When the Past was Around
The game tells a bittersweet tale between a girl and her lover in a surreal world consisting of disjointed rooms from memories and time. With each gathered clue, solved puzzles, and unlocked door, the girl will find her way, unraveling the secrets between her and her lover, the secrets which she used to know. A picture speaks a thousand words. Experience the game’s story not through words nor dialogues but beautifully hand-drawn art created by famous Indonesian artist, Brigitta Rena. A short, sweet and whimsical journey. Explore a bittersweet tale between a girl and her lover in a surreal world consisting of disjointed rooms of memories and time. Personal and ubiquitous. a game about overcoming the past and finding the self. Solve brain-teasing puzzles. Various intriguing puzzles to solve and stories to uncover. Let the music guide you. Atmospheric violin music will accompany you from the peaceful days to the angstiest moments
Game Discussion
Steam User 54
A simple, lovely and short story for one of the hundreds of sleepless nights.
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Steam User 20
A gorgeous and meaningful hand drawn, click and point game. The puzzles to get through were quite interesting and I appreciate that they weren't *too* easy. I love games with no dialogue as you can experience the story in your own way. For me I viewed this as a story about relationships, grief and love, that no matter how much time has passed you will always have warm memories of someone. The grief aspect showed me that it's hard to accept when someone is gone too.
I really enjoyed playing through this, I'm usually a crier in these types of games but I didn't get emotional with it - though the story and art style nonetheless was very expressive and just lovely.
Steam User 12
i cried like a baby. a point and click puzzle game with a really emotional story about love, loss and grief. i have never experienced the loss of someone i love and the game made me feel and made me realize that sometimes no matter how long and how much time passes by, some memories just wont fade away. thank you for making me experience how it probably would feel like to lose someone i love forever. i will appreciate and love the people in my life more. life is short, evil and unfair. its the reason why i'd rather spend it loving, loving and loving with all my heart. we're all leaving someday. make sure you hold the people you love tightly <3 10/10
Steam User 16
A beautiful game with stunning art, an emotional story, and really thought out puzzles. I felt captivated the whole way through.
Steam User 13
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. It is a bittersweet story at its core, highlighting the journey of moving on and letting go.
It resembles Florence, so if you liked that, it can be a good choice. It is a point-and-click journey with puzzles (there are some harder ones, but most of them are quite easy), and I really appreciated the fact that the game is without narration, so it’s all on you how you imagine the story between Eda and Owl.
The visuals, artwork, and music of this game are super cute. I liked the art style so much that I bought the separate Artwork, and I honestly recommend it as it displays how the characters were born and made to interact with each other. <3
Steam User 7
Thank you for this wonderful game!
I am currently going through a difficult time in my personal life and I have to deal with strong emotions. However, this game has been a real lifesaver for me. It allowed me to relax into a cozy atmosphere, enjoy the beautiful music and experience the feelings I have been waiting for.
I understand how difficult it is to experience the loss of a loved one, and I find it especially difficult to deal with the memories of it. But the past cannot be changed, and we only have to live in the present. I hope that, like the main character, I can let go of this person and move on to build a future.
I especially want to mention the great music accompaniment, which created a special atmosphere. At the end of the game I couldn't hold back my tears.
Steam User 6
Cutely bittersweet. We embark on a journey of love lost and coping. Metaphors abound and we see bits of storytelling in the puzzles as well. It's beautiful to listen to and look at and you might find yourself humming along to repeating motifs. One gripe I had was the musical notes to pop didn't match the music but it's such a small complaint with a game this thoughtful otherwise. There's another game that it reminds me of called Florence so if you liked that one or end up liking this one, I recommend them both!