History VideoGame / HOME2013

** And who could forget [[spoiler:accessing the [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses]]? You have to try to open a locked door in a house well off the beaten path[[note]]It's the one with blood on the floor[[/note]] multiple times until it opens, press a switch in the room it leads you to, and you have to find all of the Dopefish hidden throughout the zones to actually fight them]].

* InfinityMinusOneSword: Blight's Sword, unlocked by beating the [[BonusBoss Secret boss]] of the same name, gives the same stat bonus as the Deus Ex Machina listed below plus 25 defense and 5 agility as well as guaranteeing First Strike. It also has a 25% chance to inflict poison.

** Three of the [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses]] found in [[spoiler:Zone 0]] are cameos. We have [[spoiler:Blight]] from ''ONE'', an OFF fangame Felix has worked on, [[spoiler:Ava]] from ''Iter Itineris'', a ''VideoGame/YumeNikki'' fangame, and [[spoiler:Ruby]] from ''Ruby Quest: Undertow''.

* BonusBoss: Several of these appear in the game:
** Sugar is this again, this time appearing in [[spoiler:the purified Zone 3]] and does not require the Grand Finale.
** Finding all of the [[spoiler:Zodiac Coins]] will give the players the opportunity to fight [[spoiler:Zacharie]].
** Many secret bosses can be fought in [[spoiler:Zone 0]] after [[spoiler:entering certain passwords in a computer after completing a secret puzzle in the purified Zone 4, as well as finding all of the Dopefish in every zone]]. One of these is [[spoiler:[[CreatorCameo Felix]], the creator of the game.]]

** [[VideoGame/CommanderKeen Dopefish]] make a return in this game. Not only are there more than one Dopefish (one is found in each zone), [[spoiler:finding them is required to access the [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses]]]].

** And who could forget [[spoiler:accessing the [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses?]] You have to try to open a locked door in a house well off the beaten path [[note]]It's the one with blood on the floor[[/note]] multiple times until it opens, press a switch in the room it leads you to, and you have to find all of the Dopefish hidden throughout the zones to actually fight them.]]

* HauntedTechnology: The computer in [[spoiler:the basement of Zone 4's library]] certainly qualifies. Unique example in that someone seemingly ''meant'' to have it that way; the spirit responsible seems to identify itself as some sort of defensive program, who [[spoiler:deletes anything organic nearby]]. [[spoiler:Later on, you learn the computer is the spirit of the librarian who once ran the place, attempting to protect the apparent guardian at the top of the zone, even in death.]]

%% Zero context ** [[spoiler:The Elsen in Zone 3]].
* {{Impossible Item Drop}}: Ghosts drop claws and fangs they never had.

* {{Inexplicable Treasure Chests}}: Just about any chest in the game fits this.

** While not a Sword per se, the Pocket Watch, unlocked by beating another bonus boss, Father Time, grants 3 points on attack and spirit, 15 on defense and agility and grants immunity against Slow, Stop, Doom and critical hits.

* InsurmountableWaistHeightFence: Small blocks that will usually disappear once you've performed a specific action or solved a puzzle. Humorously, at one point in Zone 2 The Judge recruits [[spoiler: The Batter to toss him over one of these]] in order to proceed.
* JumpScare: [[spoiler:[[https://youtu.be/HmC_QgUPDQo?t=1m13s The Elsen that hangs himself]] in Zone 4. It even catches the Judge off-guard.]] Gets worse if you have [[SelfImposedChallenge Hard Combat]] mode on. [[spoiler:Once you leave the room, his ghost comes out after you and chases you around the room at tremendously fast speeds to the point it's impossible to avoid a combat with it. [[FromBadToWorse Its battle sprite is even worse]]: A black spectre with [[SlasherSmile a deranged smile]], blank white eyes and a rope around its neck]]. Guaranteed to scare anyone who hasn't played in Hard Mode before.
** Just when you think you've escaped [[spoiler: the laughing ghouls in Chapter 1 of The Courtroom]], one comes flying at you down the middle of the hallway. At least the [[JumpScare jump scare]] is his only purpose, rather than that of the other ghouls...
** To an extent, when [[spoiler:The Courtroom glitches out during Chapter 2.]]
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Even more so than in the original game. [[MetaGuy Zacharie]] will address your presence very often and will occasionally discuss game aspects that apply to him. You are also a frequent topic of your feline party member's discussions.

* NoSenseOfDirection: You can find the Batter wandering around lost in a couple of Zones and sometimes you have to point him towards his next objective.
* NonstandardGameOver: [[spoiler:Fail to force Japhet out of Valerie's body in time. Go ahead, try it.]]
* NothingIsScarier: We don't get to see what [[spoiler: that Shadow does to that group of Militant Elsen or your party members in battle]]. [[HellIsThatNoise But we do get to hear it]].

* OneWingedAngel: The final boss [[spoiler: is the Batter, who goes from The Executioner to Bad Executioner. Even more intimidating than Bad Batter.]]

* PlagueDoctor: The main enemies of the [[spoiler: Purified Zones]]. Come in many varieties.
* PointOfNoReturn: A message will be displayed before every major boss battle asking if you want to continue. This applies doubly to [[spoiler: the top of Zone 4's Library]], the aftermath of which leads to [[spoiler: the Purified Zones]].
* PunchClockVillain: The [[spoiler: Militant Elsen in Zone 4]] only attack when they've been ordered to specifically, and there are plenty without orders you can talk to peacefully.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Your feline party certainly qualifies. You've got a Guardian, a stray [[spoiler: cannibal]], the Guardian's librarian brother, and a CloudCuckooLander dancer all on the same team.
* ResetButton: The first cutscene upon starting the game says "In the End...", followed by pictures of the Judge in purified zones, at the end of OFF. It then says "In the Beginning..." and the game starts. [[spoiler:The events occurred in that order, as the world was reset AfterTheEnd.]]
* SleptThroughTheApocalypse: [[spoiler: An Elsen in Zone 3, who promptly decides to go back to sleep after you talk to him]].

* VideoGameCaringPotential: After defeating [[spoiler:Elona, the Judge has the option to forgive her, and reassure her that Hugo will forgive her.]]
* WalkingWasteland: [[spoiler:The Shadows in Zone 4]].

* BloodLust: [[spoiler:The Butcher in Zone 1, who goes at length about just how much he'll enjoy cracking your bones and slicing your flesh with his knives,]]

** Finding all of the [[spoiler:Zodiac Coins]] will give the players the opportunity to fight [[spoiler:Zacharie.]

* CallBack: While not always audible in the music itself, the names of many of the game's tracks are callbacks to those of the original OFF. For example, from Fake Orchestra, you get Synthetic Symphony; from Minuit A Fond la Caisse (Midnight Velocity/Midnight At Full Speed) you get Aube a Tout Allure, meaning Dawn Velocity or Dawn At Full Speed [[spoiler: which also serves to reference the order of the game's events in reference to OFF]]. From Desperately Safe, you get Serenade to Safety (with a serenade being a calming song, to contrast a state of desperation).

** [[VideoGame/CommanderKeen Dopefish]] make a return in this game. Not only are there more than one Dopefish (one is found in each zone), [[spoiler:finding them is required to access the [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses.]]]]

* CerebusSyndrome: Just like in ''OFF'', starts as a wacky RPG starring cats, but then goes into the surreal horror territory during [[spoiler:Zone 3]], though most players would expect that. This is played much more straight in [[spoiler:Zone 4.]]
* ChekhovsGun: The [[spoiler: small shard of chocolate received from beating Jozlyn]].

* TheCorruption: [[spoiler: The "knowledge" spread by the Military General]].
* CrapsaccharineWorld: [[spoiler: Zone 3]], just like in the original.
* CrapsackWorld: [[spoiler: Zone 4. The Elsen [[DrivenToSuicide jumping to his death]] when you enter is only a hint towards what's in store for you there]].

** [[spoiler:The Guardians]] become much friendlier after you beat them. [[spoiler: Dedan]] and [[spoiler: Enoch]] especially.
* DevelopersForesight: In Zone 1, there is an Elsen right across the rails that you can never get to. Normally. If you find a way to glitch the game and cross over to the other side, he has something to say. [[spoiler: What do you mean, "Help, [Player name] has discovered a bug!"?]]
* DiscOneFinalDungeon: [[spoiler:The Zone 4 Library]] is this, being a long level filled with difficult battles, obstacles, and puzzles (some of which are [[HardModeFiller harder versions]] of the puzzles found in [[spoiler: Zone 0]]), and being the last area before you enter the [[spoiler:Purified Zones]]

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In early and mid-way versions of the game, there was a choice system after each of the first three bosses that would alter how the story progressed and which ending you got. HOME is a longer game than OFF, though, and more linearity was required to support its longer plot, so this system was eventually done away with. After all, nobody would ever [[spoiler: have to go through the pure zones or get a bad ending]] if you did the sensible thing each time.

* EndlessCorridor: The endless [[spoiler: staircase in Zone 4's library]], until certain requirements are met.

* FissionMailed: [[spoiler:In the beginning of chapter 3 in the bedroom, there is a slip of paper. Examining the paper gives the message "Game Over." followed by a bunch of ghosts appearing, afterwards then brings open a fake game over screen followed by a fake title screen, the only way to continue is to press "New Game"]]

** The first cutscene upon starting the game says "In the End...", followed by pictures of the Judge in purified zones, at the end of OFF. It then says "In the Beginning..." and the game starts. [[spoiler:The events occurred in that order, as the world was reset AfterTheEnd.]] Further alluding to this [[spoiler: is a book in the Zone 2 library called "Old Index". It is a faded version of the index The Batter found in OFF.]]
** After the combat tutorial, the Judge berates the Batter for having stood around and done nothing when the phantoms attacked. [[spoiler: This is because the Batter has no Puppeteer. There is no one to command and lead him through the zones. This is further hinted at various places such as the roof of the post office and in zone 2 when the Batter has no idea where to go.]]

* GoldenEnding: [[spoiler:If you play your cards right, you can stop the Batter and kill him at the end of the game just before he tries to purify Hugo, ensuring he can never threaten the world ever again, thus allowing Hugo to revive everyone who died and allowing thing to go right this time.]]

** The way to get the GoldenEnding is both very counter-intuitive and never hinted at in the game. Whether you get the good or bad ending depends on an interaction with a nondescript Elsen during The Courtroom's glitchy part who asks the vague question of whether or not you consider yourself guilty. Answering yes will give you the good ending where Hugo survives and recreates the world while answering no will give you the bad ending where Hugo dies. There is nothing hinting at the facts that this decision has any meaningful impact or that "yes" is the preferable answer. Even after receiving the bad ending, there is nothing hinting at the way to earn the good one. What's worse is that, considering the seeming mundanity of this encounter, players are likely to save over their file after it, rendering the good ending PermanentlyMissableContent.

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: [[spoiler: Towards the end, you will suddenly receive several ominous error messages. It's very obvious that something inside of the game wants you to give up.]]
* HauntedTechnology: The computer in [[spoiler: the basement of Zone 4's library]] certainly qualifies. Unique example in that someone seemingly ''meant'' to have it that way; the spirit responsible seems to identify itself as some sort of defensive program, who [[spoiler:deletes anything organic nearby]]. [[spoiler:Later on you learn the computer is the spirit of the librarian who once ran the place, attempting to protect the apparent guardian at the top of the zone, even in death]].

* IncurableCoughOfDeath: [[spoiler: The Elsen in Zone 4 all have it]].

* GoldenEnding: [[spoiler:If you play your cards right, you can prevent the Batter from purifying anyone and kill him at the end of the game just before he tries to purify Hugo, ensuring he can never threaten the world ever again.]]