It feels almost unfinished, like there should be another episode where we see how it all turned out. I just wish for a little more with No Longer Home. I like the simple but still expressive art style. I think it’s a fine thing to play to experience life through the eyes of someone else, whether that person shares a cultural or gender identity with you or not. There are important conversations and important questions about identity in No Longer Home, and I like the world of characters and the realistic nature of the conflicts and troubles. It feels intentional, and even a little bit organic to the subject at hand–that there really isn’t always an easy answer, but it’s still a bit of a let down, and in the end kind of makes the whole endeavor feel a bit navel-gazey. As for the story, it seems to move along at a reasonable pace so that you don’t feel bored, and though you go through the same rooms, the situation and conversations change, as well as the things to see. If there’s a larger metaphor at play, it wasn’t super obvious to me in my playthrough. At first, I thought it would serve the story, but it doesn’t seem to too much other than to be a “quirky” thing for quirkiness’ sake. There’s a strange supernatural element to No Longer Home, and without spoilering too much, I will say it’s an unusual addition. Admitting a fear or insecurity can feel cathartic through the lens of these characters, because it won’t automatically take the story to a bad place. The choices you have to make in conversation seem natural, and not, like in so many other games, like there are “right” or “wrong” ones, necessarily, which again serves to help draw you in to the story.

I liked how this was implemented so seamlessly, as it really helped the world take shape and the characters have body. In a twist on standard format, you won’t always be speaking as Ao or even Bo, and might end up shaping the direction of the story as an ancillary character like a roommate or friend.

You’ll walk around the flat from room to room, either checking out objects of interest or having conversations. No Longer Home features an interesting, detached sort of isometric view, and is structured like many narrative games, with a heavy focus on branching narrative choices, and a little bit of point and click adventure thrown in. Worse, in the past year they’ve come to grips with things like their sexuality and gender identity as well as forming a relationship, and all of it seems to hang in the balance. Without their flatmates and without the oft-mythical job placement straight after graduation, everyone’s uncertain. Ao is being forced to return home to Japan because of visa limitations and both are being uprooted from the flat they shared with friends. Neither of them really feels like they know what they want to do, and even worse, circumstances out of their control are tearing them apart. It’s not long before you figure out that’s the rub, though.

The story takes place at a very specific time in Ao and Bo’s life–right after university, when life “should” be taking off. While it’s not compulsory to playing No Longer Home, I’d recommend starting there, as it helps to establish what each main character is feeling and struggling with. No Longer Home’s story begins with a prior piece called Friary Lane that helps to establish Ao and Bo’s relationship. No Longer Home is a story about endings–specifically, the ending of an era for Ao and Bo, two people who have fallen in love over the course of a year, but are forced apart by things they can’t control, like student visas and financial concerns. It’s why I love events like LudoNarraCon, which is where it just so happens I first encountered No Longer Home. I love a good story hook to keep me exploring and drive me to the end. Narrative driven games are a favorite of mine.

No longer home