Maybe this homebody should have stayed at home.
HomeBody is a Survival Horror puzzle game in which the main character, Emily, must escape from a mysterious house whilst being hunted down by a killer. Will she be able to escape while uncovering the secrets this house holds?
The game focuses heavily on mental issues and self isolation, influenced by it being developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It started development in 2018 and was released in 2023 for PC, Switch, Playstation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
HomeBody contains examples of:
- Big Fancy House: The house Emily and her friends rent for a few days is two stories tall with several rooms on each level, including a basement and attic. The house is even bigger including the large areas you can access from the basement.
- Body Horror: The killer in the beginning of the game has a mostly human figure, their face covered by a cone shaped mask. Later in the game the mask becomes part of the flesh of the killer’s face, eventually opening up to show a black void.
- Book Worm: Francine has so many books she can’t find enough room for them.
- Cosmic Horror Story: While early in the game the most you have to worry about is the killer wandering around the house later on the world seems to be breaking down around you, even at the end of the game it’s not entirely clear what the situation is.
- Deadpan Snarker: While shy and withdrawn, Emily shows shades of this. Cliff, on the other hand, is much more blatant with his snarkiness.
- Developing Doomed Characters: Throughout the game we get scenes which develop the character of Emily’s friends... After a time loop of seeing them murdered and before another time loop where they might be murdered again begins.
- Eldritch Abomination: The killer we encounter throughout the game begins to look even less human as you progress through the story.
- Eldritch Location: Late into the game Emily explores a copy of her apartment where the walls slowly turn into fleshy sinew.
- Existential Horror: The horror of the situation is worsened by the uncertainty of what is happening and how Emily will escape, especially the looming possibility that some or all of the game might be just in her head after a nervous breakdown.
- Expy: The killer is very similar to the Scissorman from Clock Tower, both being unstoppable killers who hunt down the player character with scissors (or a broken pair) as weapons.
- "Groundhog Day" Loop: After dying for the first time Emily is returned to the point where she first walked into the rental house.
- Hiding Behind Your Bangs: Emily’s main hairstyle hides her left eye, signifying her withdrawn and anxious personality.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While Cliff is cynical and antagonistic towards pretty much everyone, it’s implied he acts this way out of worry for at least Emily.
- Neverending Terror: Even after being murdered Emily is sent back to the beginning of the game in a never-ending time loop.
- No OSHA Compliance: The research facility under the house includes a pathway of chambers that will fill with poisonous gas that can kill Emily if she stays in one for too long.
- Ominous Television: At a certain time of the night the power will be cut, If you are playing Pird mystery on the television at that time the screen will turn to static with a vague face before going black.
- Portrait Painting Peephole: A painting in the main bedroom has the eyes cutout and behind it is a secret room.
- Punny Title: "Homebody" is a term for a person who prefers to stay in their own home or comfort zone, much like Emily does. It's also a psychological survival horror game where she has to evade a murderer (that is, avoid becoming a body) while trapped in a big, labyrinthine house.
- Shrinking Violet: Emily definitely qualifies with her social anxiety and timid nature causing her to shy away from others.
- The Shut-In: Emily hasn’t significantly interacted with her friends in at least a year, instead letting her work consume her.
- Slasher Movie: With Emily and her friends trapped in an isolated cabin with a killer on the loose, Homebody feels like an interactive slasher movie.
- Stalker Shot: After Emily drives away in the beginning of the game you can see someone watching her in the shadows.
- Super-Persistent Predator: Nothing Emily can do will stop the killer, all she can do is run and hide.
- Survival Horror: Emily has no way to defend herself against the killer and needs to run and/or hide to avoid them.
- Used to Be More Social: Apparently Emily used to be cooler as a teen and is now much more withdrawn after an implied traumatic event.
