the music fits with the tone of the game

    Cons: main story it’s predictable and boring, there is no real gameplay here, no replayability, the game is only 2 hours long and it’s also very expensive for its duration.

    FINAL SCORE: 6.5/10    … Expand
  61. chellboy
    Sep 22, 2013
    6
    This "game" is hard to rate. Because although it fits the definition of a game, it isnt really. Its more of an interactive book played out through a house. Its only 2 hours but its meant to immerse you and learn the family only through look around the house. The problem is, it doesnt even do that very well. I like the story and the ending but it presence itself in a weird way. It reads youThis "game" is hard to rate. Because although it fits the definition of a game, it isnt really. Its more of an interactive book played out through a house. Its only 2 hours but its meant to immerse you and learn the family only through look around the house. The problem is, it doesnt even do that very well. I like the story and the ending but it presence itself in a weird way. It reads you journal entries from absolutely nowhere, serious where did it come from? There a notes scattered which are pretty interesting but there just isnt enough of them and they are so easy to find. Not to mention they are place in very stupid locations. Such as Sam's private diary being in Kat's room on a bedside table. The story about the haunted house is totally underdeveloped and leads to nothing.

    The house is very interesting and well designed for most of the time. I actually really enjoyed myself and the ending warmed my heart, but it was afterwards I realised the faults. Its fun just unfinished and underdone. Add more notes and make it longer and this would be with the absolutely ridiculous price. This game should not have been worth more than $5.    … Expand
  62. ShalashaskaJC
    Sep 9, 2013
    6
    It's just not my adventure. The love story was nice, and it looked fairly good, but it's lacking substance for the price. This should be a $10.00 USD game for the two hours it took to complete it. I liked it, yet it needs another year of making it into a full game.
  63. Reace
    Nov 10, 2013
    6
    Pretend yourself in a situation where you are left to be alone at your friend's house and they gave permission to "Do whatever you want, anything at all" and you thought of exploring the house. While you are at it, will you get disturbances like in horror movies? Find a secret passageway that leads you to new chain of adventures and secrets? Discover the mysteries of the family of yourPretend yourself in a situation where you are left to be alone at your friend's house and they gave permission to "Do whatever you want, anything at all" and you thought of exploring the house. While you are at it, will you get disturbances like in horror movies? Find a secret passageway that leads you to new chain of adventures and secrets? Discover the mysteries of the family of your friends that can be life changing to yourself?

    None whatsoever. and that is exactly what Gone Home is. a realistic own home exploration game that only focus on telling you family stories on top of putting nostalgic items from the 90 's for display.

    For myself, the main story are not as interesting. In fact, it gets predictable the further you go so there's not much surprises. Game-wise, it's very casual which could easily bore you. If you care about the game play, and storyline means nothing much to you, I won't suggest this game.

    I like the game as it is, but I'm not sure I enjoy it enough.    … Expand
  64. Murther
    Dec 2, 2013
    6
    I liked this game for the most part. It makes you piece together the story yourself, through searching your house and discovering clues as to where your sister and parents have gone. It's a form of storytelling that I think should be in more games. I thought the story was superb... until I got to the end. I left my ninety minute experience angry and disappointed, because this game tricksI liked this game for the most part. It makes you piece together the story yourself, through searching your house and discovering clues as to where your sister and parents have gone. It's a form of storytelling that I think should be in more games. I thought the story was superb... until I got to the end. I left my ninety minute experience angry and disappointed, because this game tricks you into believing something interesting is going on... But it's not... seriously at the end it was a huge let down, and the game tricks you like this on purpose. It's also too expensive, don't pay more than a couple of dollars for this game it's way too short.… Expand
  65. homosaur
    Dec 12, 2013
    6
    I agree with most of the people on here that say Gone Home is conceptually brilliant and essential, and I also agree with those that think the story is somewhat bland. I appreciate the unique perspective, and the game really drips with nostalgia for the 1990's Portland underground. It really does feel like it really understands time and place. However, there's actually little story, it'sI agree with most of the people on here that say Gone Home is conceptually brilliant and essential, and I also agree with those that think the story is somewhat bland. I appreciate the unique perspective, and the game really drips with nostalgia for the 1990's Portland underground. It really does feel like it really understands time and place. However, there's actually little story, it's more of a short interactive fiction work.

    It's also too expensive. If I had paid $20 for this like some on here, I'd be furious with the length and lack of interaction. At $10 it's still a bit pricey. I'm not sure if the high cost is due to a custom engine, but if that's the case, they should have likely got something off the shelf and made the game cheaper. Unless you can get this for $10 or less, I unfortunately cannot recommend it despite the fact that it's something everyone should play once.    … Expand
  66. Lucathegreat
    Dec 22, 2013
    4
    Story is not that bad and the (only) voice is good, but it's hard to even consider this as a "game". You do nothing else apart from picking up letters and books, and hear what happened. No puzzles, an empty house full of useless stuff that you can pick up for no reason. That's it. It lasts 1,5-2 hours max, so no-one should pay it more than $2-3.

    The only reason this game is getting    Story is not that bad and the (only) voice is good, but it's hard to even consider this as a "game". You do nothing else apart from picking up letters and books, and hear what happened. No puzzles, an empty house full of useless stuff that you can pick up for no reason. That's it. It lasts 1,5-2 hours max, so no-one should pay it more than $2-3.

    The only reason this game is getting awarded is because of the "politically correct" theme of the story (that I won't spoil, but will be clear pretty soon), so the entire game it's just a slimy operation to gain easy consensus, thing proven by the fact that developers themselves tend to delete any thread on the Steam forum and ban users that dares to move even the slightiest complaint about their perfect game and don't treat it like a GOTY.    … Expand
  67. Halklenx
    Dec 10, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gone Home is a digital story, a game that is not based around how the game is played, but rather based around the content that is in it. The game starts with an answering machine recording that explains where the main character is, and that she has just returned from Europe after a year of being away. The first major thing that the player sees is a note on the door that says: “I’m sorry I can’t be there to see you, but it is impossible. Please, Please don’t go digging around trying to find out where I am. I don’t want Mom and Dad anyone to know. We’ll see each other again some day. Don’t be worried. I love you. – Sam” and this note, which is taped to the door, is the first piece of information that starts off the entire game.

    The first time that I played through this game, I was completely enthralled with the story, and since I am an avid fan of open world games, such as the Fallout series, I have a slight tendency to make sure that I check everything around the house. The game plays very slowly, mostly because of the speed of the character, which is always walking, and thus, almost ensures that you will find more items throughout the game, rather then physically and metaphorically running through the game.

    The game has an odd way of portraying its graphics, the game looks realistic, but it doesn’t have incredible detail, and so when the player is walking around the house, it feels like you are actually walking around the house, but when you go up to a piece of wood paneling, you can not see the grain, although the wood is not hyper realistic, it still looks real.

    The sound in this game is in my opinion what makes this game what it is, the small creaks of the house, the rain on the windows, walls and roof whenever you get close to them. The sporadic lighting and thunder throughout the game add a degree of scariness to the game.

    I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game; I loved the story, the ability to explore the house how I wanted. There is not much to complain about the game, your playing through it and its great; its when you play it again that the games has lost most of its luster and since you have already completed the story, and if you have found everything, there is nothing else to do, no other side to take, it is just done.    … Expand
  68. tommykirbs
    Dec 14, 2014
    8
    Gone Home, a game developed and designed by the Fullbright Company, combines the excitement and intrigue that are involved when solving mysteries, and turned it into an interesting and engaging video game. You are immersed into this surreal world, and in order to learn more about the situation you are in, you need to start exploring.

    The best part of this game, I believe, is its ability    Gone Home, a game developed and designed by the Fullbright Company, combines the excitement and intrigue that are involved when solving mysteries, and turned it into an interesting and engaging video game. You are immersed into this surreal world, and in order to learn more about the situation you are in, you need to start exploring.

    The best part of this game, I believe, is its ability to pull you in and force you into the brain of Katie Greenbriar, which I believe is achieved through their audio tracks. If you play this game with headphones on, and make a point of listening to everything, along with exploring, it can give you a completely different experience. It brings you into the home, and triggers emotions in the players mind that can be believed to be felt by Katie as well. This makes the game so much more real, and it helps to connect with Katie and the other characters when their thoughts are expressed not just through words on paper, but with their voices.

    The worst part of this game is definitely the actual ways that clues are found. This game lacks excitement. To find out clues, all you have to do is pick something up and examine it. There are no puzzles or adrenaline affecting activities that help you push through this two hour search, they just made it a linear, strenuous task of searching every area of the house until you trigger Sam’s journal entries. The only known puzzle to solve in the game are the lock combinations, which were just minute obstacles to overcome.

    The last part of this game I am going to discuss are the graphics and the gameplay, which I believe are average. They are not great, but are not awful at the same time. I definitely could have done with them perfecting the opening of doors, but this did not defer me from my game experience whatsoever. Some of the items picked up could also not have been so pixelated, but to run the game on my computer I needed to use the lowest graphic possible, so this may be fixed on a higher resolution setting. These two things I believe would have made the game slightly closer to being perfect, but did not affect the gameplay enough for me to stop playing.

    All together, I enjoyed being able to transfer myself into Katie’s body, and search an abandoned house finding clues, but I found myself bored of searching drawers and rooms, which is a big downside for me. I would recommend this game, but it definitely requires a commitment to playing. You can’t just play the game to beat it, you have to play it to solve it.    … Expand
  69. anthonylisi
    Dec 15, 2014
    9
    The creators of Gone Home have somehow captured the intoxicating high that comes from problem solving and put their brilliance into a beautiful, plot-rich video game. It’s 1995 when Katie Greenbriar returns home after a year in Europe to a violent thunderstorm, an empty house, and a missing family. You’re then given a sort-of “license to snoop”, an opportunity to search through, with aThe creators of Gone Home have somehow captured the intoxicating high that comes from problem solving and put their brilliance into a beautiful, plot-rich video game. It’s 1995 when Katie Greenbriar returns home after a year in Europe to a violent thunderstorm, an empty house, and a missing family. You’re then given a sort-of “license to snoop”, an opportunity to search through, with a clear conscience, every note, letter, and personal artifact in the house to discover the whereabouts of the Greenbriar family. Unlike the most popular videogames that balance action-based gameplay and an interesting storyline, Gone Home is focused almost completely on the plotline. But how can a game be good if I’m unable to blow up aliens or drag race Lamborghinis, you might ask? Well, the short answer is it can be good – it can be really good, in fact. This game belongs in a class of it’s own, mainly because it encompasses the best characteristics of a good short story (or even a novel, for that matter) in a creative and interactive space. All of the clues and artifacts are there for you, but locating them will only get you so far; if you really want to understand what’s going on, you have to remain sharp throughout the game, and start to pick up on trends (the good stuff comes when you start to connect the dots). I was quite surprised with how riveting the game was. Once I started, I became obsessed with finding all of the pieces to the puzzle and ultimately solving the mystery. That being said, the only thing I don’t like about this game is that once you’ve played it over a few times and understand everything that’s going on, it quickly becomes boring. It’s understandable and almost by design, but if I had to pick out one thing that I wish could be better, that would be it. So, if the review doesn’t scream it enough, I IMPLORE you to dabble into the brilliance of Gone Home. Immerse yourself in the beautifully designed game, and allow your headspace to become addicted to the mystery. It’s fun, innovative, riveting, and you’ll likely feel a little smarter after you’ve finished and figured everything out. Overall, I give this game a top rating. I hope you all have the same experience I did!… Expand
  70. didthisforclass
    Dec 15, 2014
    7
    Gone Home is a game created by the upstart Fullbright Company, a newcomer to the gaming community made up of former BioShock employees. It is as much an interactive story as it is a video game, and is a new experience in first person gaming.
    Since 2012, the year Gone Home was released, it has garnered positive reviews in the gaming world and even won a few awards, most recently the 2014    Gone Home is a game created by the upstart Fullbright Company, a newcomer to the gaming community made up of former BioShock employees. It is as much an interactive story as it is a video game, and is a new experience in first person gaming.
    Since 2012, the year Gone Home was released, it has garnered positive reviews in the gaming world and even won a few awards, most recently the 2014 BAFTA Games Award for Debut Game. The story focuses on a rainy night in June 1995, when Kaitlin Greenbrier arrives home from a year backpacking through Europe to find a new house all moved into but with no one in it. The only clue you begin with is a note on the door from her sister Sam, telling Katie not to go looking for her.
    The game then becomes what you make of it, as you are free to explore the house at your liberty. The game does have a plot line, but following the story is contingent on you finding the clues found around the household. The story does take shape in the form of Sam’s journal entries, which can be found by interacting with the many objects strewn about the house. The house is full of mysteries, and it is up to you to unlock them.
    What I really enjoyed about the game was the fact that you control what you find and when you find it. You find things in no particular order, and it forces you to formulate the story on your own. While rummaging around the house, you find many old family heirlooms, you uncover family secrets and you find out who the family is. What really brings you into the story is the familiarity of what you find in the house and how it can relate to your own family.
    I would say the graphics of the game are more than decent, even good, yet the lighting of the game is poor in some respects. It is used effectively to convey certain tones, but it is really irritating to not be able to see what is around you. You are blind to many things in this game, in more respects than just visually.
    The game is set in 1995, which may not seem like an important fact, but it provides the groundwork for Gone Home. It provides the perfect chronological setting for Katie to be out of the loop in terms of her family matters, and allows the whole game to exist. The social movement of that time and other factors from the mid 90’s allow the narrative of the game to exist as it is and become what it does.
    Why would you want to play this game you may ask? If I had to pick a singular reason, it would be that the story will captivate you and make you want to play and finish the game. It is less of a game then an interactive story, but is that not what video games are? I find that you either really enjoy Gone Home or not at all, and I greatly enjoyed it. So if you have a few hours to kill, open up your computer and play it, you might enjoy it.    … Expand
  71. jckrigby
    Dec 15, 2014
    8
    Gone Home is one of the most fascinating gaming experiences that I have come across. The game takes place in 1996, when a girl named Katie comes back from a yearlong trip to Europe to her family’s newly inherited mansion, only to find the house empty. Katie explores the house to find out where her family members have gone and, at the risk of giving too much away, uncovers an engaging andGone Home is one of the most fascinating gaming experiences that I have come across. The game takes place in 1996, when a girl named Katie comes back from a yearlong trip to Europe to her family’s newly inherited mansion, only to find the house empty. Katie explores the house to find out where her family members have gone and, at the risk of giving too much away, uncovers an engaging and often gloomy story.
    Gone Home has been one of the most polarizing games ever. Critics and players alike have raved about the story’s ability to invoke emotion as they slowly learn about all of the characters as they move through various rooms and examine items. However, there is a strong contingent of players who have strong feelings in opposition to the game, citing that there are “no game play mechanics besides walking around a house and digging through stuff” and that “it is remarkably short (around 2 hours)”. Some people were outraged that Gone Home would even be marketed as a game.
    Gone Home’s incredible polarization of players comes down to the different expectations people have of a video game. In traditional games, the expectation tends to be that there will be a significant amount of player-computer interaction, such as in shooting games, in which you shoot at the computer-generated characters and they shoot back at you. In Gone Home, however, we find that for the most part, your interactions with the game are one sided and are very rarely reciprocated. Therefore, people who expect the traditional style of game will ultimately be disappointed. What Gone Home creates is an experience that pushes the boundaries of what we define as a game and even makes us question if it is a game at all. Thus, assessing this game by the same criteria that you would any other would do it injustice.
    Whether Gone Home is a game or not, its novel technique for story telling is one that should be replicated in the future. Gone Home creates a way for storytellers to give their viewers freedom to explore the story in a unique way, according to what interests them. This means that any person consuming the story can explore certain pieces of the story in greater or lesser detail as they please. This form of story telling creates a sense of freedom and personalization to the story being told. This cannot be said about other popular means of story telling such as books, movies and plays, in which the consumer experiences exactly what the author or director wants them to experience. Steve Gaynor, the writer and designer of Gone Home compared the experience to Sleep No More, a theater experience that takes place in a building in which audience members may roam, such that a viewer of the play experience differs based on where the viewer decide to focus their attention making each experience different from everyone else’s.
    All that being said, the story of Gone Home certainly isn’t perfect. A common criticism of the game is that the main story of the game involving Sam, the main character’s sister, realizing her sexuality is depicted in a very shallow manner. Steven Brummel of Plus10Damage writes, “Today, it is not easy to come out of the closet. As long as there is stigma, it never will be. But twenty years ago — in Gone Home's setting — it was much harder. Gone Home is a game set in the mid-90’s with people from 2013 trying to duplicate those feelings, and it just doesn’t succeed.”
    Beyond the naïve depiction of Sam, in my playing of the game, I felt that much of the story was fairly predictable and often times I felt my exploration of the game was more of an obligation than a genuine hope of finding anything interesting. By the end of the game, I found that I ended up just being bored by the ending that could have been predicted a half-hour earlier.
    Beyond the storytelling, the graphics and the mechanics contribute to the overall feeling and emotion of the game as a whole. The graphics of the game add a lot to the experience that the game creates. When compared to modern, big company games, the graphics certainly aren’t realistic however the textures create a sense of creepiness that looms throughout. The mechanics of the game, which employs a pick-up and inspect system, also adds to this experience. This system allows us to analyze in detail important items to the storyline. This allows the story to be told through these items more easily.
    In conclusion, Gone Home is a new, interesting approach to games that has polarized debate in the gaming world. Though its story and gameplay isn’t perfect, the game has popularized a new way to tell stories and paves the way for future games of its kind. This bold new approach to story telling is its self worthy of praise and the overall good story on top of this is just the icing on the cake.    … Expand
  72. melia
    Dec 15, 2014
    7
    Gone Home is a first-person, single player, point and click, search and discover game where the player explores a storyline and eventually solves a mystery. The player enters the game, or interactive story, in the year 1995, from the narrative point of view of Katie Greenbriar, a 21-year-old who has just arrived back to Portland, Oregon from a backpacking trip in Europe, only to discoverGone Home is a first-person, single player, point and click, search and discover game where the player explores a storyline and eventually solves a mystery. The player enters the game, or interactive story, in the year 1995, from the narrative point of view of Katie Greenbriar, a 21-year-old who has just arrived back to Portland, Oregon from a backpacking trip in Europe, only to discover that her family appears to be missing from their gloomy, newly inherited mansion. Finding nobody home, it is up to Katie to discover what has transpired over the last year. The player begins the task of piecing together clues which objects around the mansion reveal. Some surprising details reveal the main plot while others simply enrich the background stories of the characters’ pasts and their intentions for the future.

    Gone Home was developed in 2013 by The Fullbright Company, which is owned and operated by three developers who had previously worked on a downloadable content expansion pack for BioShock Infinite owned by 2K, a big budget gaming developer. Such gaming developers typically produce games that are online multiplayer, involving leaderboards, high quality graphics, and which usually have a first-person shooter aspect to them. Gone Home is a completely different type of game where the focus is on a memorable storyline and the objective is to explore the lives and actions of the story’s characters to the point where you reach the conclusion of the story and thus the end of the game.

    The gameplay in Gone Home consists of self-determined exploration of different rooms where, for example, the gamer examines notes, objects, and audio journals spoken in the voice of Katie’s sister, Sam. Uncovering these well-thought-out details was the most captivating part of the whole game and did peek my curiosity as to what they would reveal about the story. Simulated ambient noises and audio effects were well done and professionally produced creating a realistic environment.

    A drawback and ultimate frustration about the gameplay was the complete focus on the steps of point, click and examine in order to make discoveries and keep the game going. There was a monotony to the clicking of a mouse in order to reveal the information the objects contained. The graphics fairly were fairly simple when compared with the photorealistic graphics of other games today, but it is what to expect from an indie game. Another downside for me was the fact that my actions did not determine any different outcome to the story, rather I was only making discoveries. The fact that the game has an ending that takes roughly two-hours to complete does not lend itself to being a good value for $20, especially as it has little to no replay value. On a final note, I had been hoping the story was going to make a turn into the occult or supernatural genre, and had thought that this was a possibility based on the creators’ past involvement with such genres in BioShock.

    Finally, I would give Gone Home a 7 out of 10 and would recommend it if you are looking for an interesting story exploration game, otherwise the gameplay format could leave you disappointed.    … Expand
  73. AsraiLuna
    Mar 25, 2015
    8
    Gone Home has an intriguing storyline that can easily draw you in and keep you wondering what is going to happen next. The game is rather short and doesn't pretend to tell an epic level story, but rather tells the story of everyday individuals going through normal issues. When it comes to the mechanics of the game, the game is very obviously an exploration based game that is just tryingGone Home has an intriguing storyline that can easily draw you in and keep you wondering what is going to happen next. The game is rather short and doesn't pretend to tell an epic level story, but rather tells the story of everyday individuals going through normal issues. When it comes to the mechanics of the game, the game is very obviously an exploration based game that is just trying to get the story across. This can be seen as a negative thing, but I simply see it as different. It seems rather evident that the game would have suffered had it tried to make the game a survival or strategy type game, It just wouldn't make sense given the storyline. The graphics are nice and most importantly the game is fun.… Expand
  74. ChefenOSabo
    Dec 3, 2015
    5
    Gone Home. The game that was a massive hit amongst reviewers. People everywhere praised it for Its great story. We don’t agree. Because the “game” sucks. Don’t get me wrong, It’s a great interactive novel, just not a game.

    Gone Home is made by The Fullbright Company and it was released in 2013. The story Is about a girl named Katie that comes home from a year abroad only to find that    Gone Home. The game that was a massive hit amongst reviewers. People everywhere praised it for Its great story. We don’t agree. Because the “game” sucks. Don’t get me wrong, It’s a great interactive novel, just not a game.

    Gone Home is made by The Fullbright Company and it was released in 2013. The story Is about a girl named Katie that comes home from a year abroad only to find that her house is empty and her family is gone. You run around in the house and look for different objects and clues to find out what could have happened. While playing you find out more about her family, for example her parents names, where they work and stuff like that. You also find different pieces of her sisters journal, which is a huge part of the game. You can’t really tell anything more about the story because then you’d be spoiling it so I’ll refrain from it. All i can say is that the story is very captivating. The atmosphere is according to us, the strongest part about the game. It’s actually really spooky and you always expect a zombie or a monster to pop out and kill you but it never happens. You wait and wait for some sort of climax but it never occurs. They play on horror games cliché functions that just because that it’s a dark room it means that something will be there. You’re always on edge. However it also kind of backfires since after you’ve searched about 5 or more rooms you realise that nothing’s there so you just straight out yolo it and have no fear. However, It lacks simple game mechanics such as jumping, sprinting or some sort of narrative which moves the game forward. This “game” lets you discover the story as you go, putting the pieces of the story together on your own. It’s like a book, except the pages are scattered all around the place so you’re trying to put the pieces back into place so you can absorb it all. The worst part is that this game is about 2 hours long, you could even complete it in 20 minutes if you’d want to! That’s why in our opinion this game is more like a book you can explore. It emphasizes the story, everything else comes in second hand. The story is great but the game is pretty boring.

    If you’re looking for an interactive novel with great story, pick this up now since it’s a great example of this type of genre. However if you were looking for a fun game that you could kill some time with this is not for you.    … Expand
  75. ChristianOstvik
    Dec 7, 2015
    8
    Gone Home is a storytelling and explorative game. The game was made by The Fullbright Company in 2013. You play as Kaitlin Greenbriar, who just returned home after spending a year in Europe. However, when you get home, no one is there.

    The story takes place in USA in 1995, in the new house of the Greenbriar Family. Through the game, you’re being told a story. It is told through    Gone Home is a storytelling and explorative game. The game was made by The Fullbright Company in 2013. You play as Kaitlin Greenbriar, who just returned home after spending a year in Europe. However, when you get home, no one is there.

    The story takes place in USA in 1995, in the new house of the Greenbriar Family. Through the game, you’re being told a story. It is told through environmental clues and audio narration. It’s your job to explore the house, to find clues and gather information about what’s happened while you’ve been gone. You will also hear Sam’s (your little sister) journals, while you’re playing. In these journals, she’s describing how her life has been for the last year.

    While you’re exploring the house, picking up notes, newspapers, letters and other items, you will eventually find out what’s happened to your parents and sister the last twelve months. The story itself is realistic, and it’s something every teenager can relate to in some way.

    It was the story that wanted me to keep playing. I always wanted to find the next clue/evidence, so that I could find out more of the story. It felt like the more I knew, the more I wanted to know. That’s something I really liked about the storytelling. However, this could feel a bit repetitive after a while, because you always had to pick up clues and evidences. If it weren’t for the great storytelling, I don’t think I would find the game that exciting.

    The gameplay itself is great, but nothing spectacular. The graphics are nice, and the background sounds of lightning and thunder is creating a scary and dreary atmosphere, which fits the gameplay well. The kind of “free” gameplay, where you could walk freely around and decide for yourself what you should do next, is also something I liked about the game.

    All in all, I think the game is great and enjoyable to play. Even though the gameplay feels a bit repetitive after a while, the story is so well told that it doesn’t ruin the game too much. I would recommend the game to people who likes exploring games, and who wants a different gaming experience.    … Expand
  76. Pesper
    Dec 7, 2015
    6
    I’ve played the Gone Home, which is a very story based game where you play as the character Kaitlin who recently came home from a year of studying in Europe. You get to this new house where the family moved in too when Katie went traveling, but you quickly notice that there is no one home and then you find clues to solve the mystery by Kaitlins sister Samantha and i will not tell you moreI’ve played the Gone Home, which is a very story based game where you play as the character Kaitlin who recently came home from a year of studying in Europe. You get to this new house where the family moved in too when Katie went traveling, but you quickly notice that there is no one home and then you find clues to solve the mystery by Kaitlins sister Samantha and i will not tell you more since I’ll spoil too much.

    This is a new type of game for me so it was very interesting and when all games you played have been spooky or action packed you kind of go into the game just waiting for something scary or you needing to run away from something. I’m not going to tell you if i got scared or not because i guess some of you will get the same feel. To be honest it’s not my kind of game, maybe it is because I’m mind is damaged because of all the previous action games I played. I feel like it’s too slow and lacking interaction with things in the house, I want more of a challenge when I play video games.

    When i played this game I did it as a school project, which I feel like it made me enjoy it a lot more than I would if i’d play it on my free time. So as a game to play to learn I feel like it’s really good, because it’s an alternative to reading (in my opinion) boring books and watching a movie which often is not my kind of movie since a teacher with different taste in movies did choose the movie. By the way in Sweden we often study at least 13 years and it’s refreshing playing a game instead of all the boring books and movies.

    So I think it’s a really good alternative to play for school projects, but otherwise it’s not my kind of game but i would lie if i wouldn’t say that really well done and an interesting plot.    … Expand
  77. tjabba
    Dec 7, 2015
    5
    Gone Home is an exploration game set in a traditional american home in the year of 1995. We get to play as the character Katie, who comes home after a year long trip in Europe and finds her new family home abandon. We as the players then need to find out what happened to the family by picking up and reading notes made by our little sister Sam and observing our environment throughout.Gone Home is an exploration game set in a traditional american home in the year of 1995. We get to play as the character Katie, who comes home after a year long trip in Europe and finds her new family home abandon. We as the players then need to find out what happened to the family by picking up and reading notes made by our little sister Sam and observing our environment throughout.

    Since I’m more for the classical Nintendo games I’ve had a hard time playing this. I thought it was boring since nothing really happened. If this wasn’t for a school project I would not have spend my time on this game since it wasn’t filled with anything special. As said, you just search around the house to get clues on what happened to the family. But also it was a good game considering the budget the creators had.

    Gone home was a game I’ve heard about before and actually was kind of interested in. I went into the game with quite mixed expectations not really knowing what I was going to get except that it was a mysterious indie game that has earned quite a lot of critical acclaim.

    The first hour of the game delivered a fresh introduction and built up a suspenseful and mysterious vibe and had a very atmospheric tone throughout. Going through all drawers and wardrobes and exploring all the rooms floor to floor was something I’m not used to. I more than often play more fps games or Rpg’s so it felt fresh actually playing a game where using a weapon is not an option and it was quite nice. However after a while It gets kind of boring to be honest. Because then you are just revisiting the same places to find more notes and keys that will eventually lead you till the end, which is tiresome for me. Since it is a Indie game the room more often contain the same furniture and overall color scheme so it just doesn’t feel that engaging going through the rooms once more, it gets quite repetitive.

    My biggest gripe with this game is that it doesn’t really have the gameplay to keep me interested till the end. I found myself being quite frustrated the last 20 minutes just rushing my way through to just get to the end. Considering the game has a length of approx 2 hours that’s not a good sign. And some people seem to say that the reason for the game not having a real gameplay side of it is because it needs to keep its concentration on the story. But I feel there have been plenty of games who has succeeded with delivering serious gameplay with a well written story ( example would be Bioshock which the developers worked on before this). I understand that they’re a small team of workers on the project so they don’t have the same opportunities as a big developer with hundreds, however I still believe a little more in depth gameplay is needed. In the end I still think it is a solid game with an intriguing and mysterious story that unfolds. Sadly the gameplay and interaction itself is lackluster and not as good as needed for a replay.    … Expand
  78. stinabaum
    Dec 7, 2015
    6
    Gone home is a adventure game that takes place 1995 in Arbor Hill in Boon County. Katie Greenbriar has been away for a year. When she gets back she expecting her family to be home, but they are not. She gets curious and want to know what’s been happening. She searching for clues and the first thing she found was a note on the door. The note was written by Sam, her sister, which says thatGone home is a adventure game that takes place 1995 in Arbor Hill in Boon County. Katie Greenbriar has been away for a year. When she gets back she expecting her family to be home, but they are not. She gets curious and want to know what’s been happening. She searching for clues and the first thing she found was a note on the door. The note was written by Sam, her sister, which says that she is going away for a while but not where or for how long. Katie goes in and searching for clues in every corner in the house. She found different clues that says different things so that she has to puzzle the links together to find her family. It is Katie´s younger sister Samantha who is pulling you through the story but you’re playing as Katie.

    Gone home is a well made non-violent game with a lot of emotions. The story drags you in the game into the mystery story. It is a game you really get to know the players deepness. Gone Home is a game that really proves that you don’t have to kill people to keep things interesting. The story is well written and feels real and like someone had experience and represent the story.    … Expand
  79. danfrissora
    Jan 20, 2016
    1
    This game sucks. I spent $20 on it for a class and it was slightly creepy and confusing and I had to look up what to do. And all you had to do was go to the attic. So the plot line is that my sister is a lesbian, and she has runaway with her lesbian lover. My parents are at couples counseling, they come home tomorrow. And the ghost of my uncle is in the house. Sounds intense right? BUTThis game sucks. I spent $20 on it for a class and it was slightly creepy and confusing and I had to look up what to do. And all you had to do was go to the attic. So the plot line is that my sister is a lesbian, and she has runaway with her lesbian lover. My parents are at couples counseling, they come home tomorrow. And the ghost of my uncle is in the house. Sounds intense right? BUT GUESS WHAT. as soon as i find out my sister and her lesbian **** ran away together, the thing ENDS. i have no idea about the ghost. this game was a huge disappointment and nobody should buy it.… Expand
  80. SokkorNinja420
    Jan 27, 2016
    6
    The game is based in year 1995 in Portland Oregon and the person you are controlling is named Katlin Greenbriar. The story behind the game is to find out what happened to your family because they moved away to another place, and especially her sister Sam (Samantha). It is up to you to find out by picking up key elements of objects and find the story behind it. The atmosphere in the game isThe game is based in year 1995 in Portland Oregon and the person you are controlling is named Katlin Greenbriar. The story behind the game is to find out what happened to your family because they moved away to another place, and especially her sister Sam (Samantha). It is up to you to find out by picking up key elements of objects and find the story behind it. The atmosphere in the game is very dark and scary in somewhat areas of the house.
    I still do not know what the People that made the game of the game want us to think, but in my opinion, I think that the People that made the game want us to tell that anyone can turn out to be like her sister. I am not going to spoil anything for you so I would not say anything in deep detail about that subject.
    The game has one timeline, but the game has a sort of a ‘flashback’ so the story about a particular object that the main character have. Then occasionally you will hear her telling her story.
    The game has some religious symbols like bible and other Christian symbols, but there will be many Satanist symbols here and there, and a weedgee board and other such stuff.
    The main character talks many different conflicts they had in school and what the family thinks about gay folks. Supposedly because the family is very Christian.
    The character is very important since she’ll ramble much about the different history and how they were when they was kids and all other histories.
    The game is an adventure horror kind of a game because of the dark turns about religion and what not while you are roaming the house to find all the bits and pieces.
    The photos showed how the family and the other members of the game looks like and the music tells us what kind of a person the different characters are. By listening to the songs Samantha likes to listen too, got me thinking that she is definitely not a Christian.
    The game was an fps type horror adventure game.
    My opinion on the game is, I didn’t like the game at all sadly. Why? Because it got very repetitive when I had to pick up and throw millions of objects, trying to find an object that starts her to tell me a story. Nevertheless, in the end of all picking and throwing objects, I did not care what story she’ll tell. It might be just be I, don’t forget that it is just my opinion. However, don’t get me wrong, it is still a good game in it unique way. Its just that I like my games to be extra shooting and you know, fun…    … Expand
  81. ColaSponge
    Jan 28, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I would not recommend to spend 20$ on this game. It is no gamplay in this game, the story is flat, and the ending is horrible. So i would not buy this to play in my spare time.
    Now, the game is original. It is different, and creative. To be honest, i am not a fan of story-games at all. I mostly enjoy more action packed games. So i thought this was a bad game.

    You play as a young woman named Katilin Greenbriar. You are the oldest sister of the family. Kate has just arrived home after spending one year in Europe. The family has moved to a new home during your time in Europe, and when you arrive to the mansion, you find a empty house. Both the parents, and the younger sister is gone. During the time you play, you can pick up examine objects. Some of these objects triggers journals. The journals is the younger sister, Sam, talking about the year without her sister, the new school, friends and problems.
    If you pay attention to these journals, you will find out why Sam left almost instanly. So the storytelling, which i consider a major key to success in a story-game, was very bad aswell. And i was also frusterated by all the secret alleys, near the end of the game i became irritated and just wanted to smack the laptop down and go play some football/soccer.
    The graphics is not a important part of the game, but i will note that it was like Minecraft. And the FPS (Frames per Second) was also bad, prolly as low as the rating i gave the game.
    And in the end, after all the secret alleys, the searching for items to get to that attic, you of course come to the ending. Which is bad, very dissapointing indeed. You don’t even find out what happened to the parents. I have heard that they went on a vacation, but who does that when they’re daughter which they have not seen in a year, finally returns to the new mansion. Very dissapointing indeed.    … Expand
  82. Sander_Brattoy
    Jan 28, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The story in the game were mostly about Kathie Greenbriar’s little sister, Samantha Greenbriar and the story about what happened before and after they moved. Because they had moved without saying it to Kathie. So we`re just going around in the house and found different clues about where and why they are gone.
    I think that the game’s main theme where that some peoples didn’t care about the rules that were in the 90ths, and continued to be gay or lesbian because they were in love, and that love do no not have any rules and ending.
    The music in this game is meant to make the gameplay a bit more exciting. Like it can come sounds of thunder, and sounds of squeaking.
    The game has a romantic, scary theme. It were scary because you want find some weird things in this game like a sacrifice board and it were romantic because Samantha and her friend were in love and they did not care about the rules and how the gay peoples were treated so bad in the early 90ths.. IT were romantic because and you listens to Sam’s journals you will find out.
    The symbols in the game gave us a clue about how this family is and how they are.
    In the start of this game I were excited about this game, and a little later in the game it began to get boring, because you just walked around with no clue about what you should do. But closer to the end it started to get intense, when you found every hidden things, and secret objects like keys and maps.
    Personally i didn't like the game, because i don't like this type of game's.
    I would rate this game a 3/10, because it was a bit boring and they could have added a few more secret objects that was a bit more easier to find. And they could have made the game a bit more scary. Like with some things they thought were real in the 50ths to the 90ths, like ghosts.    … Expand
  83. aurorahoem
    Jan 28, 2016
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is about a girl named Kaitlin Greenbriar. She is 19 years old, and has been traveling around in Europe for one year. Her family has been moving to a new house. But when she is coming home a night in 1994 no one is home. Her sister Sam has left behind a note… “Don’t come and look after me”. Sam is the principal, and Kaitlin is looking around in the house for answers. When you are going around in the house as Kaitlin Greenbriar you are getting information about her family and the house. The game is about to understand the story and try to figure out where Sam is. The surroundings are dark and gloomy.

    The main message is that it wasn't easy to be lesbian in 1994. Not everyone accept being gay.

    It is different sounds in the game. You can often hear that Sam is talking about things and giving information when Kaitlin for instance are taking up an object. It is thunder and rain in the background. It was a bit hard to steer Kaitlin especially when you not are a gamer. It was difficult to walk and steer the direction.

    I think that the game is a bit boring. You are just walking around in the house and are doing the same thing over and over again. It was funny in the beginning , but i think we played the game to long. It was a very good story in the game, but i wanted the game to be a jump scare game.

    My experience of the game was that it was a bit hard to concentrate when you did not sit in a dark room alone with headphones. I think that i would have another experience then. I have splitted meanings about the game. It was a very good story, but it was a bit boring to. It should be some task in the game. The good thing with the game was that it was chronological.    … Expand
  84. ellabergemohr
    Jan 28, 2016
    6
    Game review

    The game is about a girl called kaitlin, she’s 19 years old and she’s been in Europe for one year. When she’s gets Home, her family is gone. Where are they? Kaitlin finds notes from her sister, sam. Sam is actually the avatar. Sam has wrote a diary. It's about her life in the new house and her love story. Is sam streight? Is the house safe? This game can be extremely scary    Game review

    The game is about a girl called kaitlin, she’s 19 years old and she’s been in Europe for one year. When she’s gets Home, her family is gone. Where are they? Kaitlin finds notes from her sister, sam. Sam is actually the avatar.
    Sam has wrote a diary. It's about her life in the new house and her love story. Is sam streight? Is the house safe?
    This game can be extremely scary if you think that you're in the game. that you're the one who's looking for you're family in a pretty old house. and not anoth with that. the weather outside is awful. It's raining, thunder and lightning. that just make everything much worse.
    The game has a main message. In this case i think the main message in this game is the love story with lonnie and sam. It's not against the law to be gay.
    The way this story is produced on is chronological.
    Actually i dont think its symbols in this game. Not some pretty important ones.
    In this game there is a gay couple. it's a mom, a dad, a sister and a good friend of sam, called lonnie. they are all different, as anyone else in this world. the only thing that many people seem to think its wierd, is that there is a gay couple in this story of a game.
    The main character, kaitlin have a good, but difficult task. Her task is to find out where her family is. While walking around in the house she's finding some notes. The notes is pretty good help in this situation. I like to think that this game is kinda romantic, with a scary background.

    So with all this information i just want to tell you my review of this game. I think this game was kinda boring, but also kinda exciting and cool. I had fun while playing this. I just think that there's better games in the world. I seem to think that the story was hard to get, but when i understood, the story was pretty interesting.    … Expand
  85. llizarralde
    Jun 1, 2016
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sometimes objects speak more than words. A house for instance can tell a story even better than its inhabitants. The game Gone Home does precisely this. In this game you don’t see people, you are alone in a house. Despite not having people inside the house the game involves extremely complex and well developed characters. One gets to know the people that lived in the house as if one had actually met them. The setting of the game is very important to the development of it. It is set in 1995 in a house. The family living in it got it as inheritance and are just moving in. As one plays the game he is emerged into a story about a dysfunctional family. The player becomes Katie, the older sister who has been living in Europe for a month and comes back home only to find a letter from her sister Sam stating that she won't be home, and instructing her sister to not snoop around to try and find out where she is.

    Clearly we, the gamers, do the opposite than what we are told and we start looking around to find out what happened. In the game the only thing that the player experiences is the house itself. There is nothing outside of the house, and nothing outside of it matters. The purpose of the game is to explore the house to find clues as to what happened to the sister and why no one is in the house. As the player finds objects he starts learning about the lives of the family, like what the father did, who owned the house, and mainly about the love life and teenage years of the younger sister Sam.

    The game is designed to capture the culture and daily lives of middle class american families in the 90’s. Each artefact in the house tells us something about the family members. The game is not designed to have the best graphics or to take the player into a fictional universe. It is designed to tell a story, a story about a family that could very likely resemble yours. The gamers walks into the character (Katie) and starts living her life.

    The purpose of this game does not revolve around action and violence. The creator focused on a new direction in gaming. The game has the narrative capacity of a novel. The setting is not some distant and fictional world it is an everyday house. The story is about all of us and it tells the truth about realities in our world. The story is told through letters and diary entries of the sister. Writing and artefacts move the game along. With this game The Fullbright Company is saying that our everyday lives can be just as entertaining and playable as fictional worlds. Despite the game being a story that is intended to come out at the end, each player has a unique experience while playing.

    The story deals with maturity, love, sexuality, and family live. It also has elements of horror. The game is as vivid and real as games get. It is extremely complete, and guaranties an experience unlike any other in the gaming community.    … Expand
  86. 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
  87. obosen
    Nov 27, 2016
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Never have I ever played any form of video game before I knew about Gone Home. However, just the fact that it was an adventure game made me very interested in it, especially that I'm deeply leaning more towards these kinds of games rather than the conventional ideas incorporated in most video games.

    Gone Home may not be considered a game because, in my opinion, there is always a way to lose and to repeat all over again in a game. That is not the case here in Gone Home. I would have enjoyed this game more if it included that type. Nevertheless, it has included a bunch of stories intertwining to give us a deeper understanding of the family's relationships inside and out, as well as how it connects to the players. It embodies the current situation of the world that some families or people in the society will encounter, such as LGBT, feminism, teenage angst and even interfamily problems. I felt like Gone Home succeeded in incorporating these concepts and how it affects one family in specific. I have met people whose parents were in denial of their sexuality, females who were deprived of their rights simply because of their gender, and young people who have tendencies of being misdirected because they could not understand why their parents act the way they do. Through this game, people will have a clearer image of these problems as they progress. What makes me appreciate this game is that it effectively used virtual reality for a greater cause. This game has broken the stereotypical mindset I had about video games. Moreover, it gives you the thrill of wanting to know more about the characters especially that the vibe that the game displays has a spooky, thriller effect on it.

    However I would frankly not suggest this for people leaning towards adventures to play. To begin with, this game could be finished in less than a week at most, considering that you're a hardcore video game player, or just a newbie finding your way into some interesting games. Yes, the game is thrilling and it encompasses a wide array of ideas that really stimulate your thoughts and pull you more towards the family's story, but I felt like the game could have been developed more so that it contains more elements of what most people like about games. This game was just plainly focused on searching for evidences to collect the pieces of the story, but most of what people want in a game was to literally play and win it, not just simply scrambling over scattered objects in a large, creepy house. I'd obviously not spend money just to buy this game. Nevertheless, I still applaud the creativity of this game in terms of the unconventional ways it has done compared to typical video games.    … Expand
  88. Hezekiah16
    Jan 11, 2018
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game does a good job of making you feel like you're in 1995. I watched a no-commentary gameplay of this game on YouTube and I have to say that the devs did a good job of making you feel immersed in the game in a sense that you're walking around a big, creepy, empty house. The only reason I was interested in this game was because I was born in 1995.

    Putting all that aside, the story was stupid and your little sister Sam is an annoying brat along with her rebellious/foolish girlfriend Lonnie. It's a dumb drama story of the so-called "love" between Sam and Lonnie which is expressed in Sam's diary and her notes from school. This game is a waste of time and a waste of money. This game should be free or not exist at all. It's also another story that expresses hate towards Jesus Christ and Christianity, which is aggravatingly cliché. This game is of an antichrist spirit and you will find yourself bored watching Kaitlin walk around the house basically doing nothing. Gone home deserves a fat 0/10. The ending of this game is super anticlimactic. Don't even bother playing or watching it.

    Gone Home had so much potential to be a thrilling story of Kaitlin finding out what happened to all her family members and searching for them or something like that. Could've been SO much better.    … Expand
  89. 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
  90. DontHateMe
    Sep 18, 2013
    0
    Its not a game, it has no gameplay, it basically an walking simulator. next time they should create a book instead of a game like that. the "game" itself has no replay value and takes 30 minutes to 1 hour to finish. 0/10, not a game.
  91. lemonylem
    Aug 21, 2013
    0
    A rendition of The Humpty Dance via Gone Home: Stop what you're doing cause I'm about to ruin an hour or so of your life. I'm glad my friend got this before I did.
  92. AssurHeX
    Dec 11, 2013
    0
    This can barely be considered a VN since it's so short. This game doesn't do anything that hasn't been done before. Calling it new and innovative because of it's lack of gameplay just means it's a movie. And a bad one at that.
    Thank god I didn't pay for it. I wonder If I can get my bandwidth back.
  93. Basem101
    Sep 13, 2013
    1
    the most overrated game of all time i tried this game due to critics but i wish i didn't this game is not good at all it is the most boring thing i've ever played
  94. 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.
  95. Jimbo364
    Aug 20, 2013
    0
    I've played visual novels with more gameplay than this. Forced story elements and bland interaction leave a pretty empty experience. The fact that this can be completed in a mere few minutes makes any price over 1.00 a joke. If your interested in this, then you probably would be interested in the thousands of VNs already out there. They are much more worth your time, with prices starting at FREE.
  96. Longes
    Aug 19, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sam is a lesbian. Your parents are on vacation. Ghosts don't exist. Rosebud was his sled. There, you don't have to pay 20 bucks now, go buy some decent audiobook. This game is okay. It's definitely not 70+ that journalists give it, but it is okay to play once.… Expand
  97. Lynnux
    Dec 20, 2013
    0
    This is more a warning than a Review. Bought the Steam version (Windows) in October 2013. By then the game was out for some time but still in kind of alpha state.
    The controls are poorly programmed. In my case I have a joystick and rudder pedals. Searched in the forums and found that you have to disable the drivers of them to activate the keyboard and the mouse. Yes, not to just unplug    This is more a warning than a Review. Bought the Steam version (Windows) in October 2013. By then the game was out for some time but still in kind of alpha state.
    The controls are poorly programmed. In my case I have a joystick and rudder pedals. Searched in the forums and found that you have to disable the drivers of them to activate the keyboard and the mouse. Yes, not to just unplug them but to disable their drivers. Next problem was a black screen, so I stopped the installation and requested a refund from Steam. Steam just played dumb and asked me to read the forums.

    So, this is a warning not to buy a game which is clearly not bug-free enough to be sold...    … Expand
  98. 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 $XX for that? I could have went on Re/max Realty and read a short book while taking a virtual tour of a house.". In other words, like many other of us non-paid gamers have said, either believe the "pro-getting-paid" critics hype or save your money, pick up a short story novel and use your imagination for a graphics processor.… Expand
  99. Avodeskorm
    Feb 27, 2017
    7
    Walking simulators have been done better, but this is one of the first good ones that came out. This is much harder to get into with games being focused on story becoming much more popular.
  100. CharlieWaflesBR
    Dec 19, 2013
    5
    Some people are saying that this is not exactly a game and that it doesn't contain the basic things to make it so, but I have to disagree on that part. Basing your score on such a notion is moronic and completely undermines the efforts that were put into the other aspects of the experience, like the storytelling, the sound design, the voice acting and so on. The reason I'm giving this gameSome people are saying that this is not exactly a game and that it doesn't contain the basic things to make it so, but I have to disagree on that part. Basing your score on such a notion is moronic and completely undermines the efforts that were put into the other aspects of the experience, like the storytelling, the sound design, the voice acting and so on. The reason I'm giving this game a 5 is simply because the story is flat out mediocre. It's literally something you've seen hundreds of times before in many different mediums, and you probably criticized it to death, but now that it's in game form and it tackles some mature concepts it suddenly becomes one of the greatest feats in recent gaming history. This has to be one of the most disappointing experiences I've had recently and I don't recommend you buy it for it's original price 20$ I payed 5$ for it and I still kinda feel like I've been ripped off. What bothers me is not the fact that they're asking 20$ for a 90 minute experience. I've payed 15$ for The Stanley Parable and it was worth it. It's the whole movement and critical praise behind this titles that makes me mad.… 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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