Gone Home
It is a first person adventure game. You are placed in the shoes of Kaitlin. She is returning home after some time abroad to find her house empty. You are fed clues throughout the game, though are not given any direct instructions or possible game outcomes. As you move through the house, you are able to turn on lights, pick up objects, move through rooms, and find clues. The game becomes interactive by players’ ability to move through the house and engage with objects that are found. As you move around the house, periodic audio journal entries are revealed.
It seems as though the environment we are placed in and the actual narrative of the story do not match up appropriately. Lonnie and Sam are two characters who fall in love and run away together and that is revealed at the end of the game. While you play the game, however, it is grim and eerie in the lighting, aesthetic, and pouring rain audio taking place within the home. You have the sense that something terrible has taken place. The build up surrounding the game seems heightened beyond the actual conclusion of the game. There is a development and tension that does not reach a corresponding fruition.
Game Critique of 2048
I have very little experience with playing games. The assigned Home Play/Twine games from this course make up a considerable portion of my overall game knowledge. Over the summer, however, I found myself completely addicted to the game 2048. What I found to be so addictive within the game is the idea that the challenge is attainable. The objective of this puzzle game is to combine the tiled numbers until you reach the number 2048. Players swipe the tiles back and forth to add them together on a 4×4 grid board. The game’s layout and object are easily grasped. Though the intent is simple, it does involve strategy adjustments. I experienced a rush of excitement when I moved forward in the game. The numbers double and the color configuration is adjusted. The visual feedback of advancing within the game contribute to its addictive nature.
