Gone Home is a walking simulator from about 10 years ago, as was the style at the time. You play as Katie, a young woman who just returned to her family's house in (presumably rural) Oregon. It's past 1 AM, and storming. There's a note from your sister, Sam, imploring you to not investigate where she is. Mom and dad are off on a vacation of their own. There's no one home. You're left alone to explore this sprawling mansion by yourself.

You meander through things that are half unpacked, since your family had moved into this house while you were out. I don't know anyone who leaves personal letters and notes (sometimes years old) lying around everywhere. Even more concerning, why would anyone go through the trouble to unpack them in random places after a move? My sense of disbelief can't be suspended anymore. It's like Myst, but lamer, since there's no impression of it being a fantasy world; it's just 1995.

There's more story here than what's in Dear Esther, but like it, this one doesn't engage me, either. It has a lot of tonal whiplash, because you play as Katie, but most of the story is narrated from the perspective of her sister, Sam. You keep finding Sam's effects everywhere, like school homework from several years ago. There's this voice that keeps going on and on about how "I love Lonnie", and keeps saying "I" this and "me" that. Sam's notes clearly show that she's the one who loves Lonnie, not Katie! When I resumed playing this game after a day or two, I had to check that I was not playing as Sam. I'M KATIE, NOT SAM! If there was an on-screen character in the game world speaking to me, that's fine, but no one's around. Sam comes off as a disembodied voice in your head, in all the wrong ways. Does Katie have schizophrenia or something?

Because Sam is a lesbian, Gone Home played very well to game media outlets. There was nearly an endless stream of praise about this game, and about how deep and innovative its storytelling is. To me, it's a single large Bethesda dungeon without combat or traps. To a (seeming) majority of game journalists, there's nothing better than static, inanimate objects telling stories. My sofa and my dining room table tell stories, but no one comes to my house for them, neither is my life better because of those stories.

The graphics are realistic enough and serviceable for what it's trying to do. As for actual gameplay, there's not much to it. You walk around a house, mostly flipping light switches and reading pieces of paper left lying around. By default, when you mouse over things, your movement speed slows to an unbearable crawl. Thankfully, there is a setting to disable that. There are a handful of locked doors that you need to navigate past, nearly all of which involve hidden compartments and passageways. Sometimes there's a cassette next to a player. There is music on all of them, but none of it appeals to me.

In the end, Gone Home is a story that's ruined by perspective of presentation. I don't see myself playing this one again.