When the Past Was Around is an adventure point-and-click puzzle game. The game was developed by Mojiken Studio. It was published by Toge Productions on September 22, 2020 for Windows. A few months later the game was released on December 16, 2020 for the Nintendo Switch, December 17 for the PS4, and December 18 for the Xbox One. Android and iOS got the game on March 14, 2022. The game is part of Play Anywhere, so I played it on PC on August 18, 2026. At the time the game was on Game Pass.
When the Past Was Around Gameplay
When the Past Was Around uses a point-and-click puzzle style that emphasizes atmosphere and storytelling over challenge. Each scene is a hand-drawn vignette where you guide Eda through symbolic environments, interacting with objects to unlock memories of her relationship with the Owl. Gameplay revolves around simple tasks. In the game, you look for keys, assemble items, solve light logic puzzles, and play musical notes. The puzzles are all tied to the emotional narrative. There's no dialogue or combat; instead, the mechanics serve as metaphors for grief and letting go. The pacing is gentle, encouraging exploration and reflection, with puzzles designed to feel intuitive rather than difficult. This style keeps the focus on the emotional journey, making gameplay a seamless extension of the story's themes.
When the Past Was Around Story
When the Past Was Around tells the quiet, emotional story of Eda, a young woman coping with grief and self-discovery after losing someone she loved. The game unfolds as a series of point-and-click puzzle vignettes, each representing fragments of her memories with "The Owl," a mysterious figure who symbolizes her lost partner.
Through dreamlike rooms and symbolic objects, players piece together Eda's journey of love and loss. The puzzles are simple but layered with meaning, often requiring you to unlock doors, gather items, or interact with musical instruments that tie back to her relationship. As the story progresses, the environments shift from warm, comforting spaces to colder, emptier ones, reflecting her emotional state.
Ultimately, the narrative is about learning to let go. By reliving her memories and facing the pain of absence, Eda finds a way to move forward. The game's hand-drawn art and gentle music reinforce its bittersweet tone, making When the Past Was Around a heartfelt exploration of grief and healing.
When the Past Was Around Achievements
- Prologue: Complete the Prologue.
- When the Door Opened: Complete Chapter 1.
- When I Found You: Complete Chapter 2.
- When We Were Together: Complete Chapter 3.
- When the Day Arrived: Complete Chapter 4.
- When the Past was Around: Complete Chapter 5.
- Finale: Complete all achievements.
- Memoir: Look at the photo inside the drawer.
- Behind The Curtain: Open the curtain.
- Spick and Span: Tidy up Eda's room.
- Messenger Bird: Click the bird inside the postbox.
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star: Play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano.
- Right Tastes Better: Eat all of the ice cream on Owl's side.
- Tea Time Symphony: Finish the Tea Time with Eda and Owl.
- Sound of Silence: Turn off the Radio Tape.
- 1915: Input 1915 on the safe.
- Virtuoso: Play all the music notes.
- Let The Wind Blows: Open all the windows.
- Requiem: Break all of the tombstones.
- Shattered: Break all the pots.
When the Past Was Around FAQs
Who developed When the Past Was Around?
When the Past Was Around was developed by Indonesian studio Mojiken Studio and published by Toge Productions. The hand-drawn art comes from Brigitta Rena, and the violin score is by Masdito "Ittou" Bachtiar.
What platforms is When the Past Was Around on?
It launched on Windows on September 22, 2020, then came to Nintendo Switch on December 16, PS4 on December 17, and Xbox One on December 18, 2020. Android and iOS followed on March 14, 2022. It also supports Xbox Play Anywhere.
How long is When the Past Was Around?
It's a short experience, most players finish it in around two hours. It's built as a single, focused emotional story rather than a long game, so the runtime fits what it's going for.
Is When the Past Was Around sad?
Yes. The wordless story follows Eda and the Owl through love, heartbreak, and grief, and it's designed to land emotionally rather than challenge you with hard puzzles. I know I had a lot of feelings when the game was over, so much so that I didn't want to let it go right away and went back and got the Achievements I missed.
Does When the Past Was Around have any dialogue?
No. The game tells its entire story without dialogue or text, using hand-drawn art, symbolic puzzles, and music instead. That wordlessness is part of why it's open to interpretation.
