Phoning Home

60%
Game Brain Score Based on 633 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Phoning Home Game Cover
I’ve been playing a lot of open world exploration games lately.
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In Phoning Home, players control ION, a crashed exploration unit on an alien planet, tasked with finding a way to contact their home planet for rescue while navigating the planet's dangers and forming a bond with a stranded service unit named ANI. Together, they embark on a challenging journey of survival and exploration in this third-person open world adventure game.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

60%
Audience ScoreBased on 633 reviews
story162 positive mentions
gameplay32 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful graphics and an immersive atmosphere that enhances the exploration experience.
  • The dialogue is witty and charming, adding depth to the characters and story.
  • The crafting and resource management mechanics are engaging, providing a sense of accomplishment as players progress.
  • The escort mechanic with ANI can be frustrating, as she often gets stuck and requires constant attention, detracting from the exploration.
  • The lack of a map and clear navigation can lead to confusion and aimless wandering, making it difficult to progress.
  • There are several bugs and performance issues that can disrupt gameplay, including clipping and inconsistent controls.
  • story412 mentions

    The story of "Phoning Home" is generally well-received, characterized by an engaging narrative about two robots navigating a mysterious alien world, with strong character interactions and humor. However, players note that the pacing can be slow, and the gameplay often devolves into tedious escort missions and fetch quests, which detracts from the overall experience. While the story is compelling and atmospheric, some mechanics and design choices lead to confusion and frustration, impacting the enjoyment of the narrative.

    • “The story is great, and I loved the characters and the writing.”
    • “Phoning Home has an amazing story, beautiful graphics, and immersive gameplay that you'll simply adore!”
    • “I feel like the core of a good adventure game should be an interesting story, and this game nailed it.”
    • “The mechanics were wonky and the story/progression was confusing for me.”
    • “I wasted so much time trying to find my way to the next story trigger.”
    • “The story just isn't that interesting.”
  • gameplay163 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the mechanics clunky and repetitive, particularly criticizing the focus on resource gathering and escort missions. While some appreciate the exploration and crafting elements, others feel that the survival mechanics are overly simplistic and the overall experience can be tedious and frustrating. Despite its potential, the game struggles with execution, leading to a lack of engagement for many players.

    • “Amazing gameplay, a ton of freedom, and your choices actually have major effects on the plot.”
    • “I'm really enjoying this game so far; the storytelling is great, the narrative is excellent and the game mechanics are good.”
    • “Phoning Home has an amazing story, beautiful graphics, and immersive gameplay that you'll simply adore!”
    • “The mechanics were wonky and the story/progression was confusing for me.”
    • “It's bug-ridden to the teeth, and often clunky and unclear about objectives and mechanics.”
    • “The crafting mechanics are tedious, the combat is tedious, the exploration is tedious, the escorting of a helpless character is tedious, the story is tedious, the lack of voice acting is tedious, the whole game is tedious.”
  • graphics121 mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their beauty and detail, with many users noting that they are well-crafted and visually appealing, even on lower settings. While some mention minor optimization issues and limited graphical options, the overall consensus is that the graphics enhance the immersive experience of the game. Many players appreciate the vibrant environments and artistic design, contributing to a positive reception of the visual aspect.

    • “The artwork is very well done and the open world style makes it interesting.”
    • “Also, as a side note: the graphics are absolutely gorgeous.”
    • “The graphics are fabulous, from the terrain flora and fauna to the night sky.”
    • “Had to reduce the graphics to cope with the lag from the constantly moving grass and trees plus the rain at the beginning.”
    • “As much as the game is visually pleasing, the graphics just seem too heavy and poorly optimized.”
    • “I've never heard my graphics card trying so hard to 'take off' with graphics as average as this, but mainly because the controls are so overwhelmingly awful.”
  • grinding44 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, with many tasks feeling repetitive and slow-paced. The need for resource collection, poor AI navigation, and lack of a comprehensive map contribute to a sense of monotony, leading to a diminished enjoyment of the game over time. While some elements are appreciated, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding mechanics detract significantly from the overall experience.

    • “However, I find this game way too grindy and slow.”
    • “The crafting mechanics are tedious, the combat is tedious, the exploration is tedious, the escorting of a helpless character is tedious, the story is tedious, the lack of voice acting is tedious, the whole game is tedious.”
    • “To make things even more annoying, Ani doesn't take sandstorms well, so you either have to look for shelter (there aren't many of those) or you will need to repair her a lot, meaning you will need to spend more time collecting resources – this gets quite tedious after mere 2 hours.”
  • music38 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise for its epic quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its beautiful and immersive soundtrack. While some found the repetitive nature of certain tracks less appealing, the majority appreciated the ambient sounds and voice acting, which contributed to a rich auditory experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, with many players expressing a desire to purchase it separately.

    • “The beautiful scenery is one of its best features, complemented by lovely music that creates a great background ambience.”
    • “First things first, I absolutely love the soundtrack and now I understand why there's an option to download it separately — definitely worth a buy!”
    • “The soundtrack is so perfect, it literally gives me goosebumps.”
    • “The music doesn't help calm you down, it freaked me out more than once.”
    • “The soundtrack is like 1 song on repeat and the 'audio of the game' adds more or less nothing to the game.”
    • “The soundtrack is like 1 song on repeat and the 'audio of the game' adds more or less nothing to the game.”
  • humor28 mentions

    The game is praised for its charming characters and witty dialogue, with many players finding the humor to be a standout feature. The interactions, particularly between the AI companions, are noted for their comedic value, reminiscent of beloved titles like Portal. Overall, the humor enhances the engaging story and character dynamics, making the experience enjoyable despite some gameplay control issues.

    • “The banter between the ships is hilarious and the conflicting views between the ships adds a really interesting aspect that I didn't expect.”
    • “Way better than watching a film and considerably cheaper... the scenes are impressive, the dialogues funny and the story is quite sweet, despite which ending you chose at the end!”
    • “It plays like a sci-fi survival game, like No Man's Sky or Osiris: New Dawn, but with a somewhat linear story and writing similar to Portal -- it's friggin' hilarious.”
  • emotional26 mentions

    "Phoning Home" elicits a strong emotional response from players, with many expressing that the heartwarming interactions and lovable characters, Ion and Ani, foster deep emotional investment in their journey. While some found the emotional impact of the ending to be inconsistent, the overall narrative is described as touching and engaging, blending elements of happiness and heartache effectively. The game successfully combines exploration and survival mechanics with a story that resonates, leaving players feeling fulfilled and connected to the characters.

    • “I really enjoyed playing this game; it's so heartwarming, and the interactions really make you feel close to these characters.”
    • “The main characters, Ion and Ani, are sweet and likeable, which encourages players to become emotionally invested in their survival and personal development.”
    • “Phoning Home is an exploration/survival game with a touching story about a little robot who crash-landed on an unknown planet.”
  • atmosphere24 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty and depth, effectively creating a sense of mystery and loneliness that enhances the storytelling experience. Players appreciate the combination of vibrant graphics, immersive sound design, and well-executed voice acting, all contributing to a captivating and atmospheric exploration of the game world. Overall, the developers have succeeded in crafting a unique and engaging environment that resonates with players.

    • “The atmosphere is great and the game is a neat combination of resource gathering & crafting, layered on top of an arcade platformer.”
    • “Beautiful and atmospheric yet quirky and fun.”
    • “Phoning Home is an atmospheric story-driven exploration survival game.”
  • optimization24 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting poor performance and low frame rates even on lower settings, leading to frustration. While some users noted smooth performance on max settings without stuttering, the overall consensus leans towards the game being poorly optimized, particularly in terms of graphics that feel too demanding for the hardware.

    • “There's no stuttering that I've seen and I'd consider this more a puzzle game than anything resembling survival.”
    • “I felt the voice acting was done well and there were no hiccups with performance.”
    • “Pros - I didn't see much before requesting a refund but the environment is pretty, the lighting is good, the game runs smoothly on max settings and the sound effects are good.”
    • “I think it's a little bit unoptimized; I don't have a bad PC and still I couldn't get more than 60 FPS even on low settings. And this flying thing was not what I expected.”
    • “As much as the game is visually pleasing, the graphics just seem too heavy and poorly optimized.”
    • “Wouldn't recommend due to poor performance.”
  • stability10 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including rare map-breaking issues that require restarts. Despite these technical shortcomings, many players still find the game enjoyable and addictive, even if they occasionally need to consult walkthroughs to navigate challenging areas. Overall, the game feels incomplete and "half-baked," but retains a level of charm that keeps players engaged.

    • “The whole game feels like this - incomplete, bug-ridden, and half-baked.”
    • “Good game but with a lot of bugs and glitches.”
    • “Rare map-breaking glitches, fixed with a restart.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers limited replayability due to its linear story, with most players estimating a gameplay duration of around 8 hours. However, many feel that the experience is still worth the low price point of $5 to $10.

    • “I have a feeling it won't last over 8 hours of gameplay, but it's well worth $5 or $10 since the linear story eliminates much replay value.”
    • “I have a feeling it won't last over 8 hours of gameplay, but it's well worth $5 or $10 since the linear story eliminates much replay value.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by its unique and engaging designs, which blend elements reminiscent of Wall-E, Star Wars, and E.T., contributing to a distinct personality that enhances the overall experience.

    • “The game certainly has personality; the character designs are pretty neat, a cross between Wall-E, Star Wars, and E.T. most of the time.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

63% average critic score

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Play time

10hMedian play time
13hAverage play time
8-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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