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[Sober]

Gone Home by The Fullbright Company

When and where can I buy it?
Gone Home will be available on 15 August 2013 on Windows, Mac and Linux. You can buy it directly from Fullbright's website or on Steam for 19.99$.

June 7, 1995. 1:15 AM.

You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is empty. Something's not right. Where is everyone? And what's happened here?

Game info:
Gone Home is an exploratory adventure game. You play as Katie Greenbriar, who comes home to an empty house after traveling abroad for a year. Why is the house empty? Where did everyone go?

It is 1995, a time before digital communications exploded. Explore the Greenbriar residence and discover its secrets. Find out what happened in the time you were gone. Piece together the stories of what makes them a family and how each member is unique; their hopes, dreams and fears are scattered throughout the house for you to find.

Gone Home is played in first person perspective. You have almost free reign in the Greenbriar home to explore. You can interact with and inspect seemly every item, letting you zoom in or rotate it completely. Some of them might be postcards from yourself, a ticket stub, a family photo on the mantle place, or maybe it's just a poster with '90s boy bands. Or just maybe it's a audio cassette with some Bratmobile on it.

Previews and Impressions...

“I didn’t realize it until now, but I’ve been waiting for Gone Home for as long as I’ve been a gamer.”
-Marty Sliva, 1Up.com

“I was transported to a home I’d never visited, but that felt achingly familiar.”
-Kirk Hamilton, Kotaku

“Warm, funny and disarmingly tender.”
-Tom Francis, PC Gamer

“It’s a game that dares to ask if raw curiosity is enough to keep players absorbed in its seemingly mundane world, and, based on what I played, the answer is an absolute, unequivocal yes.”
-Nathan Grayson, Rock Paper Shotgun

​

Gone Home is a IGF 2013 Finalist for Excellence in Narrative and also received Honourable Mentions for both Excellence in Audio and the Seamus McNally Grand Prize.

Who is the Fullbright Company?
The members of Fullbright are Steve Gaynor, Johnnemann Nordhagen, Karla Zimonja and Kate Craig.

Fullbright was founded by members of 2K Games, most notably members who worked on Minerva's Den DLC for Bioshock 2, story DLC that most would argue is the one of best out of this generation.

You might know Steve Gaynor from his time on the Idle Thumbs Podcast. If not, he was also the writer and director for Minerva's Den.

Media:

FAQ:
Q: Are there ghosts in this game?
A: Yes.

Q: Really?
A: No.

Q: Are you sure?
A: We can never be sure.

 

[More_Badass]

Damn, 19.99? Was anticipating this game. Anyway, sounds really unique.

 

[LiK]

Ghosts? Happy this is horror or at least a lil creepy.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Hmm, I may have to grab this. Sounds cool.

 

[Celegus]

Looks really cool, like my kind of adventure game (hate the ones where you have to tie the lightbulb to the string and then stick a magnet onto it to bait the mouse of the hole to unlock the door)

 

[StevePharma]

Ghosts? Happy this is horror or at least a lil creepy.

I imagine Gaynor being very ironically angry at Chris and co. because they viraled his game into a ghost game.

Really excited for this game.

Steve, if you're reading, any chance for official Oculus Rift support in the future? I think it would be very immersive.

 

[Geedorah]

Oof, bit steep for my tastes - gonna hold out for massive reviews, or a Steam sale. Maybe with Rift this could be a really intense experience.

 

[Dog Problems]

Rift support would be nice. Can't wait to play it on Thursday.

 

[Neuromancer]

What's the combat like?

 

[StevePharma]

What's the combat like?

You have to find the vacuum and flashlight first.

Then you can stun the ghosts with the flashlights and suck them up.


EDIT: CLARIFICATION ON THE GHOST THING

 

[NIN90]

Ooooooooohhh ghooooooosts.

 

[The Illiterati]

I want this game really badly, I'm confident it will be one of my favorites of the year, simply because exploring and piecing together narrative is all I really require from a game. Sadly, I can't really afford it right now.

 

[transience]

g-g-g-g-ghosts????

 

[Dance Inferno]

This looks interesting. If there are no ghosts/horror aspects then I may be interested. Games like Amnesia are experiences I do not have the testicular fortitude to withstand.

 

[benny_a]

Read until this part: "You play as Katie Greenbriar"

Will wait until someone modded the player character to be bald and have broad shoulders.

 

[derExperte]

Any idea how long this game will be? If you can measure it that way, looks like it doesn't have a normal story and is more about running around and looking at stuff (which is great, but 20$ seems like it could be too much).

 

[Deaf Spacker]

I'm looking forward to this, been following its progress for a long time.

 

[Jake]

This game is great, glad there's an OT.

Wish the OT didn't have a ghost joke, because I think it's genuinely misleading people at this point.

 

[Hot Coldman]

This whole ghost thing is just making me very aware of how behind I am on Idle Thumbs.

Anyway, I'll buy this. DAY ONE PERCH.

 

[StevePharma]

This game is great, glad there's an OT.

Wish the OT didn't have a ghost joke, because I think it's genuinely misleading people at this point.

THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR TROLLING A FRIEND.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

Absolutely day one purchase for me. Definitely my most anticipated indie game of this year.

Another question. Is there a review Embargo? Will reviews actually hit the internet? At what time?

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

I need to keep up on my Idle Thumbs so I know that this whole ghost thing is one of their silly antics. Does this game support the horse bag?

Might buy, I'm in the mood for something different game-wise.

 

[brandnew]

Can't wait for this game. I haven't played Minerva's Den, but everything I've heard/seen/read about Fullbright has made Gone Home one of my most anticipated games for this year.

Spoiler

It is the spiritual successor to Geist, right?

 

[AJ_Wings]

Day one for me.

 

[shadyspace]

So the ghost thing's a spoiler that people are trying to walk back by making it look like a joke right

 

[AxelLund]

Great thread, didnt know this was coming out. Going to buy this day one.

 

[jediyoshi]

So the ghost thing's a spoiler that people are trying to walk back by making it look like a joke right

It's a joke at the chagrin of the developer who's flatly always said no ghosts.

But it does look spoooooooky.

 

[PeterVenkman]

I feel like I should be in this thread based off the title alone . Joke aside, this looks really fun. However I don't have 20 fun tickets lying around so it's gonna have to go on the ProtonBackPack Burner .

 

[GAMEPROFF]

Is this PC-only?

Edit: Yes, it is^^ Should have read the OT better^^

 

[Kade]

I'm finna cop this joint day uno.

 

[Mington]

http://www.gonehomegame.com/ghost/

 

[Purkake4]

Is this PC-only?

Edit: Yes, it is^^ Should have read the OT better^^

Year of the PC, son.

 

[haikira]

Had a quick skim over the OP and now I'm going dark. Sounds exactly like my kind of game.

Cheers for bringing it to my attention. =D

 

[GAMEPROFF]

Year of the PC, son.

I am really jealous because you get awesome stuff like The Forest or Gone Home... Hopefully, we will get a lot of ports on consoles...

 

[Double D]

Day One. I've always wanted a good Ghostbusters™ game.

 

[shadyspace]

This seems pretty basic graphically. Anybody think I'll run into any issues playing it on a 2012 Macbook Air?

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

This seems pretty basic graphically. Anybody think I'll run into any issues playing it on a 2012 Macbook Air?

https://twitter.com/GoneHomeGame/status/365523798319042563

This tweet is pretty helpful.

 

[Kinyou]

I'm already expecting a surgeon simulator style backlash

"Where are the ghosts?!?!"

 

[Sober]

You have to find the vacuum and flashlight first.

Then you can stun the ghosts with the flashlights and suck them up.


EDIT: CLARIFICATION ON THE GHOST THING

http://www.gonehomegame.com/ghost/

Nice. "Added" those links to the FAQ.

 

[Rickenslacker]

http://www.gonehomegame.com/ghost/

Ahahaha

 

[Purkake4]

Day One. I've always wanted a good Ghostbusters™ game.

But the one we already have is really nice and underrated

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

I've been waiting for this a long while, as an avid Thumbs listener and Gaynor fan, but I'm curious as to whether the game has any gating or puzzle solving elements. Like, do you have to find a key somewhere to open up a drawer or door or whatever later? Or is it 100% about exploring every nook and cranny at your leisure and gaining story tidbits?

I wish I hadn't used "nook and cranny" and "tidbits" in the same sentence. Now everyone knows I'm an old dead person. A ghost.

 

[The Smoking Bun]

I am really jealous because you get awesome stuff like The Forest or Gone Home... Hopefully, we will get a lot of ports on consoles...

Nah Man! Consoles can't handle the DX11, nVDIA Shield powered graphical requirements and crazy 500 key control scheme of this game. Also, no AA! Frowny face!

[/JOKE]

 

[Chris Remo]

As the composer on this game I feel I have the authority to definitively clarify there are no ghosts in it.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

As the composer on this game I feel I have the authority to definitively clarify there are no ghosts in it.

Hey Chris! Do you have any idea when the reviews are going to hit!

I'm super excited for this game, just to let you know.

 

[Kacho]

What's the hook here? I'm interested, but not enough to drop $20 on it. Is it just your basic adventure game?

 

[megalowho]

Intrigued by the premise, looking forward to opinions on the finished product before jumping in (so much on my plate right now).

I hope the game doesn't lean too heavily on "hey remember the 90's" sentiment, seems like it's smarter and more character driven than that but that was my first worry after the initial trailer. Either way, something different is always welcome.

 

[Giygas AF]

Day one.

 

[Jake]

I've been waiting for this a long while, as an avid Thumbs listener and Gaynor fan, but I'm curious as to whether the game has any gating or puzzle solving elements. Like, do you have to find a key somewhere to open up a drawer or door or whatever later? Or is it 100% about exploring every nook and cranny at your leisure and gaining story tidbits?

I wish I hadn't used "nook and cranny" and "tidbits" in the same sentence. Now everyone knows I'm an old dead person. A ghost.

The house is not fully open when you start the game -- by exploring you can figure out how to advance. It's still very much an experience where you feel like you're pacing it yourself, because there is way way way more to take in than you need to to unlock a room, though. I think they've said in interviews that the game also supports "all doors unlocked" as a user setting if you want a completely ungated experience (as well as a few other modifiers on standard play).

 

[Deputy Dangle]

Very intrigued by this game. I'll probably pick it up on Thursday.