The Welcome Home Restoration Project is an alternate reality game based on archiving and restoring a mysterious children’s show first aired in 1969. The show was pulled in 1974, and all the footage disappeared. But now, an anonymous group is slowly piecing together the world of Welcome Home. Here are the characters in the Welcome Home ARG, Listed.
All Characters in Welcome Home ARG Listed
Much of Welcome Home is still shrouded in mystery, with sleuths slowly working apart the secrets hidden behind image file names, whited-out text, and secret audio. But what makes this game particularly unsettling is the colorful cast of characters, which seem to hint at something a little dark beneath the surface.
Upon landing on the Welcome Home page, you can find out about each of the characters by exploring “the neighborhood.” Clicking each house reveals a new character, with there being nine in total.
Wally Darling
Wally Darling is the face of Welcome Home. His bio states:
“Wally Darling is the friendliest neighbor in Welcome Home, perhaps even the best painter, too. With a smile like his it’s hard to disagree! Always eager to make new friends and show them around the neighborhood, Wally is happy to lend a helping hand. But you knew that already, didn’t you?”
Wally was the focus of most merchandise and advertising and was the main character of each episode. He lives in what is considered the “ninth” character, Home, his house.
Home
Home is Wally’s House and is distinguished from the other buildings in the neighborhood by its moving eyes. Its only form of communication seems to be onomatopoeias like Creak, Squeak, Bang, and the movement of its doors, chimney, and windows.
Barnaby
Barnaby B. Beagle is the local jokester. His bio reads:
“A goofy layabout with a love for jokes, Barnaby B. Beagle is Welcome Home’s funniest neighbor. Always ready with a joke on hand or even a silly observation, this big blue beagle always knows how to have fun, much to the dismay of some of the grumpier residents.”
Prior to coming to Home, Barnaby lived on a farm. There, he was an orphaned puppy that was adopted by “The Chicken that Crossed the Road.” The Chicken inspired Barnaby’s desire to be an entertainer. Barnaby is capable of juggling, balancing on a ball, and steadying large objects on the tip of his nose.
Many of Barnaby’s segments were akin to stand up, often being met with booing, clapping, or having things thrown at him by his fellow neighbors.
Julie
Described as a “rainbow monster,” Julie’s bio states:
“Undoubtedly the cheeriest neighbor a puppet could ask for, Julie Joyful is Welcome Home’s happiest resident. Amidst such a rainbow of brightly colored neighbors, that’s really saying something! Upbeat, silly, and always ready to play with her friends, there’s never a boring day in Welcome Home while she’s around. She is Frank’s best friend.”
Julie is reputed to have come from deep within the forest that surrounds the outskirts of Home, where she lived with her family in a cave. In a bid to live a new life, she moved away. She functions as Frank’s comedic foil, with the motto “The Fun in your Frown” being used to describe the pair of them.
Julie is noted to look like a flower from above. Her siblings are also rainbow monsters with different color palettes. Their names are Bea, Franny, and Jonesy, but not much else is known about them.
Frank
Frank’s origins are more mysterious, but his bio states:
“Arguably the smartest neighbor in Welcome Home, Frank Frankly is the resident bookworm with expertise on butterflies. Despite being the grumpiest and greyest of this colorful cavalcade of neighbors, it’s good to have someone so organized and matter-of-fact amidst the bunch. After all, he enjoys being frank, even if it means being Frank, whatever that means! He is Julie’s best friend.”
We currently have no information about where Frank originated from prior to arriving in Home. He’s frequently depicted with butterflies and was the local font of information. Oftentimes, his knowledge would be discredited for comedic effect.
Evidence has revealed that Frank is capable of fully rotating his head.
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Howdy
Howdy is a caterpillar who started his own business. His bio states:
“Howdy Pillar is Welcome Home’s friendliest and happiest shopkeeper! This colorful caterpillar knows his store like the back of his hands, which is impressive considering how many hands he has. Charismatic, quick-witted, and remarkably jolly, Howdy always seems to have whatever his neighbors need with a price that just can’t be beat!”
Howdy runs Howdy’s Place, alternatively described as the Bugdega. Howdy was born in an apple core, where he lived alongside his plentiful brothers and sisters.
Howdy is typically depicted standing behind the counter of his shop and at the open window. He is rarely seen in the neighborhood sets beyond special occasions, with one of the few other instances being to visit or deliver goods to Poppy himself.
Eddie
The local mail carrier, Eddie’s bio states:
“Reliable, kind, and ever determined, Eddie Dear is the best mailman Welcome Home has ever had, albeit the only one. Despite being a bit of a clumsy and forgetful fellow, Eddie loves his job and always manages to deliver everyone’s mail right on schedule.”
Eddie arrived at Home from a distant town, which he never stated correctly throughout the show’s run. Eddie’s segments focused on arts and crafts projects, which typically kept him behind the post office countertop.
Poppy
Poppy is a large bird. Her bio states:
“Perhaps the most frantic, frazzled, and feathered neighbor in Welcome Home, Poppy Partridge is the resident chicken so-to-speak. From a sprained beak to sunburnt feathers, she always thinks about the worst outcome of a pleasant situation. Then again, it never hurts to have a neighbor with a band aid on hand.”
Originally born in the forest, she lived with her family in a tree hollow. She quickly outgrew it to a staggering degree and moved into the empty barn in Home.
Poppy insisted multiple times through the series that she could fly, but no evidence of this was ever seen. It is also not clear what kind of bird she is; as she has stated, she is a “bit of a flamingo on her father’s side and a bit of a hen on her mother’s side.” She has also noted, “it’s hard to keep track of a family tree… A lot of birds fit in trees, you know.”
Poppy’s puppet stood around eight feet tall and was rarely seen outside of her barn.
Sally
Sally is a shooting star. Her bio states:
“The most rambunctious resident in Welcome Home, Sally Starlet shines above the rest. She’s a fire-cracker who is willing to let her imagination run wild in the name of a new adventure, albeit at the occasional expense of her more cautious neighbors. Thankfully, she’s got a good head on her shoulders, and perhaps, one could even say, a sunny disposition to match! “
An uncovered script states that Sally was originally one of the brightest stars in the sky. But, upon looking down at a nearby celestial body, she knew there were still places she had yet to truly shine and fell from above as a shooting star.
“She has seemingly accomplished her aspired stardom, as there are only nine visible neighbors in Home, all of whom know her,” the site states.
Sally spent a significant time acting or singing. During her segments, she often acted as a director, coaxing the rest of the neighbors into her plays. Many of these plays focused on fairytales with an abnormal turn, either at Sally’s will or at her expense.
This is the entire cast as we know it so far, but Sally’s bio alludes that there might be more. As time passes, more and more about The Welcome Home Restoration Project will be revealed.
But if you’re still in the mood for scares, why not check out our review on this highly underrated horror game? Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse Review | Capturing Early 2000s Nostalgia.
