Homebody
Genres: Puzzle, Escape Room, Horror, Mystery, Point & Click, Story Rich, Atmospheric, Thriller
Release Date: 1-6-2023
Developer: Game Grumps
Our verdict
8.5/10
- Difficulty: Hard
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 6–10 h
Homebody is a time-loop horror puzzle game from Game Grumps. Emily joins old college friends at a remote rental house to watch a meteor shower, the power fails, and a killer starts picking them off. Each death sends her back to the foyer with what she has learned. It suits solo players who like Myst-style puzzles mixed with slasher tension and a character-driven story about anxiety and friendship.
It holds a Very Positive rating, with about 93 percent of 690 reviews positive. Players praise the complex, non-linear puzzles, where some rooms cannot be solved until you return later, and the Memory Log, a pinboard-style journal that keeps codes and solved shortcuts across loops. Reviewers also single out the character writing and the mood. Expect stealth too: you hide in closets from a killer modeled on Clock Tower.
We found only three written reviews, all positive, so the evidence on its weak spots is thin. Objective limits: it is single-player, the puzzles lean towards obscure logic, and at about 20 dollars it costs more than most entries here for roughly eight hours. Buy it if you want a deep, story-led horror puzzler; skip it if being chased while you think frustrates you.
Pros
- Time loop turns each death into new knowledge about the house
- Memory Log keeps codes and solved shortcuts across loops
- Non-linear Myst-style puzzles with real depth
- Strong character writing about strained friendships
Cons
- Killer chases interrupt slow puzzle-solving
- Puzzles can lean towards obscure logic
- Higher price than most escape-room games
About
Homebody is a time loop horror puzzle game from Game Grumps, the maker of Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator. A deep, strange, and emotional narrative about mental health and relationships unfolds through each time loop, revealing more about what happened at this strange house. Non-linear puzzles, a homage to slasher films and retro gaming, and a time loop adventure combine for a unique getaway weekend gone awry.
Emily and her college buddies have gathered at a remote rental house to watch the Perseid meteor shower. They try to rekindle the bonds they once had, but lingering emotional wounds and social anxieties leave Emily feeling more alone than ever. When the power suddenly goes out, it’s almost a relief. But under the cover of darkness, a mysterious killer picks them off one by one. If Emily can’t find a way out, she’ll be trapped in this nightmare forever.
Evade the killer, solve the house’s devious puzzles, and reconnect with your friends. Escaping the house may seem impossible at first, but with each attempt to put the pieces together, the bloodstained picture becomes more and more clear.
Evade an unstoppable killer inspired by retro horror games like Clock Tower and 80s slasher films. Solve non-linear escape room puzzles inspired by adventure classics like Myst. This retro-but-modern game pulls players through hours of a deeply strange and emotional experience.
Emily and her friends gather for the annual viewing of the Perseid meteor shower. But with relationships strained and anxieties high, what should be a relaxing weekend quickly goes awry, turning even darker as a mysterious killer picks them off.
After a bloody night, Emily wakes back up in the foyer. Realizing something is horribly wrong, Emily must find an escape, no matter what it takes. Learn more about Emily’s relationships with choice-driven dialogue. Stealthily explore the house, moving quietly and hiding in closets to evade the killer’s responsive AI. Death may be inevitable, but knowledge never dies. Use an in-game journal to track the clues and puzzle solutions, piecing together this mysterious event.
With continually changing challenges in the house, puzzles will require strategic and creative thinking to solve. But be careful and work quickly, time continues to tick on and the unpredictable killer stalks the house looking for Emily and her friends.
