Title: Gone Home
Name of game: Gone Home
Creator: The Fullbright Company
Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Target Audience: Gone Home is targeted toward players who enjoy exploration, narrative-driven games, and mystery-solving. The game’s theme is suited for mature audiences, as it deals with topics like family, identity, and personal struggles.
Important Formal Elements of the Game:
- Environmental storytelling: The game relies on the players’ ability to explore the environment to uncover the story.
- Non-linear narrative: The story unfolds in a non-linear manner based on players’ exploration and discovery.
- Immersive atmosphere: The game creates an eerie, atmospheric environment that adds to the mystery and tension.
Narrative Woven into the Mystery: The narrative of Gone Home is intricately woven into the mystery. As I explored the abandoned house, I discovered journal entries, letters, and various artifacts that gradually unveiled the story of the protagonist’s family. This approach allowed me to piece together the story at my own pace, creating a sense of immersion and personal investment in the mystery.
Mechanics Supporting the Mystery: Gone Home employs exploration and environmental interaction as its core mechanics. For example, I had objectives such as having to navigate through the house, investigate objects, and solve puzzles to unlock new areas and uncover more information. These mechanics encourage me to delve deeper into the story and actively engage with the game world to solve the mystery.
Type of Fun Game Intended and Goal Achievement: Gone Home is designed to provide players with an immersive narrative experience and a sense of mystery-solving fun. The game successfully achieves its goals, as the players are encouraged to explore the environment and piece together the story at their own pace, making for a unique and personal experience.
Moments of Particular Success: Success: Gone Home is particularly successful in its atmospheric storytelling and its ability to evoke emotions through character development and environmental details. The game’s storytelling approach allows the players to feel a sense of accomplishment as they uncover the story.
Moments of Epic Fails: The game’s pacing was a little slow for me, leading to a sense of frustration or boredom. Additionally, the game’s lack of traditional gameplay elements like combat makes it less appealing to me who prefers more action-oriented games.
Things to Change to Make the Game Better:
- Improved pacing: Introducing subtle hints or additional puzzle elements could help preserve player interest and improve the overall pacing of the game.
- More varied gameplay: Incorporating additional gameplay elements, such as mini-games or time-based challenges to add variety to the game experience.
- Enhanced replayability: Offering alternative story paths or different endings could encourage players to revisit the game and explore new narrative possibilities.
