Rogue Games and Game Grumps collaborated to create Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator back in 2017 — a game which appeared shallow and silly at first, but proved to have surprising depth. Now the team is back with a follow-up title that looks very different called Homebody. Homebody is a psychological horror game that takes inspiration from 80’s slasher films, but it also appears to be inspired by both classic survival horror titles and a newer wave of low-poly, narrative-heavy titles.
The player takes the role of Emily, who is trapped in a house full of mysterious puzzles. However, things clearly get surreal pretty fast. The mysteries seem to move beyond the confines of the house and into Emily’s memories and mindscapes. According to the game’s synopsis, the player is tasked with “avoiding the killer, solving the puzzles, and making dialogue decisions.” The enemy AI and player dialogue choices are both designed to create unique experiences across multiple playthroughs.
Homebody is “coming soon” to Epic Games Store, Steam, and consoles. There aren’t a lot of concrete details available in the initial announcement, but that makes sense as it seems like the narrative of the theme is deliberately opaque and twisting. The game is a big 180-degree pivot from Dream Daddy, but it’ll be interesting to see how the team’s experience with the dating sim carries over to a completely different genre.
