Underplayed Gems

Back Then (2023)

Back Then cover
Developer
Octopus Embrace
Publisher
Octopus Embrace, Gammera Nest
Platforms
Windows
Genres
Adventure, Indie
Rating
4.6 of 5, 42 player ratings
Typical playtime
about 2.0 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 slow, poignant walk through a fragile memory palace, where every puzzle feels like a quiet conversation with loss.

emotionalatmosphericmelancholiccontemplativestory-drivenslow-pacedpensiveintimatesad

What players say

Players praise the writing and voice acting for portraying Alzheimer's, but criticize the lack of manual saving between chapters and a frustrating collect-the-poems puzzle that lacks guidance. Movement, especially on the stairs lift, feels slow.

Screenshots

Back Then screenshot 1Back Then screenshot 2Back Then screenshot 3Back Then screenshot 4Back Then screenshot 5Back Then screenshot 6

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.