In the Shadows of the Past
A short walk through one life, told by a narrator who remembers it wrong.
- Narrative walking game
- 2026
- Web browser (needs WebGL2)
- English, Japanese
About the game
You walk slowly through one person’s life while a narrator describes it. The trouble is that the narrator keeps getting it wrong. Memories cut into the walk, the camera drifts to them, the narrator comments, and then you keep going.
Everything is drawn in black ink on paper, and the ink moves. Rooms are slightly off, the way rooms are in dreams. Color shows up rarely, so when it does, it matters.
There are no puzzles and no way to lose. You can look at things, listen, and sit down where there is somewhere to sit. The ending is left open on purpose.
Screenshots
Features
- Three chapters: “Before I knew the word”, “The years I still defend” and “Fine, thanks”
- Living black-ink art rendered in real time with WebGL2
- Full English and Japanese, switchable in Settings
- Subtitles and a high-contrast mode
- Keyboard and gamepad support
- Music carries a lot of the mood, so headphones help
Controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| A / D, ← / → | Walk |
| E, Space, Enter | Interact, advance text |
| Esc | Menu |
Content warnings
- Depression, loneliness and mental health treatment
- Medication and drinking
- Death
- Disturbing, surreal imagery
- This is one unreliable memory, not medical advice. If you are on medication or in treatment, please don’t change anything because of this game.