The Kids We Were

A warm and fuzzy slice of life story about a time-travelling school boy trying to save his family. More 3D visual novel than classic adventure game, but its heart is always in the right place.

For me, it just made the ticking of my clock seem a lot louder at a time when I’m already grappling with the concept. I don’t want to give a negative impression on a game just because it made me feel like garbage. That’s my problem, not the game’s. I’m just going to go back to moping in the corner.

The Kids we were tells a compelling story in a fascinating setting, but takes very few risks gameplay-wise.

Aside from the relatively minor issues of movement, and how the various endings are discovered, The Kids We Were is a captivating nostalgic trip for those who lived in the '80s regardless of if that was spent in Japan, and a worthy education for those born in later years. The finely balanced mix of humour and seriousness of the issues explored, coupled with the cute style makes it feel at home on Nintendo Switch. Having collectables provide a reason to replay it for completionists, and the intricacy of the plot with the highly likeable characters make replaying it a strong possibility for others just to experience the heartfelt story once more.

The Kids We Were is a simple game that is fully invested in its narrative.

If you are looking for a hundred percent game, then The Kids We Were will disappoint you. However, if you want to play a visual novel about time travel and teenagers with family problems, this is a good proposition. You'll get little gameplay, a lot of dialogue, a little background walking when looking for finds, and a good story for +/- six hours.

You’ll get the impression that this is more of a narrative progression rather than playing a game, but the actual story itself is quite impressive so no complaints there. Fuzzy little graphics and the sound design are well fitting as well as some of the items you can collect that will bloom your reminiscent times. You’ll enjoy the wholesome 6 hour-ish play time while collecting coins to operate gacha machines and witnessing dialogs that would only occur in conversations back in the 80’s and such.

The Kids We Were is a must-play game with an incredibly good story that focuses on childhood friendships and family. The voxel-style graphics look beautiful, the cicadas in Japan sound great, and a catalogue of items from the 80s to collect made me feel so nostalgic.

It's a succinct and heartfelt game with a gorgeous aesthetic and an evocative narrative. The Kids We Were seems destined to be a thing that people will overlook, but I really hope that they don't. The way it taps into both a sense of nostalgia for youth and the Japanese nostalgia for the golden 80's might not be the most original narrative angle ever, but it's a story told so well that you won't be able to put it down.