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Home is Where One Starts... similar games & best alternatives

Home is Where One Starts...

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Linux • 2015

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Quick resume

Home is Where One Starts... is a short, first-person exploration game in the same vein as Dear Esther or Gone Home. It’s a story about childhood, hope, and the miracle of memory. You play as a little girl from a broken home somewhere in the American South.

Global score

77/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Beautiful and melancholic narrative
    • Relaxing atmosphere and music
    • Free exploration with non-linear storytelling
    • Good voice acting
    • Affordable price especially on sale

    Cons

    • Very short gameplay duration
    • Minimal interactivity and challenge
    • Invisible walls limit exploration
    • Lack of subtitles for non-english speakers
    • Low replay value beyond achievement hunting

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Strategy, Survival, Competence, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Exploration, Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Fantasy.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players freely explore the environment in any order with no explicit goals or time pressure, embodying personal freedom of action."

    • Competence
      -3

      "Gameplay involves simple exploration and interaction with objects, with minimal skill or challenge."

    • Competition
      -5

      "No competitive elements or comparison to others; focus is on personal experience and narrative."

    • Continuation
      1

      "Short game with limited replay value, but some players engage in multiple runs to find all achievements."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Entirely single-player experience with no cooperative or multiplayer components."

    • Creativity
      2

      "Players can explore and interpret the story in their own way, but no creation or modification mechanics."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; experience is personal and equal."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game as a relaxing, nostalgic escape from real life, immersing in memories and atmosphere."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of personal interest in narrative and exploration, not obligation."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Encourages exploration and discovery of story fragments in non-linear order, inviting curiosity."

    • Exploration
      5

      "Core gameplay is free exploration of a detailed environment to uncover memories and narrative pieces."

    • Expression
      -4

      "No character customization or environmental modification; presentation is fixed by the developer."

    • Fantasy
      -5

      "Grounded in realistic, autobiographical themes and settings without fantasy or improbable elements."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "Solo experience with minimal social interaction or community involvement."

    • Growth
      2

      "Players gain insight and emotional understanding through narrative exploration, though no skill growth."

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related mechanics."

    • Idle
      3

      "Can be played in short sessions; some players use it as a relaxing break or background experience."

    • Intimacy
      1

      "Emotional connection to the narrator's story but limited social or relational interaction."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or management roles; player follows a personal narrative without directing others."

    • Progression
      2

      "Progression through unlocking story fragments and achievements, but no power or item accumulation."

    • Relaxation
      5

      "Strong emphasis on calm, soothing atmosphere, music, and slow-paced exploration for relaxation."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Enjoyable visual and auditory aesthetics create pleasant sensory experiences."

    • Status
      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems; experience is private and personal."

    • Story
      5

      "Narrative immersion is central, with voiceover storytelling and environmental clues driving the experience."

    • Strategy
      -4

      "Minimal strategic or problem-solving elements; gameplay is straightforward exploration."

    • Thrill
      -5

      "No suspense, risk, or tension; experience is peaceful and contemplative."

    • Value
      3

      "Generally considered good value for its price, especially on sale, given its artistic and narrative quality."

    • Violence
      -5

      "No combat or destructive gameplay; focus is on exploration and reflection."

    • Survival
      -5

      "No survival or threat avoidance mechanics; environment is safe and stable."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026