The Story of Your House
The story of Your House from Barcelona-based studio Patrones & Escondites acts as a prequel to the studio’s 2020 game Unmemory, following the life of teenager Debbie Steinbecker before she joins the all-girl gang Killer Kittens.
Debbie is having a terrible 18th birthday: she’s been expelled from school, betrayed by her boyfriend and hit by a car. But at midnight, she finds a mysterious envelope on her bed containing a key and an address. What follows is a mixture of clever, tactile narrative puzzle-solving as Debbie investigates a strange house and tries to find out who sent her there.
A Game That Defies Categorization
Your House is a game that bucks the trend for photorealism, instead embracing a novel yet impactful vintage comic book aesthetic that blends the formats of puzzling and the comfort of a classic novella, albeit one that’s inventively interactive. Filled with clever design ideas and elegant art, Your House is a creative masterclass that makes how you read words both a puzzle and an artistic experiment.
The Vintage Illustration of Your House
The art by Jon Ander Torres is a visual callback to the 1950s and 1960s.
A Game That’s a Book You Can Play
The switch away from video and photos was also pragmatic. "We discovered on Unmemory that using photographs was very appealing to the eye, but production-wise, it wasn’t a clever choice, because whenever you needed to change anything, it was kind of expensive," Daniel explains. "So that’s why we pivoted towards this comic look and feel."
The Power of Excel Spreadsheets
Patrones & Escondites’ workflow is more like a movie studio, with Daniel and co-founder Beatriz Osorio assembling a small team for each game, just like putting together a film crew. "So every game has a different artist, different developer," explains Beatriz.
The Story Always Comes First
The story always comes first: Daniel comes up with the ideas and scripts, then the pair decide on which game mechanic would best suit the narrative. Beatriz, meanwhile, acts as a producer, gathering together the money and managing the team, as well as making "deadlines that they never follow," she chuckles.
Conclusion
Your House is a game that defies categorization, blending the formats of puzzling and the comfort of a classic novella. With its vintage comic book aesthetic, clever design ideas, and elegant art, Your House is a creative masterclass that makes how you read words both a puzzle and an artistic experiment.
FAQs
Q: When is Your House available?
A: Your House is out on 27 March 2025 on PC (Steam), Mac, iOS, and Android.
Q: What inspired the development of Your House?
A: The story of Your House is inspired by a real-life story that happened in New York around 20 years ago.
Q: What is the art style of Your House?
A: The art style of Your House is a visual callback to the 1950s and 1960s, inspired by comic artists like Daniel Clowes, Charles Burns, and Jaime Hernandez.
Q: How did the developers of Your House come up with the idea?
A: The idea for Your House came from the developers’ desire to push the boundaries of what a book is as a technology, inspired by their own love of comic books and puzzle-solving.
