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 enhances the overall mood of the game.
- Very short gameplay, typically completed in 2-4 hours, which may not justify the price.
- Slow movement speed can be frustrating and detracts from the exploration experience.
- Lack of clear direction and hints can lead to confusion and reliance on walkthroughs.
- story818 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in "Homesick" is described as atmospheric and poignant, often requiring players to engage deeply with the environment and decipher scattered notes to fully understand the narrative. While some players appreciate the subtle storytelling and emotional depth, others find the plot vague, underdeveloped, or frustratingly reliant on backtracking for context. Overall, the game offers a mix of compelling moments and disappointing conclusions, leaving many players wanting a more cohesive and engaging storyline.
“I love the visual design, I love the 'quiet' storytelling, and I love the sombre, 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 line was unclear and it seemed as though some tasks were just there as filler, and didn't actually help progress the story line.”
“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 so convoluted and hidden in this strange language that by the time you are done with the 5, yes five, puzzle rooms, you don't care.”
- music476 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 fitting for the game's themes, although some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music is considered one of the game's standout features, contributing significantly to its emotional impact and aesthetic appeal.
“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 hauntingly beautiful, and calming.”
“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 gets annoying after a while.”
“Both positive and negative (glacial movement, obtuse gameplay, well crafted but oppressively melancholy atmosphere, and the music that makes you want to gobble anti-depressants like tic-tacs) add up to a game that is utterly not fun, and a chore to get through.”
- graphics384 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 1 % 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. Many reviewers noted the impressive detail and artistic design, particularly in the environmental visuals, although some mentioned issues with high contrast and occasional graphical glitches. Overall, while the visuals are a standout feature, some players felt that they overshadowed the game's narrative and puzzle elements, leading to a mixed reception regarding the overall content.
“The graphics are absolutely beautiful; I especially like the overgrown aesthetics.”
“The visuals looked outstanding from the store page and the graphics in-game do look great as the decrepit building you find yourself in feels so real.”
“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.”
“The game really fell flat on its face and the only thing that carried it was the visuals.”
“But once you load into this game and start to actually play, you'll find that the visuals are all it's got.”
“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.”
- atmosphere346 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty, melancholic tone, and immersive sound design, creating a captivating experience that draws players into its world. Many reviewers highlight the combination of stunning visuals and a poignant soundtrack, which together evoke feelings of nostalgia and homesickness. However, some players note that while the atmosphere is compelling, the gameplay can feel slow and the puzzles may not always match the depth of the environment, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience.
“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 graphics, music, and overall atmosphere all helped build a world that I never tired of exploring.”
“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.”
“Both positive and negative (glacial movement, obtuse gameplay, well crafted but oppressively melancholy atmosphere, and the music that makes you want to gobble anti-depressants like tic-tacs) add up to a game that is utterly not fun, and a chore to get through, with a walkthrough kept open to alt-tab to (why would I put the busts in the broken fountain to progress!?!?!).”
- gameplay264 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Homesick" is characterized by its short duration, typically around 2-4 hours, and a mix of intriguing mechanics and frustrating design choices. While the game features unique puzzle elements and a haunting atmosphere, many players found the slow movement speed, lack of clear instructions, and repetitive environments detracted from the overall experience. Despite its beautiful visuals and sound, the gameplay often feels tedious and underdeveloped, leading to mixed reviews regarding its engagement and value for the price.
“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.”
“Overall a pleasant short game with some interesting mechanics and a nice dark element in it.”
“This game is absolutely gorgeous and the mechanics and eerie feeling are wonderful.”
“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.”
“This is a pure walking simulator with intentionally slow walking to extend the gameplay time, and like 3 puzzles.”
- emotional74 mentions
- 97 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players highlighting its touching storytelling, haunting music, and beautifully crafted environments that evoke a deep sense of loss and reflection. While some found the experience to be overwhelmingly emotional or even depressing, others appreciated the poignant journey and the game's ability to resonate on a personal level. Overall, it is regarded as a deeply moving experience that transcends traditional gaming narratives, though some critiques mention a lack of engagement due to easy puzzles or short playtime.
“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.”
“This game transcends into art and affected me on an emotional level.”
“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 kind of boring.”
“The narrative lacks emotional depth.”
- replayability32 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game has been widely criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that once the puzzles are solved, there is little incentive to play again. While the environmental design and soundtrack are praised, the consensus is that the game is short and best purchased on sale, as its replay value is minimal and does not justify a higher price point. Overall, players may enjoy a single playthrough for its aesthetic appeal, but the absence of engaging content for subsequent runs limits its long-term value.
“(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.”
- grinding28 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious, with players noting that slow movement and backtracking contribute to a frustrating experience. While some puzzles are engaging, many are either overly simplistic or unintuitive, leading to repetitive gameplay. Overall, the game's pacing and lack of depth in storytelling make it feel unpolished and often tedious, despite some redeeming qualities.
“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.”
“However, the game is extremely short, arbitrarily cryptic at some points, and can be painfully tedious and slow.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 57 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant lag and stuttering, particularly on mid-range hardware like the GeForce 1070. While a few users noted improvements after system updates, many criticized the overall performance, citing slow movement and a need for better engine optimization. Overall, the consensus leans towards the game being poorly optimized.
“Well optimized”
“They are solid for an adventure game, but not outstanding, and the engine needs to be optimized as in addition to the general slow motion, it also lagged way too much on my PC and nope, it definitely ain't my hardware.”
“Well optimized”
“Technically not optimized: I experienced significant lag between rooms on a GeForce 1070 EX, 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.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for various graphical glitches, including issues with lighting and outdoor elements appearing indoors. While some players appreciated the atmosphere and music, many found the gameplay frustrating due to these bugs and cumbersome mechanics. Overall, the game is described as having a significant number of stability issues, though no game is entirely free of bugs.
“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 development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively evokes emotional responses without overt character development, allowing players to connect with the story and characters organically. Reviewers appreciate the subtlety in character growth, which enhances the overall experience without feeling forced.
