When does When The Past Was Around get good?

Hooks you almost right away. In the first 2 hours 1 in 14 reviews are negative (7%); after 3h it's 1 in 30 (3%). Fully opens up by hour 2.

How many players finish When The Past Was Around?

74% of players who start reach the ending.

All games

AdventureCasualIndie

When The Past Was Around

Sep 22, 2020 Steam: Very Positive

Hooks you almost right away

Gets good by 1h almost every game dips in hours 2–3

Fully opens up by 2h rated like by long-time players

Reach the ending 74% of players who started

Started playing 89% of owners

Steam reviews 95% positive of 4,453

What the data shows

In the first 2 hours 1 in 14 reviews are negative (7%); after 3h it's 1 in 30 (3%).
Fully opens up by hour 2.
The opening is criticised less than in 94% of games we track.
74% of players who start reach the ending.
The biggest drop-off is between “When I Found You” (Complete Chapter 2) and “When We Were Together” (Complete Chapter 3): from 88% to 79% of starters.
89% of owners got the first achievement.

When it gets good

Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.

before it gets good opening up fully opened up

Based on all 4,542 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 295 reviews: 2.2h for positive, 1.9h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.

Where players quit

Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (89.2% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

Started playing 100%
Prologue Complete Prologue 100%
When the Door Opened Complete Chapter 1 94% −6
When I Found You Complete Chapter 2 88% −6
When We Were Together Complete Chapter 3 Most players quit here 79% −9
When the Day Arrived Complete Chapter 4 75% −4
When the Past was Around Complete Chapter 5 74% −1

story milestone ending biggest drop-off

Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.

All achievements (20)

story milestone ending side

Prologue Complete Prologue 100%
Behind The Curtain Open the curtain 98%
Memoir Look at the photo inside the drawer 97%
Spick and Span Tidy up Eda's room 97%
When the Door Opened Complete Chapter 1 94%
When I Found You Complete Chapter 2 88%
Tea Time Symphony Finish the Tea Time with Eda and Owl 85%
When We Were Together Complete Chapter 3 79%
Requiem Break all of the tombstones 77%
When the Day Arrived Complete Chapter 4 75%
Sound of Silence Turn off the Radio Tape 75%
When the Past was Around Complete Chapter 5 74%
Shattered Break all the pots 67%
Virtuoso Play all the music notes 54%
Messenger Bird Click bird inside the postbox 51%
Let The Wind Blows Open all the windows 47%
1915 Input 1915 on the safe 36%
Right Tastes Better Eat all of the ice cream on Owl's side 35%
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Play twinkle twinkle little star in the piano 28%
Finale Complete all achievements 24%

Steam page Updated: 2026-10-19.