Backstreets of the Mind (2016)

Developer: SiBear Games
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Casual
Rating: 3.0 of 5, 25 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 2.2 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

a gentle, reflective puzzle game where you rewind time and nudge a character's life by placing thoughts and uncovering hidden signs.

casualtime travelreflectivepuzzlestory-drivennostalgicmeditativeexperimental

What players say

Players describe this as a very short hidden object game with a grounded story, but reviews are split on the controls: panning the scene by holding the mouse button frustrates many, while the easy object searches and simple mini-games please others. The game runs well and has nice graphics, but unskippable cutscenes and a lack of challenge disappoint some.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.