The Indie Informer

Do you know what one of the best parts of Day of the Devs is? It’s when you sit down to play a game and realize the person sitting next to you is the developer. A real, present person enthusiastically waiting to watch the milling crowd experience their project.

I started my time with Last Time I Saw You talking with Juan Fandiño, who let me know the title was inspired by a time of his life filled with heartbreak and colored by his joy from making games. After that introduction — the rare kind you get at these kind of events — the game seemed filled with intimate significance.

I’m adrift in a shifting sea of misty reds and pale pinks. Awash with ominous echoes, I strain my ear for the music playing lightly in the background. It’s unexpectedly hopeful for so unsettling a space. As I move forward, my ear is pierced with other sounds — a product of great sound design. Crunching leaves, grinding gravel, and shattering glass all take their moment throughout the demo to place me in a world that’s at one moment ordinary and then next supernatural.

This dreamscape leads to a figure — a women who has been haunting my nights relentlessly without any explanation. But my eyes startle open before I can find out who she is or what she wants. The morning’s sun illuminates a typical teenager’s room. Ayumi, the hero of our story, moves on from the dream to the concerns of the real one — homework, chores, friends.

The 2D artwork is eye-catching, with elements of watercolor and anime inspiration. And despite its serious start, I soon discover the game has a playfulness about it, giving me a chance to put the neighborhood dog soon after leaving my home on errands. I almost forget the unnerving undertones, immersed as I am in the mundane gossip and worries of the townsfolk. Until I walk past the forest.

The lines of reality blur ever-so-slightly. The pleasant background chatter falls silent. And the urge to follow the path into the woods is hard to resist. But the moment passes and I head to the market to buy carrots.

The topic of the town is the impending typhoon. The weather is already growing overcast and threatening, and each character wonders if the storm will affect their plans for the week. Some, like my athletic friend that challenges me to a batting minigame, worry it will keep him from baseball tryouts. Others, like my mom, fret over whether she’ll have plenty of food to keep her family comfortably feasted.

However, the rain isn’t quite enough to keep me from going to school the next day. At least, not in the morning. The sky turns ugly and the school is hit by the full force of Mother Nature — and something more. As I battle my way through broken glass to rejoin my classmates, spirits rush in with the wind, draining my life. Just as it looks like I’m about to lose this paranormal fight, a familiar figure steps in to protect me.

I don’t know what this will lead to or, really, if I survive the encounter. However, I’m eager to find out more. Last Time I Saw You doesn’t have a set release date, but I’ll be keeping my eyes open for more opportunities to dive into it.