Gone Home

[Vintage Paw]

I'm playing this right now.

The atmosphere is creepy as fuck. They've done a good job on that.

I don't know anything about the game. A friend let me play an 'evaluation copy', I hadn't heard of it before then, and I've looked up nothing about it. I hear it's quite short though (maybe only a couple of hours).

I shall report back when I finish it. Everything of note will strictly be in spoiler tags, because I get the impression this is not the kind of game where you'd have anywhere near the same experience if you knew what it was about or what might happen (or not happen).

Premise:

You are Kaitlen. You have returned home (to the USA) after travelling around Europe. Your parents and sister aren't there. It's really stormy out. You look around the house. You can pick up lots of things and examine them. You slowly make your way around the house. You don't know where they are...

 

[Vintage Paw]

Spoiler

THE LIGHT WENT OUT OMG.

NONONONONONONONONONONONO.

I'm not cut out for this sort of thing.

 

[Vintage Paw]

Finished it.

That was really, really good.

Really. Really. Good.

 

[tommers]

I have heard very good things about it. I will buy it when it is in a sale.

 

[Cid]

How long was it in the end?

 

[Vintage Paw]

Maybe 3 hours.

Not worth the current price, perhaps. Then again, this is a case where supporting the devs would be a good thing, imo.

I thought it was excellent.

But yeah, you really do need to be very, very careful of reviews.

After I finished, I read the IGN review, and although they said they were being vague and avoiding spoilers, they let out the most important spoiler of the whole game that would render the whole point of playing it utterly pointless. I don't think they realised. If they didn't, they don't deserve to be a games writer, frankly. Fucking morons.

So stay away from things that even say they are spoiler-free. Because they might not be. This is the kind of game where knowing anything about it would ruin the experience and therefore entire point of playing it.

 

[neonwilderness]

Looks intriguing without reading too much and spoiling it. The price seems a bit steep for a three hour game though

 

[Cid]

Finished it.

That was really, really good.

Really. Really. Good.

Yep. Just... very real.

 

[Vintage Paw]

Yep. Just... very real.

You played it then?

The atmosphere was cracking, wasn't it?

 

[Cid]

I did yeah, and it was... But... Creepy room, put on <x>, memories (trying to avoid even minor spoilers).

Definitely fine with the devs getting my money.

 

[Vintage Paw]

I think it was short enough to not suffer too much from the very simple forward progression that happened as you go from room to room. If it had been longer, it would have been more of a problem, but at the same time perhaps it would have been even better had it changed it up a little more.

Spoiler

I particularly liked the part where you pick up the crucifix and the light goes out. I proper shat myself.

What I also liked was that throughout the whole thing, it gave you rational counters to all the scary shit - so for example while it's trying to get you into the creepy house omg ghosts vibe, it gives you Sam's own admissions that the tall shadow could have been her just seeing things, or x could just have been caused by y, and so on...

And even though, if you're paying attention (and apply Occam's Razor), it's obvious Sam has just run away, and the parents are out of town on a trip, it has you doubting yourself. You kind of know nothing bad has happened. You kind of know you're not going to see the reanimated corpse of dead uncle Oscar, or that Sam hasn't actually gone on a murderous spree and killed her parents, or that there isn't a serial killer invading the house, or whatever. You kind of know that when you get to the end it's just going to be quite normal. But at the same time, you do entertain all of those ideas, however briefly, and start watching for the tall shadow as you turn corners, start wondering whether it's your imagination or whether that stain on the upstairs hallway floor and wooden panelling is meant to be blood, and you really, really don't want to go down into the basement, or into the attic.

The way it plays with the rational and irrational parts of your brain is very clever, because it doesn't just play on the irrational like so many creepy games do - it lays out the rational as well, for you to do with whatever you want.

 

[Cid]

I think it was short enough to not suffer too much from the very simple forward progression that happened as you go from room to room. If it had been longer, it would have been more of a problem, but at the same time perhaps it would have been even better had it changed it up a little more.

Spoiler

I particularly liked the part where you pick up the crucifix and the light goes out. I proper shat myself.

What I also liked was that throughout the whole thing, it gave you rational counters to all the scary shit - so for example while it's trying to get you into the creepy house omg ghosts vibe, it gives you Sam's own admissions that the tall shadow could have been her just seeing things, or x could just have been caused by y, and so on...

And even though, if you're paying attention (and apply Occam's Razor), it's obvious Sam has just run away, and the parents are out of town on a trip, it has you doubting yourself. You kind of know nothing bad has happened. You kind of know you're not going to see the reanimated corpse of dead uncle Oscar, or that Sam hasn't actually gone on a murderous spree and killed her parents, or that there isn't a serial killer invading the house, or whatever. You kind of know that when you get to the end it's just going to be quite normal. But at the same time, you do entertain all of those ideas, however briefly, and start watching for the tall shadow as you turn corners, start wondering whether it's your imagination or whether that stain on the upstairs hallway floor and wooden panelling is meant to be blood, and you really, really don't want to go down into the basement, or into the attic.

The way it plays with the rational and irrational parts of your brain is very clever, because it doesn't just play on the irrational like so many creepy games do - it lays out the rational as well, for you to do with whatever you want.

Spoiler

Yep, definitely... I think once there's been streetfighter, zenes and decent '90s grrrl punk (and misfits doodles etc) I knew no-one would have the heart to bring on some nasty, twisted ending - but couldn't dispel that element of doubt. The normalness of it all just shone through though, very refreshing. Probably helped that I got into punk in the 90s, although towards the end. Made me a bit maudlin for the old days though... But I suspect that may partly be the booze.

 

[Cid]

But yeah, you really do need to be very, very careful of reviews.

And, for the love of god, don't read youtube comments.

 

[tommers]

And, for the love of god, don't read youtube comments.

That's more a rule for life isn't it?

 

[Epona]

I've heard it's really good, but am waiting for it to be on sale - although I agree in principle with supporting developers, I am not in a great place financially, and anything more than £5 for a short game is too pricey for my wallet right now!

 

[Sunray]

I recently finished this and while its a good game, its very one dimensional and at 14.99 represents very poor value for money compared to titles of similar value. It took me less than two hours to complete and has zero replay value. I paid 3.50 which was about the right price.

 

[Citizen66]

It's a fiver on steam for the next 24 hours.

 

[fen_boy]

£5.99 on steam at the minute.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Still haven't feckin played it.

I've seen so many spoilers on Twitter that it's put me off tbh.

 

[Steel Icarus]

I'm playing it right now. Finding it enormously affecting

 

[fen_boy]

It's free this weekend on Linux, Mac and Windows.
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