Game · Released

Back Then

We all live with the fear of reaching the shadow of dementia. The ultimate fear of forgetting. The fear of not remembering our past, what led us here. For who do we become when we forget who we are? Back Then is a first-person narrative game journey taking place in the mind of Thomas Eilian, an elderly writer diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. The gameplay, presented in first-person perspective, is story-driven and is heavily focused on interactions, puzzles and detective exploration. Stuck in a Wheelchair, players find themselves lost in a house, discovering more about Thomas and his family

Release date
December 8, 2023
Platforms
Windows
Developer
Octopus Embrace
Publisher
Octopus Embrace
Back Then artwork
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About Back Then

We all live with the fear of reaching the shadow of dementia. The ultimate fear of forgetting. The fear of not remembering our past, what led us here. For who do we become when we forget who we are? Back Then is a first-person narrative game journey taking place in the mind of Thomas Eilian, an elderly writer diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. The gameplay, presented in first-person perspective, is story-driven and is heavily focused on interactions, puzzles and detective exploration.

Stuck in a Wheelchair, players find themselves lost in a house, discovering more about Thomas and his family by unlocking new rooms, collectibles, objectives and puzzles. Together, both the player and Thomas attempt to discover who they are, listening to the monologues of Thomas and his family, detailing their own struggles and perspectives of the situation at hand. Players traverse through the four seasons of the year, going back and forth between the House and Dreamlike Sequences as Thomas attempts to unravel what his life meant.

Back Then is a game for people who are in search of unconventional and new story-rich experiences. It appeals to a more general audience, emphasizing on the game's atmosphere, soundtrack, and narrated-exploration to deliver players a poetic and emotional story. In-depth narrative and storytelling experience. Detective exploration and puzzles. Creative gameplay and events related to Alzheimer’s and forgetfulness. Inspired by personal events, involving the team's loved ones and family.…

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Back Then artwork
Back ThenGOG · Game · Available
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Back Then reviews & player comments

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★ 8.6/10GOG · 7 ratings
GOGLast checked November 3, 2026

Most helpful4

★ 4 / 5
"Take a walk with me. I'll show you the fragments... Your past, your present, your memories... You will forget and remember. You will complete the…
★ 2 / 5
but clunky to get it through. It's easy to get stuck on puzzles that are not fault of the player, like "Follow the sound" when…
★ 4 / 5
Gathering memories was quite an engaging process, and the environmental details truly captured a depressed, painful mood. The music, however, felt a bit abrupt at…

Most recent4

★ 4 / 5
Gathering memories was quite an engaging process, and the environmental details truly captured a depressed, painful mood. The music, however, felt a bit abrupt at…
★ 2 / 5
but clunky to get it through. It's easy to get stuck on puzzles that are not fault of the player, like "Follow the sound" when…
★ 4 / 5
"Take a walk with me. I'll show you the fragments... Your past, your present, your memories... You will forget and remember. You will complete the…

Short excerpts linked to their source. The score above uses aggregate storefront ratings—not these few comments.