When the Past Was Around, by Mojiken Studio, is a short, wordless adventure about grief and recovery. The game uses point-and-click puzzle mechanics to move through surreal, memory-like spaces and solve musical, object-based puzzles to advance the story. It pairs hand-drawn art with a violin-centric soundtrack to convey emotion without text. Players who enjoy narrative-focused indie titles seeking a meditative one- to two-hour experience are the intended audience.

This is a compact, character-led memory puzzle

In this game you inhabit Eda and share scenes with The Owl as the environment shifts around personal memories. The structure places the player in discrete, surreal rooms that function as moments of a life rather than linear chapters. The story is wordless and framed around emotional beats, so players interpret sequence and meaning by arranging objects and observing animated interactions between characters.

Puzzles place music and everyday objects at the center of progress

Here the challenge comes from examining scenes and combining items into solutions, rather than combat or timed dexterity. Several puzzles require pattern recognition embedded in familiar objects, while others use musical cues as functional locks that unlock new areas. The design rewards careful scene inspection and listening; progression advances when visual and audio motifs align with puzzle solutions.

Visuals and music carry most of the narrative weight

The title uses hand-drawn visuals and a violin-led score to deliver tone and plot through mood and timing. Art by Brigitta Rena emphasizes textured, intimate compositions, and the soundtrack by Masdito 'Ittou' Bachtiar maps emotional shifts to melody. The game’s presentation earned a Best Visual Art award, which reflects how central the aesthetic is to both reading scenes and interpreting character relationships.

Pacing and short length shape progression and replay value

The experience is deliberately brief, typically one to two hours, so progression moves quickly through established beats rather than extended systems. That runtime makes the game suitable for single-session play but limits mechanical depth and long-term goals. Replay incentive comes from reinterpreting silent scenes and noticing small visual details missed on a first pass, rather than from branching systems or extended content.

A focused, artful recommendation for reflective players

The game is a concise, emotionally precise choice for players who prefer short, story-led puzzles and reflective pacing. However, its brief runtime and quiet, wordless delivery narrow appeal for players seeking long playtime or explicit exposition. For those drawn to image-led storytelling and musical puzzle design, the title offers a concentrated emotional arc that rewards attention and repeat viewings.