The indie classic exploration game Gone Home is now available as a physical copy for the Nintendo Switch—that’s right, now you can order the game and get it delivered in the mail, the old-fashioned way.
Although Gone Home was first released in 2013, the game only came to the Switch about a year ago. But it was only available for download until today. For fans of the game, or just general super-nerds, the physical copy might make an excellent addition to your collection.
The premise of the game is simple. The story takes place in 1995 when the game’s protagonist, Katie Greenbriar, comes home from an international trip to find an empty house where her family should be. Detective hijinx ensues. Actually not really—while Gone Home is a bit of an investigation game, it’s really more of an interactive experience than an interactive investigation. (Damn indie games. Stop being so hard to classify!)
Players wind up following Katie as she moves through the house trying to figure out what happened. In some ways, the game can be characterized as a 3D point-and-click adventure without all the puzzles. And in other ways, the title stands as another addition to the exploration genre even if it stands apart from its peers.
But, honestly, what makes Gone Home stand out is its exceptional storyline, which isn’t depicted through the progression of a single narrative as much as it’s just revealed by looking around the house. Sound boring? It isn’t.
Players don’t interact with things as much as explore and piece together what happened by looking closely at the items in the home. Eventually, you start to get a grasp on just what happened while you were away. And the results are pretty shocking to say the least.
It’s no surprise Gone Home ended up getting a physical copy for the Nintendo Switch, even five years after its initial release date. After its release, the game received a great deal of critical acclaim for its story and innovative gameplay. And it has been coming back ever since. Just last year the game was ported to iOS, on top of it being introduced in the Nintendo Online Store.
Currently, the physical copy of the game can be ordered on the iam8bit website for $39.99. The website says the physical copy comes with a “Premium Reversible Cover Insert” and a cool collectible poster. The publishers at iam8bit also promise that the game is available worldwide. So no need to worry about shipping if you’re outside the US.
