I was going to talk about “Villains” tonight, but I got distracted by a game.  I was so distracted, in fact, that I’m perilously close to failing the Blog-tober challenge.  I better type quickly.

The game I was playing is called “Gone Home” and it is an interactive story.

I don’t want to give any spoilers.  In fact, I want to encourage anyone that hasn’t played it to go to Steam, give them $20, and get this.  You will not regret it.

In the game, you are Katie, and you’ve just come home after being abroad for a year.  Your flight was late, so you’re getting to your home in the middle of the night during a heavy storm.

And that’s really all I can tell you without giving things away.

It’s not a long game.  If you’re like me and you look around and stumble around lost for a bit, you’ll invest about 4 hours.  And, if you’re like me, at the end of those 4 hours you will be touched.  I very nearly cried, and that’s saying something.

I’ve heard that there are other games that are essentially interactive stories that I should play.  I’ve heard good things about Last of Us, Walking Dead, and Wolf Among Us.  I haven’t picked them up yet, but I think I probably should.

Playing “Gone Home” is good for writers.  It demonstrates how setting can impact the mood.  It shows in a very visual way how different story lines can be woven together.  Since it’s an interactive story, it’s possible to consume some of the story out of order, which demonstrates non-linear story telling in a unique way.

It’s… it’s just a good story.  Trust me.

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about Villains.  Now it’s time for me to go to bed, but I’m going to have to stop and give my daughter a hug on the way.  Once you’ve played “Gone Home,” you’ll understand why.