Gone Home Review

Gone Home is an adventure game developed by The Fullbright Company that is entirely focused around story. All the game play elements in this game are centred on piecing together the next part of the story. The way in which this is presented is so interesting and different from anything I’ve ever played. To say that this game is good is a disservice to the developers. Gone Home is an example of what the gaming industry needs and why indie gaming has come so far in recent years.

Gone Home’s story starts with Kaitlin Greenbriar who returns from a trip around Europe to her family’s new home to find the house empty and a note on the door from her younger sister, Sam, telling her not to look for answers as to her location. Obviously, the next logical step for Kaitlin is to search the empty house for clues to find out what happened. Sam’s story is one of the most beautiful, heart-warming and endearingly human tales in gaming. It is so unique in the fact that the game play is only there to compliment the telling of this tale, and strangely, it doesn’t at all bother me. In fact, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As Kaitlin, you spend your time in the game exploring the house and finding little pieces of Sam’s life scattered around through which her story is told. When you find a key item, you hear an extract from Sam’s journal explaining the next chapter in her life. The voice actor who plays Sam does an outstanding job of conveying her emotions and the things that she is going through. But, the story isn’t just about Sam. While exploring, you find out about Sam’s parents and friends whose stories are also intricate and dramatic but in a beautifully subtle way that allows you to be interested without detracting from the main story.

The house itself is designed so well and the flickering lights and dark shadowy areas of the family home create an eerie yet warm atmosphere that sets the mood of the game perfectly. One of the great things about this game is that

It doesn’t treat you like an idiot or hold your hand. If you don’t spend enough time exploring, you’re not going to experience the whole story. You can’t finish the game without finding out most of Sam’s story, but there are many elements to it that are easy to miss if you weren’t paying attention. What this means is that you have to truly invest to get the most meaningful experience out of the game, and in no way is this a bad thing.

Gone Home is one of the most meaningful and fulfilling games I have ever played. It is a must play for anyone looking for a great story in a video game, or, just a great story in general.

10/10