It’s always nice to be treated to a free indie game every once and a while. If you’re looking for something unique to add to your PC library free of charge, Gone Home might be worth your time.
This first-person exploration title is available for free through the Humble Bundle store. Developed by the Fullbright Company, Gone Home features a mysterious story about a young woman. She’s recently returned home to her rural home in Oregon.
Upon arriving, she finds that her entire family is noticeably absent. You’re thus forced to piece together events leading up to their disappearance. If you like mystery games that involve a lot of investigation, Gone Home is for you. Much of what you’ll be doing is exploring the house from room to room.
There is no linear progression system that drives you forward. Instead, you’re free to explore at your own pace and make your own conclusions as far as what transpired in the currently empty home. As you walk throughout the house, you’ll find all sorts of objects to investigate like photos, personal belongings, and mysterious items.
The more you progress in the game, the more secrets you’ll uncover of this young woman’s family. A bold move by the developers was approaching the challenge of coming out as a lesbian. The young woman’s sister evidently comes out and leaves her parents up in arms.
It’s your job to find out more about this family revelation. In terms of the gameplay, there isn’t a lot of character interaction here. As mentioned earlier, you’ll spend a lot of your time looking for clues in the house. Still, the mystery of the family keeps your attention throughout the story’s run time.
The visuals in this game are well-designed. You can tell what sort of foreboding theme the developers were going for when putting together the home’s interior. The visuals sort of tell a story of their own, making you want to dive deeper into its nooks and crannies.
Many liken this game to a walking simulator because after all, you’ll be doing a lot of walking within the house. However, there is so much intrigue that grabs your attention from start to finish.
If you like a good tale and mystery is one of your preferred gaming genres, then Gone Home is right up your alley. At the very least, you’ll find yourself impressed with the architecture in the house. And, you don’t have to pay a cent.
