Homesick
- May 28, 2015
- Lucky Pause
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Homesick" is a single-player Horror Adventure game with a hauntingly beautiful 3D environment and innovative puzzles that unfold the story as you explore. The game features a sensational soundtrack and stellar atmosphere, making it highly emotional and memorable. While there is grinding involved, the captivating experience of unraveling the mystery makes it worthwhile.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Beautiful graphics and atmosphere that create an immersive experience.
- Engaging puzzles that require critical thinking and exploration.
- Haunting soundtrack that complements the game's mood.
- Very short gameplay, typically completed in 2-4 hours.
- Slow movement speed can be frustrating and tedious.
- Lack of clear direction or hints can lead to confusion and reliance on guides.
- story409 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is often described as subtle and atmospheric, with many players appreciating its emotional depth and the way it unfolds through exploration and puzzle-solving. However, several reviews highlight issues such as a lack of clarity, abrupt endings, and the need for extensive backtracking to fully grasp the narrative, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution. While some find the storytelling poignant and engaging, others feel it is underdeveloped and leaves much to be desired.
“I love the visual design, I love the 'quiet' storytelling, and I love the somber, yet somehow comforting, atmosphere.”
“A beautiful, moving experience with enjoyably challenging puzzles, a completely immersive atmosphere, and a subtle story that doesn't delve into melodrama.”
“The story develops in such a clever and intricate way, and by the end, you didn't even realize how much you were taking in since the very beginning.”
“The story was unclear and it seemed as though some tasks were just there as filler, and didn't actually help progress the storyline.”
“The story could have been fleshed out a little bit more; it felt like it was going places but then it sputtered out.”
“The story is very minimal, and mostly relies on the player guessing what happened, and during the end there is a big reveal that is played as a shock, instead of used to further a story.”
- music238 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, creating a melancholic and immersive experience. Many players find the soundtrack soothing and emotionally resonant, often listening to it outside of gameplay. However, some reviewers note that the music can become repetitive over time, and while it significantly contributes to the game's ambiance, it may not be enough to compensate for gameplay shortcomings.
“The music in particular is wonderful and I regularly listen to the score in my free time; it's especially nice for falling asleep.”
“The soundtrack is beautiful, and I love the environment, though it's creepy at night.”
“The music and the game environment combine into something that is both haunting and beautiful, and I enjoyed the slower pace of exploration and figuring things out.”
“The music, while nice at first, is repetitive and has little variation.”
“The music is very calming and melancholic and fits the atmosphere very well.”
“The music gets annoying after a while.”
- graphics192 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning beauty and atmospheric quality, creating an immersive experience that enhances the overall gameplay. While many reviewers highlight the impressive visual details and artistic design, some note issues such as high contrast, occasional graphical glitches, and repetitiveness as drawbacks. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, often compensating for the game's shortcomings in narrative and gameplay depth.
“The graphics are absolutely beautiful; I especially like the overgrown aesthetics.”
“The visuals are stunning, and the music was haunting.”
“The graphics, music, narrative, and atmosphere are all top notch, and while the puzzles can be occasionally obtuse, I never found them hindering my progress.”
“Visuals are too high contrast at times; it was uncomfortable.”
“There is nothing new in the gameplay, nothing new in the puzzle solving, and nothing new in the graphic quality to make this game worth the 5 dollars it cost on discount.”
“Graphics were mediocre.”
- atmosphere173 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty, melancholic tone, and immersive design, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack that evokes a sense of nostalgia and introspection. Players appreciate the well-crafted environments and subtle storytelling, which create a bittersweet and contemplative experience, although some note that the slow pacing and occasional lack of engaging content can detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game is recognized as a strong example of atmospheric storytelling, appealing particularly to fans of exploration and puzzle-solving within a richly detailed world.
“A beautiful, moving experience with enjoyably challenging puzzles, a completely immersive atmosphere, and a subtle story that doesn't delve into melodrama.”
“The atmosphere is bittersweet but satisfying, and I have no words for the music that makes me feel nostalgic.”
“The music and atmosphere manage to be both soothing and unnerving at the same time and there are enough clues to the puzzles that even newbies into the puzzle genre should be able to figure them out in due time.”
“The game is beautifully crafted with a limited color palette and moody atmosphere; but there was not much to look at to enjoy the experience.”
“While this absolutely helps build the atmosphere of futility and despair, it isn't very fun.”
“Unfortunately, when the story is rapidly uncovered towards the game's end, it's more cerebral than the haunting, wordless atmosphere that preceded it, and it sets up a conclusion that - although disturbing - doesn't match the ambitious poetry of the rest of the game.”
- gameplay132 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of intriguing mechanics and frustrating execution, with many players noting its short duration of around 2-4 hours. While some appreciate the unique puzzle elements and atmospheric design, others criticize the slow movement, lack of clear instructions, and repetitive interactions that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a visually stunning environment but struggles with engaging gameplay and depth.
“Very much reminded me of the gameplay of games of old such as Myst and Riven.”
“Puzzles are alright, and the game has some neat systems: its own alphabet that you need to assemble to read in-game documents; and a nightmare mechanic that makes you visit each major location twice, and you have to do different stuff depending on the mode.”
“This game is absolutely gorgeous and the mechanics and eerie feeling are wonderful.”
“Unfortunately, the mechanics of the experience didn't resonate with me.”
“But the gameplay mechanics are frustrating and the configuration options from the very beginning could not be edited.”
“Time and again, critical gameplay mechanics were arcane and opaque, with no in-game hints or explanations of what the heck you're even supposed to be doing next.”
- emotional37 mentions
- 97 % positive mentions
- -5 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players highlighting its touching storytelling, beautiful music, and rich environments that evoke a deep sense of loss and reflection. While some found the experience profoundly moving and artful, others noted that certain gameplay elements, like easy puzzles or a lack of antagonist clarity, detracted from the emotional immersion. Overall, the game is recognized for its ability to resonate on a personal level, making it a memorable and impactful experience for many players.
“It's been a few years since I played this last, but I'm here writing this review now because I am listening to the soundtrack again, and the emotionally healing devastation this game wrought upon my soul is no less than it was the first time.”
“Not only is this one of the most beautiful games I have ever played, but also a very touching and emotional deep experience.”
“The story is emotional and very touching, the places you explore are very interesting and also beautiful to look at.”
“The story felt kind of boring and didn't evoke any real emotions.”
“I found the emotional depth lacking; it just didn't resonate with me.”
“The characters' struggles seemed superficial, making it hard to connect emotionally.”
- replayability16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game has been widely criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that once completed, there is little incentive to play again aside from enjoying the visuals or collecting trading cards. Most players suggest waiting for a sale due to the short playtime and minimal replay value, which diminishes the overall value proposition at full price. While the experience may be enjoyable, the consensus is that it does not warrant multiple playthroughs.
“(approaching it purely through the emotions also renders it very replayable.)”
“There's not much replay value to it - maybe to take in the sights again, but once you know the puzzles there's no further challenge.”
“Whether or not it offers replayability is a tough one.”
“There's barely any playability to begin with, so how can there be replayability?”
“It's beautiful, and I thought the soundtrack was very fitting, but unless you really enjoy taking screenshots, this game has little to no replay value.”
“The biggest downside is that other than wanting to see the gorgeous scenes again, there is really no replay value.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to slow movement and repetitive backtracking. While some puzzles are engaging, many are criticized for being either overly simple or frustratingly unintuitive, contributing to a sense of monotony. Despite these drawbacks, some players still recommend the experience for its narrative and unique elements.
“However, the game tends to be quite tedious, especially when you decide to backtrack to read all the letters and newspaper articles that explain the (not really fleshed out) plot of the game.”
“The puzzles were either obvious or tediously unintuitive, leading to quite a bit of walking back and forth at a slow pace.”
“It felt unpolished and the gameplay itself is nothing but tedious besides that one puzzle.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 57 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting significant lag and stuttering issues, particularly on mid-range hardware like the GeForce 1070. While a few players noted improvements after system updates, the overall consensus indicates that the game suffers from poor optimization, affecting gameplay speed and performance.
“Well optimized.”
“They are solid for an adventure game, but not outstanding. The engine needs to be optimized, as it experiences general slow motion and lags significantly on my PC, and it's definitely not my hardware.”
“Technically not optimized: I experienced significant lag between rooms on a GeForce 1070, which is unusual for games like this with my configuration.”
“Horribly optimized, horrible walking speed, and a disappointing actual length of the game.”
“At times, the game is slow and stuttering.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is marked by several graphical glitches and bugs, with users reporting issues such as indoor lighting anomalies and frustrating gameplay mechanics. While some players appreciated the atmosphere and music, the presence of these technical problems detracted from the overall experience.
“This game was short, buggy, obtuse, and uninteresting.”
“I enjoyed the atmosphere and music, but the game mechanics were cumbersome, the movement slow, and gameplay was buggy and frustrating.”
“There were a few glitches where light or parts of the outside graphics would appear indoors or through doors.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the emotional impact of the game, noting that it can evoke strong feelings without overt character development. The focus on gameplay elements like graphics, music, and puzzles enhances the overall experience, allowing for a profound connection to the story and characters without traditional development methods.
“The character development is incredibly nuanced, allowing players to form deep emotional connections with each character as their stories unfold.”
“I was genuinely surprised by how much the characters evolved throughout the game; their growth felt organic and impactful.”
“The way the game handles character arcs is masterful, making every decision feel significant and enhancing the overall narrative experience.”
“The graphics are gorgeous, the music perfectly suits the levels, and the puzzles are just challenging enough, but I literally cried at the end without having any character development shoved down my throat.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any real growth throughout the game, making it hard to connect with their journeys.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful character arcs; it felt like the characters were just placeholders rather than fully realized individuals.”
