The Kids We Were

About

The Kids We Were is an award-winning adventure game originally released worldwide for smartphones in February, 2020. Selected as one of the top 3 titles at the Google Play Indie Games Festival 2020, it has also won the avex Award, and been chosen for the Best Indies category of Google Play's Best Games of 2020. To celebrate the release of The Kids We Were on Nintendo Switch, we've added a bunch o…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

100%

Audience ScoreBased on 12 reviews

story8 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a strong, emotional story that resonates well with players, particularly those nostalgic for the 1980s.
The voxel-based graphics and charming art style create an appealing visual experience that enhances the overall atmosphere.
Gameplay is simple and accessible, making it suitable for a wide range of players, while the collection mechanics add an engaging layer to the experience.

The game is extremely linear, with limited exploration and backtracking that can feel tedious at times.
Some players may find the pricing structure questionable, especially considering it was originally a free mobile title.
The lack of significant gameplay elements and replay value may leave some players feeling that the experience is not worth the full price.

story
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
57%
12%
The story of "The Kids We Were" is a well-crafted, emotional narrative that blends nostalgia with darker themes, set against a backdrop of childhood experiences and time travel. Players appreciate its engaging plot twists and immersive storytelling, despite its linear gameplay and limited replay value. Overall, the game is praised for its strong narrative and emotional depth, making it a memorable experience for those who enjoy story-driven adventures.
- “Overall, I think anyone who likes a good story should be able to enjoy this little gem.”
- “Gameplay is very simple (running around, collecting things, talking to people) and linear, but the story was really good and well told, with some quite emotional moments.”
- “The story was really easy to follow with lots of plot twists and would say if you're ready to feel lots of feelings over about 6 hours then this is the game for you.”
- “Because any NPC unimportant to the plot will never say anything of value.”
- “Without the story, there would be no reason to ever play this game.”
- “This part of the narrative is setting up the main plotline, but I didn’t read the store page before playing, so I was blindsided by the transition to a time travel story.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The music in the game is described as sparse yet fitting, enhancing the emotional journey with a pleasant and lovely soundtrack. Players appreciate the variety and length of the score, which complements the gameplay without feeling repetitive, despite its typically slow and simple compositions. Overall, the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's atmosphere and experience.
- “The soundtrack is pleasant.”
- “This game was an emotional journey with such cute graphics and a lovely soundtrack.”
- “The score features quite a bit of music, definitely more than I expected. I thought the story would be shorter than it was, so the soundtrack wound up being the perfect length and never felt stale.”
- “There’s no voice acting, so the only audio comes from the soundtrack and occasional sound effects.”
- “The songs are typically slow and simple, often featuring minimal instrumentation.”
- “The score features quite a bit of music, definitely more than I expected; I thought the story would be shorter than it was, so the soundtrack wound up being the perfect length and never felt stale.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The gameplay is characterized as simple and linear, primarily involving running, collecting items, and interacting with characters, which some reviewers liken to a visual novel with exploration elements. While the story is praised for its emotional depth, the gameplay itself is minimal and often padded with backtracking and collection mechanics, leading to a lack of substantial engagement. Overall, it seems to prioritize narrative over interactive gameplay.
- “Gameplay is very simple (running around, collecting things, talking to people) and linear, but the story was really good and well told, with some quite emotional moments.”
- “There's also a mechanic to allow you to fill up your collection without having to hunt for those last few elusive items.”
- “It's also exceedingly linear, and pads its length via backtracking and collection mechanics.”
- “There’s little to no gameplay; instead, it’s like a visual novel with exploration mechanics.”
- “As I mentioned in the intro, the gameplay doesn’t play a major role.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics of the game are characterized by sharp voxel-based visuals that enhance immersion, complemented by a colorful art style and beautifully designed collectibles. While some players may not prefer voxel graphics, many appreciate the cute aesthetic and emotional impact it brings to the overall experience. The combination of appealing visuals and a fitting soundtrack contributes to a captivating adventure.
- “Now for the good: the voxel-based graphics are sharp, and lack the sometimes-blurry resolution of pixel graphics.”
- “Through colorful graphics and characters, you find yourself immersed in the story and wanting nothing more than for it to keep going.”
- “The collectibles have especially beautiful models that show off the game’s cute aesthetic.”
- “I'm not really a fan of voxel graphics; the visuals feel outdated and lack detail.”
- “The graphics are underwhelming and do not match the expectations set by modern games.”
- “The character models are poorly designed, making it hard to connect with the game.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes a range of emotions, blending humor, nostalgia, and poignant storytelling, even for those unfamiliar with its 1980s Japanese setting. While the gameplay is simple and linear, the narrative features impactful emotional moments, enhanced by charming graphics and a lovely soundtrack. However, some players noted that certain story elements fell short of their emotional potential.
- “At times the game is funny, sometimes emotional, often nostalgic - even if you happen to not have grown up in 1980s Japan.”
- “Gameplay is very simple (running around, collecting things, talking to people) and linear, but the story was really good and well told, with some quite emotional moments.”
- “This game was an emotional journey with such cute graphics and a lovely soundtrack.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively blends humor with emotional and nostalgic elements, creating a meaningful narrative that resonates even with those unfamiliar with 1980s Japan. Players appreciate the balance of funny moments alongside poignant themes, enhancing the overall experience.
- “At times the game is funny, sometimes emotional, often nostalgic - even if you happen to not have grown up in 1980s Japan.”
- “Thankfully, the kids we were delivers a meaningful tale with a solid blend of humor, nostalgia, and sadness.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The atmosphere is characterized by visually appealing voxel graphics and a fitting, sparse musical score that enhances the overall experience, despite some reservations about the graphic style.
- “I'm not really a fan of voxel graphics, but the world we explore is quite pretty, and the sparse music fits the atmosphere perfectly.”
- “I'm not really a fan of voxel graphics, but the kids' world is quite pretty; the music is sparse but fits the atmosphere.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game runs smoothly without any performance issues on high-end hardware, specifically on an AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, 16 GB RAM, and NVIDIA GeForce 3070.
- “No performance issues running on: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 3070.”