Gone Home

Gone Home

Systems:

• Windows PC
• Mac OSX
• Linux
• Wii U
• Releases:
  • Original Release: 2013
  • Wii U Release: 2014

Publisher:

• The Fullbright Company

Developer:

• Midnight City (Wii U)

ESRB Rating:

• Not available

Gone Home is an interactive point-and-click adventure game centered around Kaitlin, a young woman returning home from a year abroad. When she arrives home she realizes that the house is completely empty. With the player's help, Kaitlin explores the house looking for clues as to where her family has gone. In her search she and the player discover the events that Kaitlin has missed out on since she left home.

Incomplete Tags for this Game

Avians

Dolls

Felines

Alcohol

Terry is implied to be an alcoholic; he has a bottle of whiskey in his office.

Bigoted Language

Nothing explicit, although it is implied in one note that a homophobic slur was written on Sam’s locker.

Blood

While not blood, red hair dye does appear on the bath tub. When first entering the bathroom, it may be mistaken for blood.

Claustrophobia

There are a few passages and stairwells that are very narrow.

Darkness

The house is initially very dark, requiring the player to turn on lights.

Disruptive Home Life

When the Player Character's parents find out her sister is a lesbian they act like she is "just going through a phase" and deny who she is. This leads to the sister running away.

There is a subplot regarding Oscar abusing Terry. See Sexual Assault for more details.

Gender Dysphoria

In the most recent rewrite of “Heaven at the Edge of the World”, the First Mate is forcibly sex changed from man to woman.

Ghosts

Notes found in game suggest that Uncle Oscar may be haunting the house, although this may simply be Sam’s active imagination. He is never encountered in anyway during the game itself, however. Late in the game, it is implied Sam and Lonnie exorcised him.

Gore

No gore is seen on screen, although the player can find a story Sam wrote about a WWII air raid resulting in someone losing limbs.

Homophobia

The game directly deals with the homophobia the Player Character's sister experiences. Contains common rhetoric such as "it's just a phase" or "you're too young to know". A note can be found that implies that Sam’s locker was defaced with homophobic slurs. When Sam insists the school investigate, they dismiss her, saying doing so would only draw more attention to Sam, and Sam drawing attention to herself was what caused the defacement in the first place.

Incest

There is a subplot regarding Oscar abusing Terry. See Sexual Assault for more details.

Jump Scares

There is one moment in the game, while the player is walking the stairs to the basement, that the player can find a crucifix. If they pick it up, the light above them will suddenly go out. It is the only jump scare in the game and can be avoided by not touching the crucifix.

Needles

Syringes can be found in the safe in the basement.

Psychological Horror

The game itself is not a psychological horror, but early moments of the game may invoke this in the player as it shares some common elements: darkness, storms, ominously creaking house.

Sex

The player can find a porn magazine in Katie’s father’s office as well as her sister’s locker.

There are several references to Sam and Lonnie planning to have sex.

Sexual Assault

There is a very subtle subplot involving Oscar sexually abusing Terry. This is never explicitly stated and is very easy to overlook unless one takes time to piece together clues. The creators have confirmed the existence of this subplot.

Substance Abuse

The safe in the basement contains morphine; it is unclear if this was used recreationally. There are references to teens smoking cigarettes.

Suicide

Although not actually suicide, entering the bathroom of the house is potentially triggering. The tub is covered in red hair dye, and may initially be mistaken as blood from a suicide attempt.

Some of the later notes in the game may lead the player to believe that Sam locked herself in the attic and committed suicide. This is not the case, however.

Victim Blaming

A note can be found that implies that Sam’s locker was defaced with homophobic slurs. When Sam insists the school investigate, they dismiss her, saying doing so would only draw more attention to Sam, and Sam drawing attention to herself was what caused the defacement in the first place.

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