People clamor for representation in everything, and understandably so. Especially in regards to minority groups (varying ethnicities, LGBT members, etc), people who never get to see themselves represented in media really, also understandably, flip their lid when they finally ARE represented in things, especially when in ways that aren't stereotypical or in a negative light.

That's partially what made Gone Home such a rousing success, and such a controversial game, though for reasons I'll never understand, as a lot of what would be deemed "controversial" by people who've never left their comfort bubble happens primarily off screen and is only discussed via diary entries or voice over. I guess queer people are so damned terrifying that the mere concept of us sends everyone into a tizzy. But that's neither here nor there. Listen, I'm a lesbian. I grew up feeling terrified that my parents, despite being Democrats and pretty open to people themselves, would hate me if I ever said anything about who I was, so this game really touched me in some deep wounds that I've been licking for years now. So what's the game about?

Well, it's about you, a young woman named Katie, coming home from an overseas visit, to find your childhood home essentially dark and abandoned, with only clues left behind as to what has transpired since you've been away. As you take a leisurely stroll through the house at your own pace, you come across audio tapes, diary entries and other things that will reveal parts of your family, and specifically, your little sister, that will eventually all climax in, honestly, one of the single most simultaneously heart wrenching and joy inducing moments I've ever experienced in my time gaming. I'm not going to sit here and tell you it's the most fun game I've ever played; it essentially can be summed up as a walking simulator. It just happens to have a very engaging story that's extremely well written, and be an interesting enough premise to get you through the 4 or 5 hours of gameplay that surround it.

The game was made in Unity, a game development tool which I have varying opinions of, honestly, but it plays rather fine and it looks rather fine, probably because it doesn't overextend what Unity is capable of. That's often the problem with Unity is that people seem to try and get more out of what it can give you, resulting in, generally, poor gameplay. But the voice work, the music, the overall tone, the gameplay (what little there really is, besides going your four general directions and picking items up) are all extremely well done, as is, as I stated before, the story. It's a game where it's not just one thing that stands out excellently above the other aspects, but more so where all the aspects combined create a well put together title. Everything is working at its best and it shows.

Now, I will give people the benefit of the doubt, if you are not a part of the LGBT community, or even a woman, or you're simply not interested in general fiction, or you want something a tad more engaging gameplay wise, I can understand why the title may not be for you. However, that being said, I have something to say about that. I have a friend, he will not be named. This friend has told me time and time again that he will not play a game that features a female lead character, because he is not a woman, so the experience isn't really for him. While I sort of understand this weird logic, I also think it's completely backwards. That's like not watching a Disney movie because you're not animated. Who ultimately cares, as long as what you're participating in is good, and well made, and enjoyable, you should open yourself up to new perspectives from a group that you are not a part of, whether it's someone of the opposite gender, race or whatever else you can come up with. Just food for thought. I won't tell you what to play or not play, but I also won't close myself off to media simply because it features someone who doesn't represent me.

"Well, I'm not a cartoon, or a rabbit, so Roger Rabbit just isn't up my alley I guess."

Okay then. That's your decision, I suppose. I just thought it was worth saying something. You don't really gain anything from shutting yourself off from enjoyable media. Like I said, I understand if a genre isn't compelling to you or the gameplay isn't fun to you, but to base your entire viewpoint on something simply because it features someone who isn't you, that seems a little out there.

GONE HOME is brutal. I was sobbing by the end of it, partially because it was so damned relatable but also because it was so damned well done, and it made me wish other games, especially other walking simulators, could be that well written. In a final note, this game is the only time I'm willing to have gone home.

I played this game a few years ago and enjoyed it a lot. There is a moment near the end where it felt like someone was twisting a knife in my gut, so intense was my fear that something awful would happen. I decided to replay it the other night. It was cold and windy, so I snuggled up in bed under some blankets, the sound of rain from the tiny speakers mingling with the storm outside.

It is easy to get invested in the main story of Gone Home. It traffics in emotions that are relatable - loneliness, longing and loss. What really captured me this playthrough was how elegant the storytelling surrounding that main plot is. It is a game that rewards curiosity as you explore its environment. Knowing I could finish it anytime (open some doors then BOOM credits), I still wanted to take my time rifling through every drawer and searching every crevice for information.

The narrative of Sam's parents is as compelling as hers, and there isn't a voiceover to tell it. It is told through scraps of paper - old letters, documents, ticket stubs, etc. as well as the objects scattered throughout the house. This is a game where an old toy car in a dark room is a devastating discovery. Something so small can make you reevalute everything you know about these characters, pieces of a puzzle you didn't know existed sliding into place.

Part of me wishes that there was more to Janice's story (the mother), but it make sense there isn't. It is an unsatisfying story about not feeling satisfied and longing for something more. She also exists outside the house, not working from home like Terrence, or having a need to document her emotions like a teenager almost certainly would.

I don't really have anything of value to say about this game, but it is one I can imagine playing every few years for the rest of my life. It is so sweet and heartbreaking, and has me wanting so hard for everything to work out for characters I only saw in photographs. It is a game that makes me look around my own house and wonder how my story would be read. Most importantly, it is a game that made me realise I will stop and read the label on every VHS tape I see.

Rating: 9/10

There are going to be spoilers after this paragraph. The basic gist of my review is that it's not a horror game but comes across like one a bit, but I don't mind that, I thought the story was engaging and that this is how you do a walking simulator. Read on for a fuller review.

The walking simulator done right. While so many these days attempt it, they often can't populate their world with enough to keep the player engaged. Gone Home does so by having enough stuff to search for and by using clever, emotional writing. Honestly, that's how these types of games survive; if you don't have a good story to tell, then you're essentially left with nothing, because without a proper narrative/atmosphere, you're just walking. You might as well go outside at that point.

It tells a beautiful tale of a family that deals with, unfortunately, very realistic problems. The most interesting one is of your sister Sam, and I reckon that's the one that carries the most weight, and for good reason. That doesn't mean that it wasn't fun figuring out what the rest of your family was up to, because it certainly ones. Despite being a short game, they actually felt like real people.

There's also an interesting contrast between the narrative and the atmosphere. While the story doesn't really have a happy ending per se, well, I mean it kinda does, it was positive enough that the horror environment was actually endearing. Many will declare that this isn't a horror story and you shouldn't interact with it as such, and it isn't, but there's still a bit of dread here. I would argue that the developers intended that since they start talking about ghosts in notes, made the game quiet and isolated, along with plopping you into a rainy night with thunder, so if you think that one aspect works against the other, that's not down to your own interpretation; that's how the game was meant to broadcast itself, at least in my eyes.

It worked for me, but I understand an opposing viewpoint. One could also say that coming out of the closet is a terror itself, which is painful to me considering the fact that it shouldn't be a big deal. In that way, the game reflects the inner turmoil of that, and to a lesser extent the other issues that the family deals with. That's if you want to really read into it, which may or may not be true; either way it adds layers to a game with more than a few layers already. Great game.