Gaynor argues that these criticisms stem from what has become a conventional formula for modern videogames which he believes are not applicable to all games. He cites four common criticisms: there is no conflict, no branching storylines or player customisation, the player cannot loose/fail, and the game playtime is too short. The point of this parody is for Gaynor to highlight why some players believe that Gone Home is not game. In this parody, Katie returns home to find that Sam has this time been captured by a group of terrorists with the player tasked to fight their way through the house using a variety of weapons and collecting an assortment of items necessary to defeat the terrorists to rescue Sam. Gun Home: Definitions of a GameĪt the 2014 Game Developer Conference, Steve Gaynor, the lead designer of Gone Home, began his presentation with a parody trailer for Gone Home entitled “Gun Home”. Before attempting this analysis, it is important to first realise why Gone Home is not considered a game to better understand how it subverts the conventional notion of what a videogame can be.
The aim of this essay is to critically analyse the narrative structure of Gone Home through examining how it merges its narrative and ludic elements, namely how embedded and emergent narrative structures are negotiated in the text to explore how Gone Home subverts and innovates how videogames tell stories. In their review for Gone Home, GameSpot (2013) go as far to claim that Gone Home is “one of the most captivating story-driven games in the medium’s history”. Nevertheless, Gone Home is an interactive experience that has been praised by critics for its narrative innovation. Gone Home is not a conventional videogame by any means and despite being awarded Game of the Year in 2013 (Grant, 2014), it would not be classified as a game under established academic definitions of a game (Juul, 2003 Roberts et al, 1959). It is down to the player’s own interpretation and deduction to unravel the mystery of what happened to your family. Whilst playing the game, all the player can do is walk around the house, open and close drawers and doors, turn lights on or off, and pick up and examine an assortment of objects. This is the premise to Gone Home (2013, Fullbright), a videogame that has been categorised as a “story exploration” game by its creators (Gaynor, 2014). From herein, you explore the deserted house, examining various objects and letters you find to piece together clues which explain what happened to your family in your absence.
A note pinned to the front door from your little sister Sam begs you not to look for her and that she will see you again one day. Arriving at your family’s new home after returning from a year abroad in Europe, you (playing as Katie Greenbriar), return to find the house empty with your family nowhere to be seen.
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