This game has very intuitive control systems. I used WASD to move and right-click to pick up and inspect any object, and it was easy for me to get started. The first thing I noticed was the overall vibe of the surroundings. It was a stormy night and there is nobody at home to welcome the returning protagonist. The first thing I did was to turn on all the desk lamps and lights to make the surroundings easier to explore.
5:56
I noticed the music was not horrifying. Instead it gives off a warm yet sad vibe with strings instruments. From this I can conclude that this will not be a horror game but instead a mystery game about the protagonist’s family, likely her sibling, who left a note on the front porch about trying not to find her.
6:09
I found Sam’s backpack and her voice journal started playing as she wrote to the protagonist, her older sister about her first day in school and being identified as “the psycho house girl”. It certainly seemed like she did not enjoy her new high school experience.
6:19
I went into the protagonist’s father’s study as well as his library. It seems as if he is mostly concerned in three things: his work, the assassination of JFK, and, his daughter Sam. There were many journals and books in his rooms that showed his obsession about JFK. Above his work desk, there was a note saying, “check up with Sam” as well as a book on the library shelves about “Understanding Teenagers”.
I’ve started live blogging while playing through Gone Home! I have just gotten past the opening of the game and found the key to unlocking the house. Here’s the assignment page.
The game starts off with a dark screen and an audio message the protagonist leaves for her family, saying that she is returning from her trip and will arrive late. The character then starts the game in the front porch, along with the tutorial for different actions, you find out that the protagonist went on a trip to Europe when you open up the backpack and find a passport and flight ticket. The first “stage/scene” is the dark porch with no lights and in the background, with a somewhat creepy mood as you hear heavy rain pouring down. The door is initially locked, and you find a note from Sam saying something about not being able to meet her until someday, which first sets up for the mystery the game will be based around.
I have come to a stop after completely exploring the left wing of house on the first floor (other than the locked basement at the end of the hallway). Through this process, the protagonist finds notes from her younger sister telling her about how her situation at the new high school. Through looking over documents found on the floor and the father’s cabinet, we also learn that this house was inherited from the father’s uncle, and it seems like he has gone crazy before dying and passing his possessions to the father, which is why the student at school call Sam the girl who lives in the psycho house. The father is a writer of books and reviews but through letters from editors we know that his books are not selling, and reviews aren’t liked by the editor, overall in quite a slump. Also, through listening to the recording of the telephone, we learn that Sam seems to have gone missing before our voice message of arriving late to home. Some notes Sam leaves for us about keeping secret what we find in the attic also sets up for upcoming content of the game while giving us a goal of where we might want to look next. The creators so far have been setting up tension for the players with the empty house, continue rain with occasional thunder, as well notes from the sister.
I have now completed the game. The play through took a lot longer than I have expected. There were a lot of things to look for while playing and I had to look up guides at several points while progressing through the game. Instead of the horror I have thought this game might incorporate, it simply told a love story of Sam and her girlfriend Lonnie as I looked searched through the house and found notes and journals left by Sam. There were a lot of clues I had to look out for and even look online sometimes when I have gotten stuck. While playing this game, I realized that you are free to search around areas you have unlocked but there are always “story locked” areas that you will not be able to access. This means that even if you know where certain secret passages are, you cannot access them prior to having found certain story related items. This makes sure that players are getting the full story in proper order but at the same time I found it sometimes frustrating when I have somehow either gone ahead or missed something in certain rooms and need to return and look for clues/items again.
I thought this was a pretty well-made game overall. There were a lot of details relating to the family and the story players find while exploring the house and going through the objects. This way of storytelling through interaction with objects require the players to actively look for clues and think about how they might relate to the main plot as the explore the game.
Just started the game, and am already not sure if I should have started so late at night. I’ve played Horror simulation games like Outlast before, and I want no part of that experience – but looking up game reviews I hope there is nothing like that!
2310
Looking through Sam’s personal stuff, I feel like I’m violating the trust of someone I know, even though there are mysterious circumstances of why they are missing.
2313
Saw what looked like blood in a bathtub – turned around and made sure every lamp I could come across was turned on before I investigate the bathtub further – really not in the mood for a jumpscare especially with the thunder going off in game.
2314
Saw it was hair dye – but now Sam’s story about her girlfriend is causing me to get in my feelings, I will continue tomorrow
Continue Game 9-14-20
1425
Just remembered how much not being able to sprint frustrates me.
1428
Just realizing all the Bibles that are stacked up around the house, and am catching on to the controlled burn plotline – not sure how it figures in. But with the Bibles and the religious undertones of the house, and the possible intimate relationship between my sister Sam and her friend – I am guessing there might be a sad conclusion to why she left.
1446
I am starting to think being a completionist is working a bit against me – I am really spending a lot of time reading soap labels and book covers. Also I am still not totally convinced there are no jumpscares because of the tone the thunderstorm sets in game.
1447
Just saw an attic with ominous red lights around it – saving that for last!
1448
Lonnie and Sam are so cute! I feel really conflicted because I am not totally over the horror game vibe – but I want to hear more of the Miss Fits and Captain Allegra!
1500
Laughing at the hidden raunchy wildfire firefighting romance book the Mom hid away!
Escape from Ghost Mansion is not easing my discomort about the possibility of this being a horror game – and neither is the secret passage!
1520
Just read the sign about Sam’s Darkroom – okay, maybe I was overreacting about the ominous attic.
1522
Looking around at the study, learning more about the parents! I really relate to the “How to talk to my teen daughter?” psychology book that was left out – I think I am starting to get a good idea of whats going on.
1630
Took a bit of a break – reading a report about how lights may randomly turn off is not great…
1633
Just realized Boon County is in Oregon – surprisingly topical for the wildfires going on right now! Also, “psycho house girl” scares me again! Is this like the movie Sinister or Poltergeist?
1650
That menstrual cycle assignment Sam wrote was HILARIOUS! Also, the 90’s nostalgia is quite overt – Street fighter, smoking outside the gas station, cassettes – I wasn’t born but I like it!
1700
I think I might be stuck, I’ve walked around for a few minutes and I can’t find the key to open the door, the filing cabinet, or the attic!
2037
Okay, took a break, but made it to the basement, they said “I love you”, so cute!!!
2041
First, you can see the difference between the sisters when reading our character, Katie’s own sex-ed assignment – straightforward and boring – I like Sam way better. Terrence has daddy issues – that criticism was so harsh! Also, Lonnie shipping out makes me very sad that the young love has to end…
2045
Ahhhhh the teenage angst really radiates off the game, especially as someone who had parents a lot like Sam’s – denying instead of confronting conflict.
2050
Im choking up, I’ve never even seen either of these girls and I am so deeply invested in this story. I don’t want Lonnie to go!
2053
Dang, there really are a LOT of secret passages in this house! I am happy to see that there are two writers in the household that are going to crises to find out who they really are!
2101
MY GOD I HAVE GOOSEBUMPS! I can’t fathom how much this game was able to make me feel without having to talk to one human! There were definitely some subplots I paid more attention to than I should have – like the parents, but Sam’s story fills me with a melancholy joy, knowing that she is going to follow her love and just… drive. This game really made me think back on the romantic teen idea of just finding someone to love and following them to the ends of the Earth – because true love prevails. I think there is no other way to describe this game than “it hits you right in the feels!”
I am beginning to play through the game, “Gone Home,” from the request of my English professor, David Morgen. https://eng101f20.davidmorgen.org/quests/side-quests/side-quest-3-liveblogging-gone-home/. From what I can, the opening phone call makes the main character out to be a young girl who got to be on her own for the first time in a faraway place and has newfound confidence in her self by showing her trying to be independent, thus not wanting her mom to pick her up from the airport. However, the grim music and moody lighting of the start give a quick indication of the game genre. Upon arrival, the dark atmosphere, combined with the slow walking pace and heavy rainfall, gives off a mysterious and grim tone to the game. The note on the door with the names mom dad crossed out to show the main character’s oddities as she searches for her family and piece together whatever she possibly can.
Initially, from events outside my control, I despised the constraints and limits pushed on me when I read and wrote, thus leading me to not enjoy the subjects nearly as much as my other academics. However, additional events outside my control guided me towards a new path of writing and reading. I have learned that not all restrictions are forced, and finding your way of individualizing the experience makes the process far more enjoyable. For example, writing my literacy narrative involves me profoundly thinking about my journey through the reading and writing subjects that I got lost in my creative process. From this essay, I learned I have a lot of love for creating an exciting and thought-provoking piece of literature that I think my one of the topic sentences will be considered probably the most exciting sentence of my entire narrative.
Just started playing Gone Home. The opening screen shows a house in the forest during the night. The opening music is very ominous, so I speculate that this game is going to be very tense.
7:14 pm
Opening sequence: I was honestly pretty scared during the opening sequence. I could still hear the ominous music playing over the rain and occasional thunder which raised my heartbeat. There were also a few occasions where I heard the door creak, the wind gets louder, and the lights flicker from the inside of the room. The use of an audio message from the first-person narrator to her mom was a good way to establish character. It was nice how I could attribute a voice and personality to the character. I spent a few minutes looking around the front porch for more items, but I only found the key. I think the rest of the game will also be scary for me, although the sound of rain and thunder will be softer inside the house.
7:30 pm
In the main room: The first thing I did was go to the bathroom because it was the closest room. There was not much there. I also looked through the right closet, but I didn’t find anything. On a desk, to the left of the stairwell, I found a note claiming that my neighbor daniel was weird, and wanted our house back. There was also a message left on the phone desperately asking for Sam. I will most likely go left to see what I can find before going up the stairs.
7:50 pm
I checked the first drawer and found an obituary for the man that most likely owned this house before. In the closet next to it, I found a list and a journal entry implying that Sam might be depressed.
8:05
Inside the TV room: There was no door to this room, and the TV was on, so that really creeped me out. I looked through the room and there was another journal entry from Samyalking about making friends. Our dad, Terry, seems to be an editor of some kind. He also seems to be obsessed with JFK. I will go to the room next.
8:30
Secret room: I went into the secret room and it was really weird at first. I thought it must have been from Oscar, but it ended up being from Sam too. There was a strange red light in one of the rooms, I will check that out next.
9:30
Honestly, this really scared me. It was really unexpected. I was afraid to turn over the picture, but I was pretty sure that it would be Oscar because Sam claimed that the house was owned by a psycho. I am interested to see what’s in the attic, although I have a feeling it will be a dead body.
In the secret entrance, I picked up the crucifix and dropped it, and immediately the lights turned off. I immediately turned away and covered my head. I was almost too scared to continue the game, but my fascination drove me on.
End: I finished the game. Honestly, I am kind of disappointed. I am glad Sam is ok and happy, but I was really hoping there were some freaky things going on like Oscar’s ghost haunting the house. I think the game did an excellent job of subverting our expectations and placing things like red paint and scary games in order to build a false sense of fear. I enjoyed my time playing this game.
9:45: I’m not sure if the wind is coming from my surroundings or because my computer is overheating. Nevertheless, this front porch is penetrating darkness. The shadow illuminated by the windows could be from a tree, but all that seems to come to mind is the picture of BFG depicted on character books. I’m not sure if my character is coming home of if they rushed home because Sam is in danger, but maybe if I can come inside I’ll know. Just typing this out makes me feel nervous; I’m suddenly hypersensitive to the doors outside the apartment opening and closing as if something is going to happen to me when I go inside the door.
10:30: I’ve been walking aimlessly. It took me too long to find the key. I am filled with anxiety; there is something startling about walking in a large house alone. Not to mention, Sam’s journal referred to herself as the “psycho house girl”. What is wrong with this house?! The weather alert especially made me uneasy. I feel brought back to 2012 during Hurricane Sandy when my family lost power for two weeks. We since moved out of the house, but walking in the darkness with an aimless goal forever remains ingrained, and this game reignited that memory. Darkness is so central to this game that even walking into the light makes me wary.
I begin the game with the view of a porch. Unlike the many other games, Gone home doesn’t contain violence, yet it gave players a lot of freedom. With freedom, this game immediately gave me a hard time on how to probe the continuous steps. I had to spend 15 minutes trying to find the key on the bottom of a duck. This experience of probing provided a preview of the remaining plots. As I move around the first and second floor, I discovered that Katie is a rebellious child when she was younger and even her sister, Sam, called her a weirdo.
As I probe from rooms to rooms, I discovered more and more about this family. The father, Terry has some nasty secrets, Sam seems to change a lot as she gets older. The journal would give me a lot of information into the plot and I really like this type of plot progression method.
I begin the game with the view of a porch. Unlike the many other games, Gone home doesn’t contain violence, yet it gave players a lot of freedom. With freedom, this game immediately gave me a hard time on how to probe the continuous steps. I had to spend 15 minutes trying to find the key on the bottom of a duck. This experience of probing provided a preview of the remaining plots. As I move around the first and second floor, I discovered that Katie is a rebellious child when she was younger and even her sister, Sam, called her a weirdo.
As I probe from rooms to rooms, I discovered more and more about this family. The father, Terry has some nasty secrets, Sam seems to change a lot as she gets older. The journal would give me a lot of information into the plot and I really like this type of plot progression method.
There existed a sense of foreboding in the front porch. With a flickering light, the place grew eerie. Near the window, thundering and rain is what I could hear but as I got closer to the main door, the noise seemed to faint. This hints at the extent of time I spent looking for the key. That attention to detail raised my expectations for what was behind that main door.
I’m an all for clues person. Solving mysteries is my thing. I’m beginning to play this game with caution. I do not know if that’s the right attitude. I just checked the toilet paper for it could mean something. Roaming in the hallways and searching every room minute by minute made me impatient. To my dismay, not all rooms bore clues. Music library was one of them.
Right now, I am near the dad’s office. I hear two men talking.
8:00 PM
Though it turned out to be the TV, that thought was blood curdling. Reading every crumpled note from trash, I could feel what Samantha was going through. I then climbed the stairs. Picking up clues along the way, I reached an area with red lights. It cautioned not to enter if the red lights were on. Though every bit of me wanted to explore that further, I couldn’t find the entrance to it.
8:12 PM
I’ve just learned about the existence of a secret room. I’m headed there. As thrilling as the path was with the panel opening from the wall, there was a feeling of disappointment on climbing down to the secret room. By then I had reached a conclusion of my own. Probably, Samantha’s parents were too hard on her so she fled with Lonnie, her lover; her parents might have gone to find her. I’m still traversing through the house so I might keep adding more.
My eyes were strained during the game, but I kept going. With pulling every bulb string, I had chills going down my spine. It felt as if unveiling the entire mystery was the only way I could swallow food down my throat.
