HOME is not a game. Games contain meaningful gamelike interaction and game loops, which are absent in this software. HOME is self-described as a "virtual orrery", and for those who don't know, an orrery is an old mechanical model of the solar system where you can observe various planets and their orbits. So it should be no surprise to anyone that a virtual representation of something which isn't a game doesn't suddenly become a game just because it's running on a computer.
For those unfamiliar with what actually makes something a game, a "game loop" describes the interaction and feedback a gamer has when playing a game. Tetris, for example, has a game loop where a random block appears, the gamer interacts with the block to position it, and then the game decides if that finishes a row or not, increases the players score if any rows were completed, then gives the gamer another block to position. Counter-Strike has a game loop where a player seeks another player, tests their skill against that player by shooting them or being shot, the computer rewards the player if they win, and then if the player survives, they repeat that loop. There's no loop here, no true interactive feedback. It simply is not a game, it cannot be "played".
This has misleadingly been launched in the "Games" section of Steam instead of the "Software" section. This is a common mistake for developers who are new to Steam, or don't understand the difference between games and software which isn't a game. It seems this software published incorrectly as a game is simply lack of experience/knowledge of the correct process.
Here's a link for the process to publish non-game software on Steam:
[url=https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpWithPublishing?issueid=925]Steam Developer Help With Software Publishing[/url]
It's unfortunate this process was not known about/followed, resulting in a software application being published in the wrong place.
Publishing things which aren't games on Steam in the Games section as games is misleading to gamers and somewhat harmful, because it pollutes the Steam marketplace and takes away visibility and market exposure for genuine game developers who do the right thing and make games for gamers.
There are no gameplay loops in this software, no "gameplay", no meaningful game like interaction. It's a software application and as such has no merits as a video game for gamers. Because of this, I cannot recommend this non-game software as a game to gamers.
[quote][url=https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/store/reviews]Developer Response![/url][/quote]
The developer has weighed in to inform everyone they didn't read the [url=https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/store/reviews]Developer Usage Rules[/url] for Steam "partners", or they deliberately ignored the part where Valve says:
[quote]Though it may be tempting, not every review needs to be responded to. A developer response will frequently draw more attention than the original statement, potentially turning a small issue into a much larger community discussion. It's also not a good idea to use this feature to refute customer opinions. Your direct attention can be seen as validation or a defensive attempt to silence your customers.[/quote]
The developer acknowledges that this isn't a game, and indeed did try briefly to do the right thing and discovered Valve wouldn't accept this non-game software for their store. To misquote Spider-Man, "I missed the part where that's my problem". All I can do is relate the facts about games (and things that aren't games) to gamers, because that is the purpose of game reviews.
However, when discovering they were doing the wrong thing by gamers, instead of correcting their activities, the developer of this non-game software doubled down and persisted in dumping non-game software onto Steam, knowing full well that it was the wrong thing to do. As I mentioned, this is harmful to gamers and to actual game developers because of the pollution that non-gaming software inflicts on Steam.
The developer seems upset and blames this game reviewer for Valve's policies on non-game software on their game distribution platform, Steam. As a community game reviewer, I am not an official representative of Steam, and my reviews, while always supported by facts, are my objective opinions. If the developer has a problem with Valve and Steam, they should discuss this with Valve. Expecting game reviewers to tell software developers where they can publish their software is extremely misguided.
Apparently the developer feels that if they pay $100 USD, suddenly non-game software becomes a game. What next, should we launch WinZip as a 2D retro pixel platformer? Hey guys, have you tried the latest first person action shoot 'em up game? It's called Microsoft Word!
Perhaps the developer will also be able to pursue other valiant causes, like trying to force local art galleries to carry copies of his 21 volume Harry Potter fan fictions, and trying to force local libraries to put his amusing Lord of the Rings sculptures on the library shelves so people looking for books to read can instead borrow a statue. Or maybe, just maybe, we should put things where they belong.
At the end of the day, reviews are about games, and not developers, even when they knowingly choose to do the wrong thing, in a desperate attempt for self-aggrandisement, without any regard for customers, gamers, and the community. Always, when developers put themselves before gamers, this is the harm that we see. Nothing in the developers pointless response here has changed this barely interactive non-game into an actual video game, so it cannot be recommended to gamers as if it was one. My review stands unaltered.
