The Past Within

In a mystery where past and future intertwine, how will you unravel it? The Past Within is a point-and-click puzzle game where you play with a friend—one in the future, one in the past—to uncover the story together. The game blends a rich narrative with branching storylines, offering diverse gameplay. Teamwork is emphasized; although you're in different times, you'll still need to work together to solve puzzles, communicate through communication gates, and uncover the secrets of your father's death.

Features

Background

The core concept of The Past Within is that "the past and future cannot be discovered alone." The same person, at two different points in time, is considered two separate individuals. What if one individual could communicate and connect with the other, jointly changing the fate of a person (and those around them)?

In The Past Within, you will be "split in two": one in the past, one in the present. Two players from different timelines will work together to unravel all the mysteries surrounding a man named Albert Vanderbohm, Ross's father and the protagonist you play. This means that you and your friend will stand from different perspectives across time and space, communicating through communication gateways (two devices in the game) to share your stories, unravel secrets, and overcome numerous puzzles. Together, you will fulfill your father's last wish and uncover the truth behind his sudden death.

Cooperative Missions

When you open *Past Realms* on two different devices under the same account and prepare to play together, you and your friend will discuss and decide who will play the role of the past and who will play the role of the present.

The same character in the game will experience two timelines, and so will you and your friend. In one timeline, one person experiences a series of vivid yet dark memories of the past; while the other is in the present, where all past doubts, decisions, and actions have become facts, consequences, or results.

To avoid the misfortunes and unpleasant events of the present, the past player needs to pass messages to the present player. By passing messages, sharing the past, informing the current situation, discussing, and cooperating, you will be able to better solve the puzzles in the game.

*Past Realms* features puzzles of moderate difficulty. If you've played many puzzle games, it won't be too difficult; it won't be too easy either, keeping you entertained. Whether you're new to this type of challenge or a seasoned puzzle player, you'll find unexpected inspiration in the game.

There's a lot of potential for multiple playthroughs.

Although the game only has two chapters and lasts about two hours, you and your friends can overcome all the obstacles together. However, for a more complete gaming experience, the developers recommend that players replay the game several times even after completing it to understand the content from different perspectives.

Basically, because each puzzle has more than one answer, different ways of thinking and interpreting the puzzles in *Past Events* can guide you to discover hidden perspectives. The final result can be drastically different. This happens quite often.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Unique premise

2D and 3D environments

Surrealistic hand-drawn art style

Cross-platform functionality

Cons: Strictly cooperative multiplayer for two players only

Download

Save the downloaded APK file to any location on your device.

Now open the Android Settings app and go to Security Settings.

Find the option called "Unknown Source" and enable it.

Install the app using the downloaded APK file.

It only takes a few seconds.

Open the game using the shortcut created on your home screen to start playing.

Review

The two-player experience is quite good, but the puzzles are a bit too easy. Aside from the ARG (Action Genre) elements, the in-game experience of advancing the story is currently somewhat lacking. Also, there's something that's not exactly a flaw: many players barely hear the game's music because the volume is automatically lowered by the system during voice calls on phones or tablets.

Fun, with some hidden achievements, and the overall difficulty is acceptable. Perfect for couples.

A very novel game mode, suitable for two people to play together.

A very good game. I hope Rusty Lake Studios will release more two-player games like this in the future.

The past has a future, and the future has a past. I'm still savoring the game, experiencing the awe it evoked.

Summary

The past and the future cannot be reached by one person alone! Team up with your friends to unravel the mysteries of Albert Vanderboom's room. Share your discoveries with your companions and help each other solve the layers of puzzles!