When The Past Was Around

 Switch
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Nintendo Life
    Dec 25, 2020
    90
    Concise, carefully crafted and beautifully malleable in its meaning, When The Past Was Around is a rather gorgeous little art game that remembers it needs to be interesting in its puzzles as well as its narrative. Taking the principles of escape room-style gameplay and fitting them around its theme lends them a gravitas that belies their simplicity and elevates this game into more than just the indie flavour of the month. Sure, you're not likely to play it twice, but you'd be hard-pressed to forget about it. And, honestly, after this year? We needed it.
  2. App Trigger
    Jan 29, 2021
    85
    When the Past was Around is an emotional roller coaster of a story told exclusively through gorgeous art and stirring violin music. The puzzles are clever and fun but a little immersion-breaking at times. The addition of touch screen support in handheld mode on Nintendo Switch adds to the experience as well.
  3. Gaming Age
    Aug 20, 2021
    83
    When The Past Was Around finds a way to include some interesting puzzles in the mix — but Florence found a way to be interactive without letting its little challenges get in the way of its story. It’s like that at every turn, in every respect. When The Past Was Around is good — but it’s no Florence.
  5. GameMAG
    Feb 19, 2021
    80
    When the Past was Around is a very atmospheric and warm game about relationships, experiences and the fact that love does not go away after time and years. A very positive experience for those who are depressed after a breakup or are experiencing the melancholy of a cold winter.
  6. Pure Nintendo
    Feb 1, 2021
    80
    When the Past was Around is a well-made point-and-click adventure. The music and visuals contribute to the captivating, if abstract, tale. The puzzles are just right in terms of difficulty, although the game could be a little longer overall, making it a very good distraction for an afternoon.
  7. TheSixthAxis
    Jan 29, 2021
    80
    When the Past was Around isn’t a long title by any means, but what it does with its run time is definitely worth the look. The puzzles throughout are challenging, but not to the point of frustration (mostly). The beautiful visuals and music tell a wordless tale of love and loss with such deftness and care that the game’s emotional moments feel earned. If you’re looking for a great indie title to while away a sombre afternoon, look no further.
  8. The Indie Game Website
    Dec 22, 2020
    80
    Not to be too grandiose about the game – it won’t be for everyone, and it has very little replay value – but I do think there is room for When The Past Was Here alongside some of the story-based indie greats. It does what it does with utmost care and sensitivity, feeling like the sort of dream you have when you’ve just changed your sheets. We could all do with some more comfort after the year we’ve had, and When The Past Was Here – which comes out on console on December 16th – is the video game equivalent of a warm cup of tea by a rain-streaked window.
  9. 4P.de
    Dec 22, 2020
    80
    Quotation forthcoming.
  10. SpazioGames
    Dec 20, 2020
    72
    When the Past was Around is a meaningful point and click journey. Its puzzles are more than improvable, but the soundtrack and the atmosphere are captivating.
  11. Starbit
    Mar 9, 2021
    70
    While its puzzles are rather simple and the game's length feels short, its use of a fantastic audiovisual environment, a captivating - if not very detailed - plot, a good use of the narrative component and the creative ways in which the sound and music are embedded in the gameplay make this a remarkable experience that should be discovered by everyone who enjoys plot-driven games.
  12. IGN Japan
    Dec 28, 2020
    70
    When The Past Was Around feels heavily inspired by Florence. While it is easy to fall in love with its gorgeous artwork and music, its puzzles fail to support to the story’s narrative. There’s definitely a sense of accomplishment when solving the game’s harder puzzles, but they are often utilized as traditional videogame obstacles rather than meaningful tools that contribute to the story.

Awards & Rankings

77
#77 Best Switch Game of 2020

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. LastResource
    Jan 26, 2023
    10
    Ughhh the story is sooo freaking awesome. It really drew me back to point click puzzle game. Love it for every single moment of this game
  2. ochjago
    Nov 22, 2021
    8
    I liked it. Simple, easy, slow. I loved the art and the music. You can relax while playing, it's very low-key. The story is moving and sad.
  3. CasualTap
    Oct 16, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. When the Past was Around is developed by Toge Productions and Mojiken Studio and published by Chorus Worldwide Games (eShop link). The main protagonist in this game is Eda, a 20ish girl. The game will invite you to explore her mind and deep memories of love, joy and pain. Obviously, the story is being told in a subjective way, and it rather lets you come to your own interpretations. If you are good with puzzles, you can beat it in an hour or so.

    At its core, When the Past was Around is a point-and-click puzzle game. That said, it does not take the same approach as those classics made by Lucasfilm Games. In this game, you don’t explore a vast world and do a lot of backtracking to solve puzzles. The puzzle itself is usually presented through scenes and is quite linear. However, you still have to solve them by interacting with objects in order to find feathers that belong to a mysterious owl guy that you will meet throughout the game. Also note that some of the puzzles require you to find a key, which is well implemented but also appears to be overused especially in the early game, while the rest seem either fun or okay at times.

    What stands out the most is the art direction and violin music. Emotions are expressed through music, and I could feel it in my bones. Some music feels especially haunting as intended. However, I’m not a fan of the sound choice for the X button used for showing clickable objects. While I was investing into the game, it felt rather annoying all of a sudden whenever I pressed that button.

    In my conclusion, although the game let me experience a unique hand-drawn art alongside brilliant music, the puzzles did not manage to make it stand out from the crowd. That’s a step-down. For me, it’s a 6.5/10 game, overall.    … Full Review »
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