Home Review – Where the Heart Is

Home by Mr.Spoon

There is a clear picture in all our minds of what we consider home. Its physical space in the world may come to mind, but surrounding that are the feelings it brings, rooted in a sensation of safety or peace…a feeling the protagonist of Home is desperately trying to find.

People on the Streets

The game starts off with our protagonist running away from home. Life with an abusive alcoholic father has hit its breaking point, so our protagonist decides to live alone under a bridge, getting money from busking by singing and playing guitar, their main passion and dream.

Home plays a lot like a visual novel. Most of the time you’ll be reading text that the protagonist is saying.

Some sequences involve mini-games. Most are optional, which is good because they aren’t a whole lot of fun. Many of these rhythm-based minigames take place while the protagonist is singing and playing guitar. Thankfully, it doesn’t really matter if you do badly at these.

The two-and-a-half-hour narrative is structured by a daily schedule; as each day progresses, more of the narrative unfolds.

You’ll meet characters along the way that help you: an old man who occasionally brings you food and whom you help with guitar lessons, for example, and a girl who becomes a fan after watching you busk. They are woven into an engaging narrative that details the unpredictability of living under a bridge.

The Terror of Knowing What This World Is About

As the game progresses, you learn memories of the protagonist’s past that paint a clear picture of heartache and trauma. The narrative made me care a lot about the protagonist, especially their maturity as they come to understand their circumstances better and approach people with compassion instead of vilifying them for the harm they caused.

One moment in particular, when the protagonist plays a song they wrote about their mother, is truly gut-wrenching.

Home tackles its themes head-on, leaving little to interpretation, with emotional and physical abuse at the forefront. There is a lot of vulnerability on display here.

Since the developer based Home on their own life, many moments in the game feel like reading a diary. The rawness of this approach caught me off guard. It doesn’t beat around the bush and comes off feeling genuine.

I don’t know how much of the story is true, but a lot of it felt genuine. Either way, credit goes to the great writing on display here.

The Verdict:

Home really pulled on my heartstrings from start to end. Without spoiling too much, I’ll say it’s such a novel way to end a game while also ending on a hopeful note.

Home feels like a passion project, almost a form of therapy for the dev to tell their story. It truly is a wonderful piece of art that I easily empathized with.

Music is another standout here. Comprised of original songs written by the developer, some songs, like the ones the protagonist busks with, are catchy, while the more personal ones are passionately heartfelt, inspired tracks that feel authentic. The soundtrack makes the narrative hit even harder.

Home is an indie game I won’t soon forget. It feels raw and heartfelt. It feels more like an experience, like looking through a window into someone’s soul.

It tells a compelling narrative of someone dealing with their trauma and trying their best to move on. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but what’s here is really special.

Home is available via Steam.

Check out the official trailer for Home below:

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