Now I’ve zine it all.
I’ve got to admire the Fullbright Company. It takes a lot of courage to make a game in the knowledge that most soundbite descriptions of it will sound a bit mundane. In Gone Home you’re exploring a house in the 1990s. … Ok. Anything else? You’ve returned home after a year away to find the house empty. Now we’re on to something – mystery!
It’s really about exploring and investigating the lives of people the main character thinks she knows. You make your way around the house, picking at the threads of life and re-weaving what may or may not have happened here. Given the tone, I’m guessing it’s not the usual videogame scenario of horrible aliens, terrorists or orcs.
The description clearly states “no puzzles” and “no combat.” You’ll be exploring at your own pace. Figuring things out in your own time (but not in conventional “puzzle game” way.) Examining clues, riffling through drawers and reading personal correspondence.
Fullbright is comprised of people who created the excellent ‘Minerva’s Den’ add-on for BioShock 2, so there should be no doubt whatsoever about their narrative capabilities. Gone Home costs $20.00 USD and can be found either on Steam (with 10% off right now) or through Fullbright’s own site (also with 10% off.)
