Content warning: Self-harm mention
I remember back when Gone Home was released that I had avoided it because of its initial impression. Many people gave it mixed reviews claiming it to be little more than a "walking simulator" with a wasted horror atmosphere in a non-horror game. This thought lingered on my mind as I explored the house and its hidden passages. The slow character movement, the dark lighting and claustrophobic spaces, that *one* jumpscare go far to create the feeling of dread often found in a survival horror game. Unlike many people on the steam reviews page I found that this atmosphere goes far to enrich the story and its ultimate conclusion. As Sam and Lonnie's story begins to become clear I found myself afraid of what conclusion I would find. I was afraid that this would devolve into the "bury your gays" trope where gay characters are portrayed as sad tragic beings, incapable of a happy ending and often times killed off for no real reason. As the last night between Sam and Lonnie was shared with me I began to feel a sense of dread as I ascended the stairs to the attic. A fear that not even Bioshock's damp dark world was able to instill in me. I put myself in Kennie's position, afraid that I'd find that Sam had hurt herself because of Lonnie's departure. When the end finally did come and the truth was revealed, I felt a sense of relief that I almost never have with video games.
It is for that reason that I think Gone Home's environment is perfect. It not only captures the situation Sam feels in being trapped in her own home, but it builds fear in the player. Fear of what will come next and how it will ultimately end. If the game lacked this environment for the player to explore it would be little more than a "walking simulator." With this gloomy atmosphere it sets the player into the mindset of Kennie, a concerned older sister looking for her family within her own home. Who discovers that her sister is desperately trying to hold together her relationship and no longer knows where she is. To show up at your own home and discover that you didn't even know this was even happening is honestly quite terrifying on its own.
Not only is Gone Home's dreary atmosphere important for creating an environment that drives that player forward through instinctual fear, but it's also crucial for adding a sense of depth to the narratives of both the house and the characters, in particularly Sam. Through many of the horror tropes you mentioned-movement, lighting, sound-the house is imbued with a narrative of its own. It's not just an empty building anymore, but an uncanny mystery that must be explored and analyzed. As discussed in class, the notion of a house as a "safe space" has been flipped on its head and now the protagonist Katie has to discover why the house has now become so threatening to each of her family members.