I really enjoyed Gone Home. It's a shame that it is so controversial to like it. It was a wonderfully human story about a family's issues, specifically focusing on a troubled late-teenage (17 year old) romance. Wandering around this slightly creaky old mansion, I definitely felt like I was interacting with the belongings of a very normal, very real, family. VHS tapes with hand-written labels, evidence of some crushed dreams and uncertain futures, hints at childhood trauma, the desperate search for self-identity of a teenager... I enjoyed meeting them.

I played through at a very relaxed and calm pace and finished in about two-and-a-half hours. I can't imagine it lasting more than four hours with the most thorough of players. There is no real reason to replay it, aside from experiencing the story again, like a favorite book or film. The developers recently introduced a commentary mode with some significant commentary track time (supposedly an hour and a half of new audio), which I will play through after I let the initial experience settle in my head for a week or two.

I had no real frustrations with the interface, game design, graphics, sound, stability, performance, or purpose. I think it achieved exactly what it meant to achieve (to tell a warm, inter-personal story in an interactive format), and did so in the best way possible for its purpose. There were a few moments I would have liked my character to move SLIGHTLY faster, but really, I could stand to be a bit more patient.

As for the very strange controversiality of the game, I don't really know what to say, because I don't really understand what the problem is. The things I see mentioned the most just sound like players misunderstanding the entire premise, or not putting the same value on the storytelling aspects that I feel the developers had hoped. Or, unfortunately, just pure negativity and disgustingness.

As for purchase price, that's up to you. I bought it at $10 and I felt very satisfied. It's definitely on par with going out to a really good movie that resonates with you.

So overall, I do recommend it. With the application of (what I think are) obvious conditions: If it doesn't sound interesting to you, you probably won't like it. If it seems too expensive to you, wait until it's cheaper. If you don't feel like having a smaller, more focused game experience, you probably won't enjoy it.