Gone Home: Console Edition

 PlayStation 4
User Score
4.6

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 493 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 143 out of 493
  2. Mixed: 115 out of 493
  3. Negative: 235 out of 493

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  1. StophJS
    Feb 27, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The absolute only reason this game was well received was because it has atmosphere, and centers around a lesbian relationship in a non exploitative way.

    My experience of playing this game was one of very high initial hopes, slowly fading into resignation to the fact that game wasn't going to do anything more than it had already presented. Purely from a presentation standpoint, there's every reason to think it might be great when you first start out. It's got great voice acting, and a very quiet tension like you're actually in this house and learning whatever it might have to tell you. Unfortunately all it has to tell you is that the daughter is a lesbian, the father is a failed writer, and the mother has the hots for some dude at work. That's it. That's the game.

    The developers of this game clearly thought that having the player walk through a house and figure out some girl was a lesbian was enough narrative to complete a story, but it isn't. It's relevant, and unusual, and of-the-times. But it's not the basis of a game worth playing, let alone one you would pay $20 for.

    If there's any silver lining here, it's that indie developers in the future might look to this game and gain some inspiration as to what can be done with a very minimalist environment and story-telling approach like this. I just hope those developers come up with an interesting story.    … Expand
  2. SILVERBACK6153
    Mar 3, 2016
    4
    It's literally a walking simulator. Go here, pick up item etc. etc. I would nearly rather walk around my own house than play this game. However, the game is relaxing to play and so is a good stress reliever for those who are stressed out of their minds (probably from buying this game lol).
  3. wdiscourse
    Mar 9, 2016
    0
    Total waste of money. Nothing but a walking simulator. Just walk around and click on stuff until you get tired and ask for your money back. Not worth it at any cost. If the game was free, it would cost too much. They should have a refund button on the main menu.
  4. diskostux
    Mar 6, 2016
    1
    When you consider the content versus the price, this game is a total rip off. 20 dollars is ridiculous. The game is extremely boring and at most worth a dollar. Do not buy this game. I feel more ripped of with this game than I do with Dayz.
  5. willlow
    Jan 23, 2016
    2
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. seriously save your TWENTY dollars. save that money use it for something else.

    have you played everybodys gone to the rapture? I hope to god you havent. either way you don't need to play this game cause its the same boring game more or less that is extremely short like laughable short. this game should have been 5 dollars and even then the experience was    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. seriously save your TWENTY dollars. save that money use it for something else.

    have you played everybodys gone to the rapture? I hope to god you havent. either way you don't need to play this game cause its the same boring game more or less that is extremely short like laughable short. this game should have been 5 dollars and even then the experience was painful.

    I heard a positive endorsement from this game on the podcast DLC. this game is terrible. I like artistic games and unique games which is another reason I took a chance on this game.

    this game was like an hour long. you walk around a house looking at things and when you pick up certain items a voice of this girl starts talking about her past very similar to the rapture when you had to keep following that stupid light thing.

    that is the whole game right there. looking at a map of this house going to certain areas hearing this girls voice. if you like picking up things and looking at them with no climax to a game then this is it.

    this game actually hurt deep because I value money and fullbright, majesco and midnight city decided to charge 20 dollars for this extremely static painfully boring experience.

    how did this win game of the year on pc?? I dont understand????? this seriously makes me disgruntled at the game and game related media industry. I gave it a 2 cause there was a couple ok things to look at like a picture of a comic book or a drawing this teenage girl did before she tells you about a boring life story of hers in her cliche life is strange lead character rip off voice while you walk NOT RUN around this house. oh yeah you can't run. so you walk slow as hell through this house while it rains outside. id rather be out in that rain although the rain sfx sound like static. you can crouch but you cant run. rant over.

    save your money.    … Expand
  6. pjh3000
    Feb 29, 2016
    0
    I want my money back. This is just a walking simulator. Based on the price they charge, it's a scam. There is literally no content for this game. You just walk around and click on stuff until you get bored.
  7. VagrantPeters
    Jan 12, 2016
    0
    I can't stress this enough - if you have never played this game - DON'T. It is possibly the highest rated piece of garbage ever released. The professional critics are dead wrong - under two hours of 'game play' which would be forgiveable if it was awesome, it however is an uneventful shi+ show. Seriously, watch a play through on you tube if you don't believe me. I do this as a publicI can't stress this enough - if you have never played this game - DON'T. It is possibly the highest rated piece of garbage ever released. The professional critics are dead wrong - under two hours of 'game play' which would be forgiveable if it was awesome, it however is an uneventful shi+ show. Seriously, watch a play through on you tube if you don't believe me. I do this as a public service - this game is trash.… Expand
  8. claytastic
    Mar 2, 2016
    3
    Gone Home simply isn't a game. In fact, it doesn't even deserve the title of being a walking simulator, which is one of the most degrading ways to label a game there is, and this game can't even reach that point. Because at least most walking simulators actually give you open space to roam around. Gone Home just puts you in a house. Not a neighborhood, not a mansion, just a house. While IGone Home simply isn't a game. In fact, it doesn't even deserve the title of being a walking simulator, which is one of the most degrading ways to label a game there is, and this game can't even reach that point. Because at least most walking simulators actually give you open space to roam around. Gone Home just puts you in a house. Not a neighborhood, not a mansion, just a house. While I will admit it's a nice house, it's not a nice game setting. The gameplay is easily the worst part of this game. What do you do? You look for notes and listen to recordings. That doesn't sound fun, does it? If it does, I find this concerning. That means I find a lot of people's opinions concerning because almost every friend or critic I know who has played this game thinks it's brilliant. The simple truth is that it's not, and these people are too blinding by the graphics (which do look good, I'll give it that) and the storytelling, which would be okay if the storytelling was actually interesting. The way the story is told isn't anything special, and neither is the story itself. I won't spoil the story in case you want to play this garbage for yourself, but just know that it isn't worth your time. I learned that the hard way. 3/10.… Expand
  9. ErikHellstrom
    Jan 12, 2016
    10
    Go in blind, play the game. You won't regret it.
    Should I tell you anymore? No.
    Should you play Gone Home? Yes.
    Does this review have to be any longer? No.
    Should you play Gone Home? Yes.
  10. Abandoneduser63
    Aug 10, 2017
    0
    Yet another useless PS Plus freebie I downloaded to see what the hype was about. I am so disappointed at all the clearly false positive reviews. Especially since Slender was a better walking simulator compared to this.
  11. maggnus
    Jul 26, 2017
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. La mayor basura de videojuego, perdida de tiempo no, lo siguiente. Sin argumento, predecible, sin puzzles, una mierda de simulador de paseo por una casa vacia, sin sustos y sin suspense. Te ahorraré unas horas de tu tiempo, y espero que dinero. SPOILER: Tu hermana se ha ido. punto, no la han matado, no hay misterios, se ha largado porque le ha salido de los huevos. ARGUMENTAZO.… Expand
  12. SuperDuck23
    May 28, 2017
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When making a game like this it is paramount that the story and writing is of good quality to make it worthwhile. Unfortunately this wasn't the case for this game. The only aspect I thought was well executed was the non-linear narration reveal at the end, but that wasn't enough to make me satisfied with the experience. With a clichéd story and bland gameplay, there is little to salvage Gone Home.… Expand
  13. Peartato
    Jul 25, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I downloaded this game after reading glowing reviews, praising the love story, the writing, the atmosphere, etc., but I was confused when I booted it up. Was this a horror game? It's got all the tropes: a dark and stormy night, a house full of flickering lights, creaky floorboards, white noise from a TV set... But a friend who'd played it assured me it wasn't a horror game. Despite that claim, it still felt like I was playing P.T. or something like it; like I would turn the corner and there would be a tall, shadowy figure, waiting to disembowel me. That never happened though. In fact, nothing really happened.
    The focus of the game (it's a stretch to call it a "game", per se, but whatever) is to learn about your sister's recent dealings through audio journals you pick up (somehow?) while exploring the empty house. My problem with this is that Sam (your sister) is a completely selfish and unlikable character. I found myself annoyed listening to her ramble on about this girl she's crushing on in school. I wasn't interested in her story, or even her parents' stories (you also learn a little bit about their careers and struggles in their marriage... apparently?), but the only story that caught my attention was about the previous owner of the house, your father's uncle. The few times he gets mentioned, I got excited, but then Sam would start talking about Millie or Lily or whatever her name was and it dragged me back down to the boring drudge that is the majority of this game.
    Like I'd mentioned earlier, it has all the tropes of a horror game, from the lightning crashes to the pitch-black rooms (though you can play with all the lights on). You learn that several people refer to this home as "the psycho house", referring to Oscar, the previous owner. There's a Ouija board hidden in a side panel, you find a hidden room where Sam and Filly were trying to summon the spirit of Oscar, there are a couple books referencing the occult, you see a cushion fort in front of the TV where Sam and Billie were apparently watching Poltergeist... But it's just building up to disappointment. None of it affects the plot in any way.
    All of the horror elements feel unfitting for Gone Home. It teases the supernatural, that maybe there's a killer in the house, or maybe a ghost? You even see some red splotches over a bathtub which you instinctively presume to be blood. None of it pays off. There's no ghost, no killer, and the red splotches are just from when Sam dyed Millie's hair red.
    Gone Home is a slow (and I mean sloooow) walk from room to room until you finally end up in the attic, find the last journal and the game ends. Woo. It's an anticlimactic slap in the face. You learn that your sister left the day before (or so) to be with her girlfriend, with your parents coming home the next day. Now you know that when they get home, they're not going to be excited and happy to see you, they're going to be worried about your missing sister. She ruined your homecoming (and it looks like she even ransacked the house before leaving).

    Pros:
    +the house looks nice and lived in
    +most objects in the house are interactive
    +mercifully short

    Cons:
    -the main plot and most of the side stories are not very gripping
    -the sister character (who the player is intended to connect to and sympathize with) is an unlikable ****
    -the horror themes are completely out of place
    -when going through the commentary, I realized the developers are annoying and unlikable too, go figure
    -completely obscure hidden trophies that practically require a walkthrough to figure out

    It's not 0/10 bad, but I can understand why people are leaving those reviews: it was such a huge let down. And all of the glowing reviews for it are not helping. It's also funny to me that the critic reviews are all generally positive with the lowest being around a 60/100 (seriously, IGN? A 9.5/10? And Gaming-Age.com gave it a perfect score? Jesus Christ). I'm glad I didn't pay anything for this and I feel bad for anyone who threw $20 down the drain for it. It took me under 2.5 hours to beat the game and get all the trophies. Not worth the price. If you can get it for free, it might be worth checking out, but make sure your expectations are low. Like, LOW low.    … Expand
  14. Bizancio_Askatu
    Aug 9, 2021
    4
    If you think that a silly idealized stereotypical filled with clichés story becomes great just by adding homosexuality to it, you may enjoy this game a lot. Otherwise you will probably find this walking simulator a short pretentious and infuriating experience.
    The only think I liked was OST due the female-fronted punk bands.
  15. cdbarlow
    Mar 27, 2022
    0
    I created a Metacritic account just to warn others about this awful, awful game. The entire game consists of going from room to room, pointing at everything everywhere until something glows, then zooming in on it and turning it around. Rinse and repeat for a measly 55 minutes. That's literally the entire game. Nothing ever happens except a woke teenage love story cliché that had me rollingI created a Metacritic account just to warn others about this awful, awful game. The entire game consists of going from room to room, pointing at everything everywhere until something glows, then zooming in on it and turning it around. Rinse and repeat for a measly 55 minutes. That's literally the entire game. Nothing ever happens except a woke teenage love story cliché that had me rolling my eyes. It's basically a "look meticulously through a storage room of just tons of old junk" simulator. Ultimately, you click on a random notebook and it fades to black with a short voiceover and the game is over before anything ever happened... yet IGN gave this a 9.5 probably because it's WOKE!… Expand
  16. avelen
    Jun 22, 2016
    0
    This game is **** I must say. HATE IT, REGRET PLAYING IT, AND IT'S WASTE OF TIME. I hate the puzzles in it there are no fun and the story is boring and **** i bet everyone who played it said the same thing so don't judge. but the graphics are cool.
  17. Ecresis
    Jun 7, 2016
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not much to say about this "game". It is not a game, it is a story. A 20 minute story. Not worth your money. Basically, you have to find 24 objects triggering a story. The story is so cliché that you will probably give up before the end. You can finish the game without finding all the clues, just find 2 keys and you're done.

    I understand that the 85 Metascore from critics and the hype comes from the fact that it's about lesbian love and parents not understanding, and the military not accepting homos. Blah Blah Blah. The usual stuff. Even if I agree that it is a important subject to fight for, this "game" was not a good way to do it. I'm happy I didn't pay for it.

    The whole game can be solved in 10 minutes, or 2 hours maximum if you really want to click on every piece of wall/tissue box and read everything (most of it is extremely boring stuff about their parent's jobs).

    Gone home is gone deleted.    … Expand
  18. Seaoflogic
    Aug 25, 2016
    0
    Probably the most boring "game" i have ever played. Reading boring notes, with a boring story in a boring house. Yay. Wouldn't have wished this "game" on my worst enemy. I even created an account just to put another warning out there of how bad this walking simulator is.
  19. TheMule
    Jun 9, 2016
    0
    Played through the game, Got stuck in a few corners and had to reload. The main character walks around a house interacting with things that have no bearing on anything,...like soda cans, pencils, cups and other such things. Elements in the game that needed explaining weren't, like things you find in the hidden areas, you will see what I mean. I figured the game was going to be involvingPlayed through the game, Got stuck in a few corners and had to reload. The main character walks around a house interacting with things that have no bearing on anything,...like soda cans, pencils, cups and other such things. Elements in the game that needed explaining weren't, like things you find in the hidden areas, you will see what I mean. I figured the game was going to be involving solving some kind of mystery as to why there was no one home and that her sister was missing due to supernatural causes. I was looking forward to seeing some shocking ghost images of some kind...none were forthcoming.

    What seems like a clone of the point an click games on a PC turns into a huge letdown for fans of that genre so it loses points for trying to be something it is not and loses points for the many bugs I found in the game after only minutes of playing it. Loses points for incomplete story line and the extremely high price tag (if you actually pay money for it, since it is free on PS4 right now). Even with it being a free download at this time...I still felt ripped off for my time.

    Personally don't care about the lesbian innuendos or the SJW feel to the entire game...it was crap even before I started figuring out that it was either of those things.    … Expand
  20. jrzone
    Jun 17, 2016
    3
    Honestly I don't know where I would rate this game. I got it free with PlayStation plus and for free yea it's an ok experience. However would I spend actual money on this? Nope. There is nothing really to the game you collect documents about a house. And listen to your sisters diary of the events. And that's it. Was going to give it a 4 but that ending was so disappointing. One thing thatHonestly I don't know where I would rate this game. I got it free with PlayStation plus and for free yea it's an ok experience. However would I spend actual money on this? Nope. There is nothing really to the game you collect documents about a house. And listen to your sisters diary of the events. And that's it. Was going to give it a 4 but that ending was so disappointing. One thing that really bothered me about the game why have horror atmosphere and sounds about the house? It's not a horror game. It was a poor choice for the dev to do it like that. I have no idea why media outlets rated it high. Maybe I've not played enough walking simulators to get it. But it just seems lazy. It certainly is not worth the money buy a telltale games you will have more fun. Overall it was boring, with an uninteresting story.… Expand
  21. KoastalKhaos
    Jul 29, 2016
    0
    This is by far the worst "game" I have ever played. To think that Polygon gave this garbage their Game of the Year Award over the likes of Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us, or Tomb Raider is insane. There is now way to fail at this walking simulator. There is not even really a goal, though they want you to think there is. You can literally beat the game in under a minute. Horrible. IThis is by far the worst "game" I have ever played. To think that Polygon gave this garbage their Game of the Year Award over the likes of Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us, or Tomb Raider is insane. There is now way to fail at this walking simulator. There is not even really a goal, though they want you to think there is. You can literally beat the game in under a minute. Horrible. I would call it an interactive story but there is no need for interaction other than opening doors and looking at notes that poorly try to strike up a good storyline. This game got praised because the gaming journalists tried to push an agenda. Calling it the GOTY destroys their credibility. Look up reviews on Youtube. At least they are by unbiased people who aren't friends with the developers like most of these gaming websites are. *SPOILER*:
    You come home to an empty house. As you try to piece together where everyone went, you find out about 20 minutes in that your sister has come out as being a lesbian. In the end, you find out that she has ran away with her lover and your parents are on a couple's retreat. DUMB.

    If the sister ran away with a boy, would it receive such high praise? Absolutely not. This game is trying to drill an agenda and fails horribly at it.    … Expand
  22. Fishnpeas
    Jun 11, 2016
    0
    Tonight, on a very special blossom.
    This is not a game, this is not even narrative, I have no idea what this is - I mean what was the whole point of it? The main character just sounds like a complete empty head - this is supposed to be highlighting what to me as a gamer? That I can be fleeced? I actually had to create an account on here simply to vent my utter disgust at "professional"    Tonight, on a very special blossom.
    This is not a game, this is not even narrative, I have no idea what this is - I mean what was the whole point of it? The main character just sounds like a complete empty head - this is supposed to be highlighting what to me as a gamer? That I can be fleeced? I actually had to create an account on here simply to vent my utter disgust at "professional" reviewers giving this thing anything above a 4. You should genuinely be ashamed of yourselves. There should be new categories for things like this so they are not listed on the game section of stores, because that is simply false advertising. And the amount of people saying "go play cod if you don't like it" also need a slap because if you class this as anything even resembling a game you should be slapped vigorously.    … Expand
  23. relnigar
    Jun 10, 2016
    0
    Terrible story mixed with a dull atmosphere, if you hate Young Adult fiction and all it stands for then you will likely hate this. The writing is insipid, the gameplay non-existent; flash games are far better and more immersive, and the price is a joke. Avoid at all costs, the hype around it is very artificial and 'art' it is not.
  24. ragnavirus
    Jun 13, 2016
    1
    Another game , that it is not a game.Press a button to walk and prepare to read tons of text.If i want a book , i will go and buy one.At least try to make the game similar to MYSt and put some cool puzzles.Not the worst game ever , but in the 20 worst probably
  25. Nathan1423
    Jun 12, 2016
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Beyond disappointed. This game is nothing it appears to be. It's a lesbian love story. That's it. I'm 100% for the slightly modern idea of making weird games with cool graphics that are more of "an experience" than a game, and this "game" tries to achieve that, but it fails horribly. My first gripe was the fact that there are well over 100 items to pick up and look at that do absolutely nothing, like plain cups or pencils. Not only is this a game where literally all you can do is pick stuff up and walk around, so the stuff you pick up should be useful half the time, but also why on earth did the developers go through the effort of including so much worthless crap? You can open the dishwasher....to look at dishes...and pick some up...and that's all....it's so stupid.
    My second gripe was that the story revealed through notes, letters, audio logs, and so forth is terribly uninteresting. teenage forbidden lesbian romance, an old house that used to have some shady guy living there who liked hidden passages, but the end result is nothing. The house is not haunted, there's not some creepy torture chamber in the basement, there's not a dead body, there isn't some dark secret, there's....nothing. Everywhere you go the whole experience revolves around your rebellious sister Sam and her lesbian lover Lonnie, even when you find cool hidden passages, nope, nothing interesting, just where same and Lonnie would hide out and post teenage crap on the walls. By the end i just wanted it to be over already. The last room in the attic I walked straight to the end and picked up the last journal entry and the game was over with a brief audio log. I'm sure there were a few things in that room I didn't look at that maybe explained a few things, but i guarantee it didn't explain everything. I'm sick of modern story writers not writing a complete story and then being like "oh it's interpretive, you figure it out, you decide what happened." That's garbage. Finish your crappy story. Sooo many times in the game I ended up saying things like "Why? Why is this here? What would they do this?" The majority of questions are left unanswered, and all your left with is a lesbian love story. I honestly feel bad for people who paid for this game, mine was free from PSN. Voice acting, visuals, and controls were all fine, which makes it a shame that there's no story worth experiencing.    … Expand
  26. Mike1234
    Jun 13, 2016
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If this have hadn't been free on PSN I'd have been devastated buying it.
    In a nutshell you come home from traveling its midnight a storm outside the house in darkness it's previous owner was a psycho.
    Your parents and sister are missing, they knew you were coming but haven't left an obvious message for you. Turns out they have gone camping your sister has run off with her lover. You walk around the house for an hour figuring that out that's it!
    Biggest mystery for me is why they locked to for leading to the kitchen that I needed to get rid by a secret passage didn't they want me to eat?
    Terrible game.    … Expand
  27. lucasbiagini
    Jun 26, 2016
    0
    Considering you are lucky to find the game evidences and follow the story following the correct time line and you actually enjoy reading irrelevant texts, than that is your game. Otherwise, just not.
  28. Ptrac
    Jun 28, 2016
    1
    Look, the reason you see so many critics liking this game and users not liking it is because user are actually the ones who want to PLAY a GAME. This game is a 2-3 hour story of a girl coming of age and realizing she is a lesbian. I guess with the LGBT movement being the "in" thing right now all the critics consider this a grand, noble achievement. If that's what you're into maybe you'llLook, the reason you see so many critics liking this game and users not liking it is because user are actually the ones who want to PLAY a GAME. This game is a 2-3 hour story of a girl coming of age and realizing she is a lesbian. I guess with the LGBT movement being the "in" thing right now all the critics consider this a grand, noble achievement. If that's what you're into maybe you'll love this game. It also makes some other political statements regarding homophobia. and the fear of "coming out". Beyond that, the game offers NOTHING else. They hint at something scary but never actually do anything to scare you. There is very little else going on other than some things that capture the feeling of the early 1990's. The game also is visually pretty ugly. I am all for a walking simulator that tells a story and it doesn't have to be scary but this game just gets real annoying real fast. When you get to the the end you will be irritated that you stuck with it for the 2 hours it takes to finish.… Expand
  29. khwwalnw
    Apr 10, 2016
    0
    Less than one hour of "game play". Well there's actually no game play, but it's less than an hour until you get to the end of this walking simulator. Look, they just want your money to spend on patreon.
  30. Tubey
    Jun 15, 2016
    2
    Absolutely nothing has changed from the PC release - if you want, check my profile for the review of that. It's abysmal. The critics have selective vision with this 'game', and that's why you see the gulf between honest user reviews and professional reviewers wanting to justify their career by pretending this is high art.

    It's not. It's absolute trash. Avoid like the plague.
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Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best PS4 Game of 2016
31
#31 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
35
#35 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Gameblog.fr
    Apr 21, 2016
    80
    Gone home is a beautiful story told with talent. The total immersion and storytelling brings a sense of renewal in the world of video games. Unfortunately, its lifespan is too short: two hours are enough to see the end. This console port is, by the way, excellent.
    Read full review
  2. GameSpew
    Apr 9, 2016
    60
    It’s a shame that Gone Home is a bit of a non-starter. It has a lot of potential; the game is genuinely captivating whilst you’re playing it – it’s just unfortunate that it leaves you so disappointed once you’ve reached its conclusion. The human story it tries to tell is relatable, but it’s a story that’s so ordinary it’s barely even worth telling. By all means, play Gone Home for the exploration; for the 90’s nostalgia and for its down-to-Earth quirks, but don’t go into it expecting anything mindblowing. Expect a grounded story about a typical family and you won’t be disappointed, but anything else will leave you feeling rather underwhelmed.
    Read full review
  3. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Mar 31, 2016
    70
    Don’t look at its brevity with a frown: Gone Home is a hugely important game with something meaningful to say. [April 2016, p74]
See all critic reviews »