No Longer Home shows up on Windows and Mac

Written by Peter Mattsson — July 31, 2021 at 03:07

For many people, college or university years are some of the most memorable of their lives. A stepping stone between school and full adulthood, it's a time to make fast friends and begin grow into oneself. And then, just as we're getting settled and comfortable, graduation looms and we're forced to let it all go, thrust into the wider world and asked to make decisions that will shape the rest of our lives. It can be a difficult and intense time, as we're reminded in No Longer Home, the newly released debut title from two-person indie studio Humble Grove. 

No Longer Home is slice-of-life narrative adventure about "welcom[ing] the magic of the everyday" in a way that aims to "hit you in the feels while making you think." Drawing heavily on the developers' own experiences, the story introduces players to Ao and Bo, two queer, nonbinary students who've just graduated from a London college and are struggling to come to terms with the massive life changes facing them, starting with saying goodbye to the flat they've shared before being separated by thousands of miles when Ao is sent back home to Japan. It's an emotionally challenging experience that would be tricky enough even without the weird, pulsating shape in the bedroom or a many-eyed moose-like new flatmate who loves playing bass. Are these strange elements truly magical, or just metaphorical?

The world of No Longer Home is heavily stylised, presented from an isometric perspective with a simple, flat look that's quite striking. As you explore the apartment, accompanied by a gentle soundtrack by Eli Rainsberry (A Monster's Expedition), you'll engage in wide-ranging branching conversations that curiously let you pick not just what to say but who should say it. Without puzzles (or voice acting), you'll spend your time hanging out, enjoying a barbecue with friends, playing video games, or (that old student staple) staying up late chatting in bed. All while bigger decisions (and possibly dark creatures) lurk in the shadows.

Successfully funded through Kickstarter back in 2018, No Longer Home is now complete and ready to take its first steps into the wider world on Steam, GOG, itch.io and Epic. At present the game is available only for Windows and Mac, but with the possibility of Linux and console releases still to come. If you'd like a free taste of what's in store, you can try out the demo on Steam, which includes the standalone "Friary Road" prologue and an early section of the main game.