When The Past Was Around

Despite its few flaws, When The Past Was Around tells a beautiful love story through simplistic mechanics and themes. The only thing that gets in the way is puzzle pacing at the end, which breaks the formula in an uncomplimentary way.

88%Game Brain Score

story, music

replayability, grinding

96% User Score Based on 1,426 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 12 reviews

Platforms

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About

When the Past was Around is a heartwarming adventure game with an intriguing story about love, moving on, and letting go. It features good gameplay, beautiful hand-drawn visuals, and a stunning soundtrack that perfectly complements the emotional narrative. Players will experience the joy and pain of everything in between, as they journey through the protagonist's memories and confront their past.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,438 reviews

story427 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The art style and music are absolutely stunning, creating a beautiful and immersive atmosphere.
The game tells a heartfelt story about love and loss without using any dialogue, relying solely on visuals and music.
The puzzles are engaging and well-integrated into the narrative, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.

The game is quite short, taking only about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete, which may leave some players wanting more.
Some puzzles can be overly simplistic or confusing, leading to moments of frustration.
The repetitive nature of the soundtrack can become tiresome over the course of the game.

story
910 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
51%
2%
The story of "When the Past Was Around" is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and healing, conveyed through stunning visuals and a haunting soundtrack without the use of dialogue. Players navigate through the protagonist Eda's memories, piecing together her emotional journey, which resonates deeply and often evokes tears. While the narrative is simple and short, its emotional depth and artistic presentation leave a lasting impression, making it a memorable experience for those who appreciate story-driven games.
- “When the past was around tells a great story without using a single word and still manages to touch your heart.”
- “The story is a beautiful love story told through the crucial, cherished memories from when the past was around.”
- “A beautiful, tragic love story, because a love story doesn't always have to be about the beginning.”
- “The story felt all over the place and I just couldn't bring myself to care about the characters.”
- “The story is a bit cliché and not very deep but still sweet, I think.”
- “The story lacked depth.”
music
662 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
3%
The music in "When the Past Was Around" is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, effectively complementing the game's poignant narrative about love and loss. Many players found the soundtrack to be hauntingly memorable, with some even learning to play the main theme on their instruments. However, a few reviews noted that the music can become repetitive over time, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.
- “The music is integral to the game’s emotional impact, with each piece perfectly capturing the mood of the scenes it accompanies.”
- “With its unique art style, evocative music, and emotionally resonant storytelling, 'When the Past Was Around' stands out as a memorable experience that lingers long after the credits roll.”
- “The synergy between the mesmerizing music and the touching narrative creates an immersive experience that lingers in the player's heart, making 'When the Past Was Around' more than just a game – it's a soul-stirring emotional odyssey.”
- “For a game about musicians, the music was repetitive and pretty bland.”
- “The soundtrack was also disappointing, even though the story is about two musicians.”
- “I actually muted the music about halfway through because the highly repetitive song was giving me a headache.”
emotional
390 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "When the Past Was Around" is widely praised for its heart-wrenching storytelling, beautiful visuals, and evocative music, which together create a deeply moving experience about love, loss, and healing. Many players report being brought to tears, highlighting the game's ability to resonate with personal experiences of grief and nostalgia, making it a memorable and impactful journey despite its short playtime. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a touching narrative that lingers long after the game ends.
- “When the past was around is an incredibly moving and immersive experience, masterfully weaving together stunning artwork and beautiful violin music to tell a touching story.”
- “The synergy between the mesmerizing music and the touching narrative creates an immersive experience that lingers in the player's heart, making When the Past Was Around more than just a game – it's a soul-stirring emotional odyssey.”
- “A beautiful and heartbreaking story in a short aesthetic puzzle game.”
graphics
358 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
34%
1%
The graphics of "When the Past Was Around" are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style, which evokes a warm and nostalgic atmosphere that complements the game's emotional narrative. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals and calming soundtrack, noting that the artwork effectively conveys the story's themes of love and loss without the use of dialogue. Overall, the game's aesthetic elements are considered its standout features, enhancing the overall experience and making it a memorable title.
- “The art style and music in this game are absolutely gorgeous.”
- “The artwork is stunning, and the melody laced throughout the game is very catchy, and I've found myself humming it periodically throughout the past couple of days.”
- “When the past was around is a masterpiece of storytelling that weaves together beautiful visuals, enchanting music, and clever puzzles to create an unforgettable experience.”
- “The story and slightly generic aesthetics just didn't do it for me, and the puzzles are in no way good enough to make When the Past Was Around stand on its own.”
- “Graphics are cute, and yes there is a story, but it felt like a mobile game, where you have to find hidden stuff to open a door in each stage... puzzles are straightforward also, a bit boring for my taste.”
- “At first, I bought this game because the graphics were cute, but in the end, it hurt my eyes.”
gameplay
105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
73%
3%
The gameplay in "When the Past Was Around" is primarily a point-and-click puzzle experience that emphasizes storytelling over complexity, featuring simple mechanics that effectively drive the narrative. Players engage in intuitive interactions to solve meaningful puzzles, all set against a backdrop of beautiful art and a poignant soundtrack, creating an emotional journey that lasts about 1.5 to 2 hours. While some may find the gameplay short and the puzzles easy, the overall experience is enriched by its thematic depth and artistic presentation.
- “The game’s ability to convey deep emotions through simple yet effective gameplay mechanics is a testament to the talent and vision of Mojiken Studio.”
- “Beautiful art style and a relatively forward point-and-click puzzle-solving gameplay, definitely a highly impactful 2 hours worth of storytelling accompanied with an amazing soundtrack.”
- “The gameplay is simple and keeps the story flowing, and it's a wonderful story at that.”
- “Being point-and-click means that your gameplay will be minimal, however 'When the Past Was Around' really makes even the little game it has painful and tedious.”
- “I never got pulled into the story enough for those cutscenes to be something I cared about, and I just found myself wishing more and more I could skip them as the game went on and the actual gameplay got shorter just to encounter another cutscene of slowly clicking music notes.”
- “But the gameplay is short, and the puzzles are a little simple.”
atmosphere
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
29%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its meticulous art style, beautiful music, and emotional depth, creating a cozy and melancholic experience that enhances the storytelling. Players appreciate the gentle vibes and the way the visuals and sound effects work together to evoke a range of feelings, making it a standout in the atmospheric and story-rich genre. Despite some minor critiques regarding the music's consistency, the overall ambiance is described as warm, poetic, and immersive.
- “Each scene is meticulously detailed, and the use of color enhances the atmosphere, conveying both the joy and sorrow of the protagonist’s journey.”
- “The atmosphere and the soundtrack are absolutely beautiful.”
- “When the past was around is a very warm, atmospheric, and gentle game about love and how it doesn’t fade even after years, rather the memories remain with us, transforming as we grow with them.”
- “The music still needs more improvement; on some screens, the music is still the same even though the atmosphere is different. I don't get the feels, but I don't know if that's a bug from another screen because I don't turn off the radio or not.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
50%
38%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its limited replayability due to its short length and the presence of lengthy, unskippable scenes. Players express a desire for more replay value, particularly in terms of puzzles and overall content, as the current design does not encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “Wish it was more replayable, but some scenes have quite long areas where you can't skip or make it go faster, which does make it quite a bit less replayable.”
- “However, it is very short and doesn't have a lot of replayability.”
- “Limited replayability.”
- “However, the short run time and limited replay value of this game (aside from the Steam achievements) means that it can never be experienced again.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
71%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and repetitive, with players feeling that the minimal gameplay does not compensate for the lack of engagement. While some appreciate the point-and-click format, many found the puzzles and overall experience to be laborious, detracting from the story and character attachment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Some parts of this game are quite repetitive, making it tedious.”
- “The puzzles felt tedious, and I know the story was supposed to be captivating, but I wasn't enthralled. I felt that the concept of there being no lines throughout the game wasn't executed correctly, and in the end, I felt no attachment to the characters.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
Character development is highlighted through distinctive and charming designs, particularly that of the owl, which enhances the narrative's engagement. The integration of simple activities with the protagonist Eda's musical background and her journey of coping with loss adds depth to her character. Overall, the beautiful art style and delightful music complement the characters' growth and the game's overall charm.
- “The character designs and their clothing are lovely and cute, the music has such great melodies that keep you humming throughout whilst solving puzzles, and the puzzles themselves have good varying difficulties but never exceeding the extreme impossible difficulty.”
- “The character designs, particularly that of the owl, are distinctive and imbued with a subtle charm that makes the narrative even more engaging.”
- “I love how it mixes simple things (making coffee/tea, washing the clothes, counting butterflies for example) with Eda's musical background and her personal character development - as in, dealing with the death of a special one.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The humor in the game elicits a range of emotions, from laughter to tears, often prompting players to reflect on their personal experiences with love and loss. While some found it lacking in humor, others appreciated its emotional depth and complexity.
- “It made me cry, it made me laugh, and it made me reflect on my own experiences of love and loss.”
- “Not funny, I cried.”
- “The jokes fell flat and felt forced.”
- “I expected humor, but it was more cringeworthy than amusing.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
Overall, users report a stable experience with no significant bugs or glitches, and all achievements function as intended.
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or bugs.”
- “I've experienced no stability issues during my gameplay.”
- “The performance is consistent, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
- “There are numerous bugs that disrupt gameplay, leading to frustrating moments.”