No Longer Home

About

In "No Longer Home" , explore the daily life of Bo and Ao, two queer, non-binary university students facing uncertain futures due to visa limitations. Experience their emotional journey through intimate moments in their South London flat, and meet their new, mysterious multi-eyed flatmate, Lu. This game reflects the developers' own experiences of being forced apart after graduation.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 204 reviews

story37 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features beautifully crafted visuals and a cozy atmosphere that enhances the emotional experience.
The writing is heartfelt and relatable, effectively capturing the struggles of transitioning into adulthood and the complexities of identity.
The game offers a unique narrative experience with its introspective themes and the ability to explore the characters' thoughts and feelings.

The pacing is extremely slow, which can lead to disengagement and frustration for players looking for more dynamic gameplay.
Some players found the dialogue to be flat or lacking depth, making it difficult to connect with the characters.
The game is relatively short, and many felt it was overpriced for the amount of content provided.

story
139 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
68%
6%
The story of "No Longer Home" is a semi-autobiographical narrative that explores the emotional complexities of transitioning from university life to adulthood, focusing on the relatable struggles of a non-binary couple facing long-distance challenges. While some players found the characters and themes compelling, others criticized the pacing and lack of plot progression, leading to mixed feelings about its overall impact. The game is praised for its beautiful visuals and authentic dialogue, but its slow gameplay and abstract storytelling may not resonate with all players.
- “No Longer Home is simply a beautiful, atmospheric, and moving story about the uncertainties that come with entering a new chapter of your life, leaving university, and trying to find your place in this world.”
- “Portrayed through the lens of a single flat, the story shares a deeply relatable emotional journey one goes through after exiting the institutional boundaries of education and entering the overwhelming reality of adulthood.”
- “The story is simple but feels real, focusing on the very grounded idea of graduating and moving out of your house while sprinkling in elements of the surreal to reflect the various emotions of the characters.”
- “However, the way in which this story was told did not grab me.”
- “The story simply isn't interesting enough.”
- “The characters begin the story facing both emotional and real-world problems and by the end they've made progress on...none of them.”
graphics
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
58%
5%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and minimalist art style that many players find appealing, with vibrant visuals and soothing music enhancing the overall experience. While some appreciate the distinct low-poly aesthetic and its emotional resonance, others criticize the simplistic character designs and lack of detail, comparing it to earlier titles like *Kentucky Route Zero*. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point for those who enjoy artistic and narrative-driven games, despite some mixed opinions on their execution.
- “The game's vibrant visuals create a warm atmosphere, while the soothing soundtrack enhances the emotional experience.”
- “The art style is gorgeous.”
- “The visuals are really cinematic and vibrant, and in many cases took my breath away.”
- “The graphics are not the strong point in this indie game, though the visual idea where the environment is represented with a two-point perspective that can be rotated 360 degrees looks fascinating.”
- “Graphically and stylistically too derivative of Kentucky Route Zero, and as such I had a difficult time investing in the extremely short and, unfortunately, boring story.”
- “Although the art style and narrative focus are unique, it feels like paying for someone's prototype student project.”
music
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
45%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the emotional experience and complementing the vibrant visuals. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to evoke feelings, with some describing it as beautiful and immersive, while others note its calming nature, which can lead to a sense of drowsiness. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's mood and narrative depth.
- “The game's vibrant visuals create a warm atmosphere, while the soothing soundtrack enhances the emotional experience.”
- “The music works very hard to establish the mood.”
- “The soundtrack is perfect!”
- “I loved the non-binary inclusion, but I didn't love the headache, nausea, or anxiety the music gave me.”
- “Though the game is extremely boring and it's very difficult to stay awake while playing as all the audio is soothing music and little ASMR sounds for the voices.”
- “The game was kinda boring at first and I can't quite say why, but I had the impression the creators want me to care about the characters too fast...? Like, I only just started the game and there's already this disturbing sounding music and disturbing looking shapes floating in the bedroom, but I don't really know why I'm supposed to be disturbed, and I don't care.”
emotional
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
4%
The emotional aspect of "No Longer Home" is characterized by heartfelt dialogue and relatable characters that resonate with players facing significant life changes, enhanced by beautiful visuals and a soothing soundtrack. While many found the game to evoke nostalgia and introspection, some felt it lacked depth and emotional engagement, leading to mixed reactions regarding its pacing and overall impact. The narrative explores themes of belonging and mental health, making it a poignant experience for those who connect with its portrayal of post-educational life transitions.
- “The heartfelt dialogue and relatable characters resonate deeply with anyone who has faced significant life changes.”
- “The game's vibrant visuals create a warm atmosphere, while the soothing soundtrack enhances the emotional experience.”
- “Playing No Longer Home was a pretty emotional experience for me.”
- “Graphically and stylistically too derivative of Kentucky Route Zero, and as such I had a difficult time investing in the extremely short and, unfortunately, boring story; two characters have finished university and now must move on with their lives.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it slow and lacking engaging mechanics, often describing it as dull and overly simplistic, resembling a visual novel more than a traditional game. While some appreciate the artistic elements and the emotional depth of the story, others feel that the gameplay fails to effectively convey the themes of growing up, leading to a disconnect with the characters and narrative. Overall, the gameplay is characterized by its focus on exploration and dialogue choices, but it may not satisfy those seeking more dynamic interactions or challenges.
- “I haven’t finished the game yet, but the mechanics work well and it is easy to follow.”
- “I did appreciate the vastness of the accessibility menu and how much they offered to make the gameplay easier on those with trouble hearing, seeing, and reading.”
- “Gameplay-wise, you explore the flat and make choices during conversations, where you'll reply for either of the characters at times.”
- “Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of the gameplay.”
- “Gameplay tends to be on the dull side, mainly involves walking around the house, pointing, clicking.”
- “Boring, flat, monotonous gameplay, nothing really has a meaning, nothing is really explained, everything seems abstract and random in the story.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
36%
27%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by vibrant visuals and a soothing soundtrack that together create a warm, immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the effective use of art and music to emphasize themes of disorientation and change, resulting in a dreamlike quality that enhances the emotional depth of the narrative. Overall, the atmosphere is described as beautiful, moving, and integral to the player's experience.
- “The game's vibrant visuals create a warm atmosphere, while the soothing soundtrack enhances the emotional experience.”
- “No Longer Home is simply a beautiful, atmospheric, and moving story about the uncertainties that come with entering a new chapter of your life, leaving university and trying to find your place in this world.”
- “Any atmosphere would disappear completely if you muted the soundtrack.”
- “There is an existential, dreamlike mundanity to the game’s atmosphere where these real-life worries about saying goodbye to others and moving out are made extraordinary.”
- “The whole atmosphere of the game was subtle but effective in the way of emphasizing themes of disorientation, belonging, and change or...well the end of something.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is well-received, featuring clever media references and a comedic tone that resonates with players. The dialogue is noted for its authenticity and social relevance, addressing topics like gentrification in a light-hearted manner without being preachy. Additionally, the characters' speech is humorously Americanized, adding to the overall comedic effect.
- “There's also some good ghoulies and funny media references, so A+ for that.”
- “Finally, and quite hilariously, the way the characters speak in this game is as if it had been written by Americans - no slang such as 'quid' instead of 'pound' is used.”
- “The discussions are often socially relevant and regularly humorous, such as gentrification in London, but never didactic, and the dialogue feels authentic to two progressive characters trying to make it out in a capitalist reality.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, particularly due to the inability to skip lengthy panning sequences and overly long dialogue that detracts from the overall experience.
- “It started feeling slow and tedious with the panning in and out that you could not skip, and the character movement somehow mirrored my frustration with the excessive panning.”
- “In all honesty, I felt like the game's dialogue went on too long in places and became tedious to go through as the key concepts were rattled out.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers limited replayability due to its short story and few alternative paths, but it compensates with engaging and relatable dialogue that encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “It has lots of replayability and lots of amazingly natural and relatable dialogue.”
- “This is a very short story, with limited replay value to explore other paths.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly and providing a rewarding experience as players progress to unlock features that enhance gameplay.
- “The game runs smoothly; I like the fact that you have to play a little before you unlock what allows you to experience the game fully.”
- “The optimization is impressive, making the gameplay fluid and enjoyable even on lower-end systems.”
- “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the mechanics to ensure a seamless experience throughout.”