What Never Was

About

What Never Was is a single player casual simulation game with fantasy and mystery themes. It was developed by ackehallgren and was released on January 11, 2019. It received very positive reviews from players.

What Never Was is a short, story-driven first-person game focused on exploration and puzzle-solving about Sarah, having to shoulder the arduous task of clearing out her grandfathers attic, and soon finds that not everything about the attic is what it seems.

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,822 reviews

story747 positive mentions

grinding11 negative mentions

Engaging and interesting story with a cozy atmosphere and good voice acting.
Polished and well-made for a free indie game, with beautiful graphics and music.
Puzzles are simple but satisfying, suitable for casual and puzzle game fans, with easy achievements.

Extremely short, lasting around 20-40 minutes, leaving players wanting more.
Feels like a demo or prologue rather than a full game, with only a few puzzles and limited exploration.
Occasional control issues and repetitive dialogue can hinder immersion for some players.

story
1,466 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
48%
1%
The story in "What Never Was" is widely praised for its intriguing, emotional, and beautifully conveyed narrative that captivates players despite the game's short 20-30 minute length. Many reviewers highlight the game's effectiveness as a compelling prologue or teaser that sets up a larger, unfinished story centered on a granddaughter uncovering her late grandfather’s mysterious past. While the brevity and cliffhanger ending leave players wanting more, the atmospheric storytelling, voice acting, and environmental details create a rich and immersive experience that has sparked anticipation for potential future chapters.
- “What never was is a short first-person exploration game set in an old lighthouse, where you uncover a quiet, emotional story through notes, objects, and environmental details.”
- “Overall, what never was is a charming and thought-provoking experience that's well worth playing for its compelling story and immersive atmosphere.”
- “Beautiful artwork, amazing voice acting, great puzzles, interesting story, developed characters; everything about it comes together for a brilliant game.”
- “It's a free game of course, but it could have been a little longer (you can literally finish it in 15-20 mins) so that the story could develop a little and it wouldn't end so abruptly.”
- “The puzzles were too easy, the story is nostalgic, and the game deserves to be longer.”
- “The story was very thin since the developer simply didn't provide enough screen time for it to unfold.”
graphics
463 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
23%
2%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful, immersive art style and detailed visuals that strongly enhance the dark fairy tale atmosphere. While some minor flaws such as occasional glitches, overly dark areas, or less detailed player hands were noted, the overall quality is impressive, especially given the game's indie status and free availability. Combined with excellent voice acting and smooth performance, the graphics significantly contribute to player enjoyment and storytelling immersion.
- “The graphics are absolutely stunning, as well as the voice-acting which really invests you, not only into the game, but also in the characters themselves.”
- “While it's a short game, the stunning visuals and meticulously crafted environment drew me in immediately, and the voice-lines are incredibly well-done, adding so much life to the story.”
- “The stunning graphics create an immersive lifelike atmosphere with voiceovers that make you in touch with the environment and the story.”
- “Some of the graphics and mechanics could obviously use touching up and improvements. Such as the player character's hands, the natural elements outside, but it is obvious that a lot of work and attention went into the indoor environment and items so I am certain those graphical things can be improved with time.”
- “There are also a few spots, like the ground outside of the window, or overly dark shadows, where the graphics are distractingly bad.”
- “Looking outside of the window you can see a very big difference in graphical quality.”
gameplay
203 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
65%
2%
The gameplay of "What Never Was" is characterized by simple, intuitive mechanics and easy puzzles reminiscent of The Room series, focusing on exploration, object interaction, and narrative pacing within a short playtime of about 20-60 minutes. While some players find the mechanics engaging and the experience atmospheric and immersive, others note the brevity and limited complexity may leave players wanting more depth and longer gameplay. Overall, it is praised for its smooth, polished execution and intriguing premise but viewed as a brief, prologue-like experience with potential for future expansion.
- “The gameplay reminds me of a very concise version of The Room series style of gameplay where you slowly interact with objects to unlock other areas of interest.”
- “The story, game mechanics, and puzzles will draw you into playing this story and the characters are given depth to themselves.”
- “What Never Was is a short, first-person, story-driven, exploration and puzzle game, with point-and-click and walking simulator style mechanics.”
- “Despite its strengths, What Never Was's short playtime (under one hour or a little bit more if you want to get all the achievements) and limited gameplay mechanics may leave some players wanting more.”
- “The gameplay isn't interesting enough to talk about.”
- “While the artwork is decent and the music is nice for the first two minutes or so (afterward it becomes monotonous as hell), the story seems like a work in progress rather than a final draft, there's a huge bug with movement (let's slide around forever!), and the gameplay itself is clunky.”
music
195 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric, relaxing, and thoughtfully chosen soundtrack that complements the dark fairy tale aesthetic and enhances immersion. While generally appreciated for its quality, voice acting synergy, and nostalgic swing/jazz elements, some users note the music can become repetitive due to short loops. Overall, the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game’s mood, storytelling, and emotional impact, making it a standout aspect.
- “The soundtrack deserves special mention, as it perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, shifting seamlessly between haunting melodies and uplifting themes that tug at the heartstrings.”
- “The music was out of this world, full marks to it; in my opinion it really captures the fleeting emotions I experienced over the course of my playthrough.”
- “The music and voice acting as well as the art were amazing and very much added to the overall feel and atmosphere of the game.”
- “Music is limited to two compositions, and they honestly feel out-of-place.”
- “The music loop can get a little old after a bit.”
- “The music is on too short of a loop and getting stuck trying to mess with the interface (especially the clock since it is a tiny white cursor over a mostly white clock face) made the repeating notes really irritating.”
atmosphere
179 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
18%
2%
The game is widely praised for its strong, immersive atmosphere characterized by beautiful visuals, evocative music, and excellent voice acting that complements its dark fairy tale and cozy puzzle-solving aesthetic. Although short and somewhat prologue-like, the atmosphere effectively draws players into a calm, mysterious, and emotionally engaging world, leaving many eager for more content. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that elevates the experience despite the game's brevity.
- “The game's atmosphere and soundtrack add to the dark fairy tale aesthetic, which is discreet yet felt.”
- “The soundtrack deserves special mention, as it perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, shifting seamlessly between haunting melodies and uplifting themes that tug at the heartstrings.”
- “The game excels in its immersive atmosphere, thanks to the beautifully rendered attic and its captivating sound design.”
- “Also doesn't have the atmosphere I was looking for.”
- “The problem was rather all those decisions taken while making this game which killed all the immersion and atmosphere for me.”
- “If you want a narrative game with a bit of atmosphere, Marie's Room is better than this and it's still free.”
emotional
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a short but deeply touching and heartwarming emotional experience, focusing on themes of loss, memory, and family bonds through atmospheric exploration and narrative. While brief, players often feel emotionally connected to the protagonist's journey and the unfolding story, with a nostalgic and intimate tone praised for its storytelling and mood. Some note the desire for more depth or length, but overall it is recognized as a sweet, evocative indie game that resonates on a personal level.
- “What Never Was is a short first-person exploration game set in an old lighthouse, where you uncover a quiet, emotional story through notes, objects, and environmental details.”
- “I normally am not drawn to what is essentially a graphic novel, but a compelling yet simple storyline unfolds as Sarah finds clues to her grandfather's history and life before he had passed away, all voiced over in a delightful, atmospheric environment which drew me into an emotional curiosity.”
- “The way Sarah, the main character, reflects on her relationship with him adds an emotional depth that grounds the experience.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
20%
73%
Grinding in the game is widely seen as tedious and overly time-consuming, with tasks and puzzles often described as more annoying or repetitive than engaging. Players frequently mention that the effort required feels forced and diminishes enjoyment, making progression a chore rather than a rewarding experience.
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It was awful; all I did was tedious tasks and play with a clock. I hated my life and spent time that I will never get back, so upset.”
- “The lock box puzzle was annoying at first because the tiny area of the rollers and the required cursor movement made attempting the puzzle more tedious than necessary.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often praised for its sarcastic and charismatic main character, Sarah, with witty and amusing writing that adds charm and lightness to the experience. While some find the humor genuinely funny and engaging, others feel certain attempts come off as forced, yet the overall comedic tone enhances the narrative and keeps players entertained.
- “I love how Sarah is kinda sarcastic when you do stupid stuff; it's very funny and I can't wait for Act 2!”
- “The writing is pretty good and funny at times, and the narrative is interesting, plus it's free!”
- “Sarah is charismatic and funny, and the art and soundtrack make you comfy in her grandfather's attic.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game is generally well-optimized, running smoothly with impressive graphics and good performance even on lower-end systems. However, some users noted that optimization is not yet fully polished and may need improvement before the final release.
- “It looks fantastic in UE4 and runs smoothly.”
- “Performance is great (especially that the game looks pretty).”
- “The narrative is really well accomplished and everything is very well optimized.”
- “The game is really short and lacks optimization.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Replayability for this game is mixed; while it is generally short with limited reasons to revisit, some players find value in replaying to pursue achievements. However, those not fond of point-and-click puzzles may find little incentive for multiple playthroughs. Overall, replay value is modest and depends on player interest in collectibles or achievements.
- “Short game with great replay value.”
- “For how quickly you can finish the game, at least it is replayable to try to get the achievements.”
- “Nice achievements to search for, allowing some replay value.”
- “Additionally, the lack of replayability means there's little reason to revisit once completed.”
- “If point and click puzzle genre games are not your cup of tea, or if you're expecting replay value, then this isn't something for you.”
- “Unfortunately, there is very little replay value.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences frequent bugs and glitches, including buggy movement, occasional freezes, and visual issues, which impact stability. While some imperfections are understandable given its small development team, these technical problems can disrupt gameplay and detract from the overall experience.
- “Buggy movement when sitting down and moving, also when alt-tabbing.”
- “Unfortunately, as others on the forums have noticed, it's very buggy.”
- “Oh, and it freezes sometimes.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
Users have mixed feelings about monetization, noting intrusive ads and microtransactions that can feel like cash grabs, though some appreciate well-integrated advertising that enhances the experience rather than detracts from it.
- “Do yourself a favor, and pump 20 bucks into a freemium game's microtransactions.”
- “It's a 20 minute advertisement for a future series.”
- “Oh my days this game isn't too hard but it's not too easy and ads; io f h j k b n a k l d, hjfa;”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel the character development is overly extensive and feels rushed when confined to a single short level, making it difficult to fully appreciate within such limited gameplay time.
- “It had far too much build-up and character development to be limited to one level that takes less than an hour to complete (including obtaining all achievements).”