Three Fourths Home

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In "Three Fourths Home," you play as Kelly, a young woman driving back to her family's Nebraska farmhouse. The game is a visual novel that takes place entirely in real-time, as you navigate conversations with your family members during the car ride. Gameplay consists of making choices during these conversations that impact Kelly's relationships and the game's narrative.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 159 reviews

story46 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully written narrative that explores complex family dynamics and emotional struggles, resonating deeply with players.
The minimalist graphics and atmospheric soundtrack enhance the storytelling experience, creating an immersive environment that complements the themes of the game.
The epilogue and additional content, such as Ben's stories and Kelly's photo project, provide valuable context and depth to the main narrative, encouraging multiple playthroughs.

The gameplay is overly simplistic, requiring players to hold down a button to drive, which can feel tedious and detracts from the overall experience.
Dialogue choices often feel inconsequential, leading to a lack of meaningful player agency and diminishing the impact of the story's outcomes.
The game is quite short, with a playtime of around an hour, which some players feel does not justify the price point, especially given the limited replayability.

story
193 mentions
24 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story of "Three Fourths Home" revolves around Kelly's emotional journey as she navigates family dynamics during a storm, exploring themes of communication, obligation, and personal growth. While the narrative is praised for its depth and emotional resonance, some players find the dialogue tedious and the gameplay mechanics limiting, leading to mixed feelings about the overall engagement. The minimalist presentation and interactive elements enhance the storytelling experience, making it a poignant, albeit brief, exploration of familial relationships.
- “Three Fourths Home is a story-based game that beautifully captures the essence of family dynamics and the complexities of communication. The narrative is engaging and thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impression.”
- “The storytelling is as nuanced as a symphony conductor guiding a masterpiece, effectively drawing players into the emotional depths of the characters' experiences.”
- “This game is more of a visual story, where the minimalist design and ambient sounds enhance the narrative, making it a compelling experience that resonates long after the game is over.”
- “The story makes no sense, the dialogue makes no sense, nothing makes any sense in this game, neither does the epilogue of the game, neither does any of the achievements.”
- “The main story, as far as I can see, has but one ending no matter which dialogue choices you make: the 'interactivity' besides picking your words is holding down a button to drive...while you read.”
- “There's a massive rainstorm, tornadoes are risking the lives of everyone in the story, but Ben is going to tell her a 15-minute fantasy story he wrote about a mystical beast in a fantasy land?!?”
music
42 mentions
40 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a melancholic and dreamy soundtrack that complements the minimalist visuals. Many players appreciate the variety of genres, particularly post-rock and experimental music, noting that the soundtrack stands out as one of the game's strongest features. Additionally, the inclusion of extras like a full soundtrack and related stories adds depth to the musical experience, making it a highlight for many players.
- “The game's simple black and white visuals are complemented by a moody soundtrack, creating an atmosphere that's as immersive as a dream.”
- “It has experimental design, minimalist, surreal, and a very good soundtrack with an ambient soundscape within the game.”
- “The music in this game is one of its strongest features; while the music would have added to my game enjoyment, I listen to the music by itself and enjoy it immensely.”
- “There's no voice acting and there's only music if you remember to turn the radio on; I did it only after a while; the other controls are inconsequential.”
- “It's even worse if you want to unlock all of the achievements, because you'll be forced to sit through the entire soundtrack for the last two.”
- “That was the main story once, the epilogue four times, going through the extras (including letting the soundtrack run all the way through for an achievement,) and then a final cutscene.”
graphics
33 mentions
30 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are characterized by a minimalist black and white aesthetic that effectively complements its melancholy narrative, creating an immersive atmosphere. While some players appreciate the simplicity and artistic design, others find the visuals occasionally jarring and lacking in depth, with criticisms regarding optimization and static elements. Overall, the graphics serve to enhance the storytelling experience, though opinions vary on their execution and impact on gameplay.
- “The game has wonderful, minimalist graphics that I quite enjoyed and felt fit the melancholy storyline.”
- “The game's simple black and white visuals are complemented by a moody soundtrack, creating an atmosphere that's as immersive as a dream.”
- “The minimalist visuals and atmospheric soundtrack do well to not only give the narrative proper focus, but also reflect its scale.”
- “The graphics look horrible and the game concept to drive the long way and keep on talking is poor.”
- “The visuals are downed in white, and the audio consisted mostly of my case fans ramping up due to bad optimization with very sparse notes or rain sound effects, or a siren sound to create a mood.”
- “The graphics were simplistic and didn't work that well in terms of the main story.”
gameplay
30 mentions
17 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its minimalistic approach, primarily involving holding down a button to drive forward and making dialogue choices, which many reviewers found lacking in depth and engagement. While some appreciated the unique storytelling and character interactions, others criticized the gameplay as nearly nonexistent, reducing the experience to more of an interactive narrative than a traditional game. Overall, it appeals to those who value story over gameplay mechanics, but may disappoint players seeking more interactive or challenging gameplay.
- “The game's unique mechanic of a phone call is a stroke of genius, like chatting with a long-lost friend on a rainy day.”
- “The phone call is more than just a gameplay element; it's a window into the characters' hearts and minds.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the game - yes, the gameplay is minimal, but the way you get to know the characters through your dialogue choices is well paced and ratchets up the tension as the story builds up to its conclusion.”
- “The story felt bland and the gameplay was nonexistent.”
- “The gameplay is fairly simple; all you have to do is hold down the right trigger button to drive/walk forward and then select options to take part in a telephone conversation.”
- “There is an obnoxious 'drive' mechanic requiring the player to hold down a button throughout the main story in order to advance the text.”
emotional
26 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
"Three Fourths Home" is widely praised for its profound emotional depth, likened to a Shakespearean tragedy infused with modern humor. Players resonate with its honest portrayal of family dynamics, experiencing a range of feelings from joy to heartbreak, making it a cathartic journey that lingers long after completion. While some critique the lack of voice acting and character engagement, the game's well-written narrative and impactful endings leave a lasting emotional impression.
- “Today, we delve into the evocative world of Three Fourths Home, an interactive narrative that's as emotionally charged as a Shakespearean tragedy, with a splash of modern-day humor thrown in for good measure.”
- “Three Fourths Home is more than just a game; it's an emotional experience that lingers in your heart long after the credits roll.”
- “I've never been so happy to be wrong, as this game absolutely blindsided me with the emotional impact it had.”
atmosphere
14 mentions
79 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive quality, achieved through simple black and white visuals and a moody soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers note that the minimalist design and atmospheric elements effectively focus attention on the narrative, creating a haunting yet engaging mood that resonates throughout the gameplay. Overall, the combination of art and sound contributes significantly to the game's emotional depth and storytelling.
- “The game's simple black and white visuals are complemented by a moody soundtrack, creating an atmosphere that's as immersive as a dream.”
- “The minimalist visuals and atmospheric soundtrack do well to not only give the narrative proper focus, but also reflect its scale.”
- “The atmosphere of rain and tornado sirens going off while driving really set a good mood.”
- “I was personally very immersed in the atmosphere and conversation.”
- “The well-done minimalistic design adds to the atmosphere and makes it easy to focus on what's important: the story.”
replayability
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is limited due to a lack of meaningful choices and consequences, resulting in a linear narrative experience. While some players may find value in revisiting the story for additional insights, the absence of multiple endings or significant variations in gameplay diminishes its overall replay potential. Consequently, many reviewers feel that the game does not justify its price tag given its minimal replay value.
- “So while the game's features in the store description don't exactly scream 'replayability,' I think there's some added value if you enjoyed the story the first time around and want to see what more there is to learn.”
- “It's a great quick play with some replay value.”
- “If you want to learn something about people and families, and perhaps even something about yourself with a game that does have some degree of replayability, Three Fourths Home is quite possibly the game for you.”
- “Although there are branches of dialogue, there's no choice and consequence, no multiple endings, no replayability (you'll only need to play the epilogue again if you want the last two achievements; it's a very easy one to 100%).”
- “Having said this, there's no denying that the dialogue will flow forward on the same path regardless of your choices, so here's why the replay value is limited.”
- “While the story was indeed well done, I don't think that the game warrants a $7 price tag, especially since replayability is practically nil.”
grinding
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game's concept and story are engaging, the grinding aspect—particularly the conversations—can feel tedious and unmotivating, making players reluctant to revisit options after the initial playthrough. The experience may appeal to those interested in rural drama, but the repetitive nature of the dialogue detracts from overall enjoyment.
- “On one hand, the concept and story are quite interesting; on the other, conversations seem tedious, like a chore for all involved participants.”
- “There's not much motivation for me to go back and go through the other options since I found the first read-through tedious enough to begin with.”
- “Confusing and tedious.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Three Fourths Home" is skillfully integrated into its emotionally charged narrative, providing moments of levity that contrast with the game's deeper themes. Players appreciate the witty dialogue and clever observations, likening the experience to sharing inside jokes with friends, which adds a refreshing touch to the overall storytelling.
- “Today, we delve into the evocative world of Three Fourths Home, an interactive narrative that's as emotionally charged as a Shakespearean tragedy, with a splash of modern-day humor thrown in for good measure.”
- “Amidst the stormy emotions, Three Fourths Home weaves humor into its narrative, like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds.”
- “The game's witty dialogue and clever observations will leave you chuckling, like sharing inside jokes with your closest companions.”
optimization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for causing excessive fan noise and poor audio quality, with visuals appearing washed out. Overall, players report that the optimization issues detract from the overall experience.
- “The visuals are washed out in white, and the audio consists mostly of my case fans ramping up due to poor optimization, with very sparse notes, rain sound effects, or a siren sound to create a mood.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Character development is highly praised, with users noting that it is well-executed and complements the amazing story effectively.
- “The story is amazing and the character development is spot on.”
- “Character development is also great.”