The Fulbright Company’s debut game features compelling narrative, relatable characters and masterful storytelling. In just a few hours of gameplay, Gone Home can leave a lasting impact.
The game begins with the protagonist, Katie Greenbriar, returning from a year abroad, during which her family moved into a new house. Upon arrival she realizes that her family are not home, and finds a note from her sister, Sam, stating that doesn’t want anyone to find her. Katie must then explore her new home and discover what happened while she was gone.
For a game with no human interaction, Gone Home’s characters are surprisingly memorable. This is achieved through the realism of each of their struggles. Nothing is exaggerated, everything about the Greenbriars can be mapped to any given family, and this is what makes them relatable. Those who deal with social anxiety will relate to Sam’s struggles at her new school. Those tormented by the past will relate to the father and how he is haunted by childhood events. This level of realism can cause the player to grow attached to characters that are never encountered.
What makes the story so engaging is the way it is told. It is conveyed not through linear narrative, but through the family’s items. By exploring the Greenbriar house, plotlines and character developments are revealed, simply through the player finding something lying around. Be it a cassette tape, an empty whisky bottle or a Super Nintendo cartage it is significant in some way. This is an excellent method for a video game to tell a story as it not only creates a reason to explore the house, but also immerses the player into the into the story.
To summarize, Gone Home tells the story of the Greenbriars through a non-linear narrative comprised primarily of artifacts found around the house, and does it with a high level of realism and immersion. This all makes for brilliant storytelling, the kind that few games can match.