When the Past Was Around Critic Reviews

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.

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.

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.

Quotation forthcoming.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.