No Longer Home

No Longer Home is an authentic and often unsettling story about the process of moving out and moving on. Of course, every player will take something different away from their experience playing, but it is an experience that I highly recommend. With beautiful designs, excellent characters, and a great soundtrack, No Longer Home is well worth picking up.

The game was made by a modest team over the course of four years, grappling with the thousands of miles between the two lead developers in the UK and in Japan. There are a small number of quibbles I have, like the fact that it is sometimes difficult to know who is speaking out of the expanded cast of characters and that it'd be great to have a switch that lets the dialogue flow between the two so I can focus on the shifting settings. However, I recognise that it's a deeply personal project and one that has been shared with the world. For those in need of hunkering down while a silent storm rages on every side, I recommend No Longer Home.

A love letter to the transient state, No Longer Home exists to frame a very specific experience that has haunted many people in the course of their lives. This slow-paced shoegaze tale isn't for everyone, but if you love going on a nostalgia trip every once in a while, this game might help you reminisce those long-lost days.

In terms of would I recommend the game… that’s not easy to answer. Given the length of “play time”I would certainly start by suggesting waiting for a sale. If you are after a lot of interaction then I’d say avoid it. If you quite like choose your own adventures or indie theatre performances then this might just be up your alley. If you feel non binary or just overwhelmed at what life has in store for you while studying or after completing study… this might be the familiar voice you want to hear. It’s far more an experience than a game so if that’s your thing then give it a try, if not then look elsewhere.

No Longer Home is not your typical game, being both vague, concrete and altogether dreamlike in its portrayal of what it means to grow up.

No Longer Home is a short, sad story about coming to terms with growing up and saying goodbye to college life, friends, and the family we create along the way. Although Ao and Bo must leave their uni flat and the happy memories they’ve created within those four walls behind, they’ll cherish every precious moment spent together. If you’re looking to experience the pain of parting while taking solace in the fact that home is truly where the heart is, No Longer Home will scratch that melancholy itch.

Overall, it was hard to care for Ao and Bo’s story. The dialog was a slog. The character’s perspectives often changed too fast. And while going over their dilemmas, again and again, I found myself not wanting to play anymore. I’d rather just go out for a beer and talk to them in person and let them know life is going to be okay. High school and college are but footnotes in hopefully a long healthy story of yourself. In the end, if you find yourself at this particular time in life, it might be worth experiencing their story. But if you’re past it, you may not find much here to resonate with.