65) When the Past Was Around (2020)

Released in September of 2020, When the Past Was Around was created and illustrated by Indonesian illustrator and developer Brigatta Rena who wanted to create a love story that was relatable, yet mysterious. Partially based on her own life experiences, the game was made with no dialogue, leaving interpretation up to the player. While this caused some issues during development as each team member interpreted the story differently, they eventually agreed on the details after a bit of trial and error. The hand-drawn illustrations took inspiration from several manga and video games, notably The Ancient Magus' Bride and Florence.

The game tells the story of a young woman named Eda and her relationship with an anthropomorphic owl. Relying only on visuals and music cues, it tells a compelling narrative of love and loss, guiding us through the whimsical early days of discovery and shared interests all the way to the more mundane moments. In order to proceed, we're presented with puzzles that the player is left to figure out on their own, though they rarely pose any real challenge. There were one or two puzzles I felt compelled to make notes for, but you're rarely expected to do any heavy lifting.

Unlike a lot of puzzle games, where knowing the solution makes me hesitant to re-experience it, When the Past Was Around mostly sidesteps the issue by focusing on the narrative more than the mechanics. Though the game is only a few hours long, I can easily see going back to it to see if I can pick up on elements I missed or simply to experience the beauty on display. More than anything, I can see the game meaning different things to different people, and that meaning will change over time. For some, the story of love will be relatable, while others will relate to the sense of loss and moving on. It never hits you over the head with its message, trusting the player to experience familiar emotions in a way few stories do.

Though my time with the game was short, I cannot deny the impact it had. It tells a very real, human story that pretty much anyone can relate to, and that relationship, much like the one shown in the game, will change over time. While not hard by any stretch of the imagination, it dares to engage the player on an emotional level, using the stunning artwork and music to tremendous effect. If the only thing you want out of video games is mindless action, then this game is not for you. If, on the other hand, you want a truly artistic experience that will challenge you on an emotional level, I can think of few games that do so as flawlessly as When the Past Was Around.