Gone Home
You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is empty. Something's not right. Where is everyone? And what's happened here? Unravel the mystery for yourself in Gone Home, a story exploration game from The Fullbright Company. Gone Home is an interactive exploration simulator. Interrogate every detail of a seemingly normal house to discover the story of the people who live there. Open any drawer and door. Pick up objects and examine them to discover clues. Uncover the events of one family's lives by investigating what they've left behind. A Personal Story: Created by veterans of the BioShock series and the story team behind Minerva's Den, Gone Home offers the rich, nuanced details of one family's struggles to deal with uncertainty, heartache, and change. An Immersive Place: Return to the 1990s by visiting a home where every detail has been carefully recreated, and the sounds of a rainstorm outside wrap you in the experience. No Combat, No Puzzles: Gone Home is a nonviolent and puzzle-free experience, inviting you to play at your own pace without getting attacked, stuck, or frustrated. This house wants you to explore it. Behind-The-Scenes Commentary: Over 90 minutes of commentary by the developers, musicians, and voice talent behind Gone Home. Access Commentary mode by clicking the Modifiers button when starting a new game!
Game Discussion
Steam User 18
Was't quite sure what to expect getting into this, but I was glad I did. It's an emotional ride, and one worth taking. A friend of mine passed away almost two years ago, and this was a game he reviewed and recommended so I decided to give it a shot.
Steam User 45
A game about gay
Steam User 23
A sad little gay story
Steam User 13
A very heartwarming, nostalgic-filled story, probably one of my favourites of all time. A lot of 90s references, along with punk dynamics and just overall the teen experience, especially the closeted kind; not only is the artwork beautiful and immersive, the soundtrack just makes you feel as though you are one of the characters there, feeling nostalgic and homesick for a character that isn't even you... I'm still a teen, so Sam and Lonnie's characters really resonated with me, and if anything, inspired me to view my youth the same way they did. It is a bit sad and sentimental, but I think that's the beauty of it.
Steam User 12
Home is where the Gone isn't.
Steam User 8
Gone Home is a sort of exploration, interactive novel the kind of Tacoma or The Suicide of Rachel Foster. However, this one has a sweeter story. You arrive home from your holiday around the world, however, the house is empty and there's a storm raging outside. From here on you explore the house filled with '90s references, read letters, documents, and notes, piecing together the history of the family, where and what kinds of people your parents are, and most importantly, why your sister isn't at home. You find most of this out from little voiced journal entries from your sister, that piece together nicely in the end.
The game has a creepy and spooky vibe to it, with dark corridors, squeaky floors and the thunderstorm raging outside, however, don't let it deter you from the game, as there isn't anything actually scary in it, just ambiental sound to set the mood. The sound design especially is pretty well done, and the music is fantastic.
Depending on your pace, the game can probably be completed in under 2.5 hours, add to that another 1.5 if you would like to replay it with the creators' commentary, which, if you enjoy the game, I highly recommend. It was quite nice listening to all the insides and little details. And if you are really in a hurry, you could actually speedrun the game, with everything collected in under 10 minutes, or even in just 1 minute if you want to go straight for the finish line, you even get two nice achievements for it.
Steam User 10
A nice little story about a teenager discovering herself while her family starts to fall apart around her. They landed the feel of the mid-90s, the writing's solid, it's paced well, and it doesn't overstay its welcome. You probably already have it in your Steam backlog, and if you're looking for something you can complete and cross off the list, this is only 2-3 hours long.