What Never Was is a short, story-driven first-person game focused on exploration and puzzle-solving about Sarah, having to shoulder the arduous task of clearing out her grandfathers attic, and soon finds that not everything about the attic is what it seems.
Sometime in the late 2000s, Howard James Wright - an old but kind man - perishes. Leaving behind him many adventures, relics he's collected over the years as well as books authored, he is also leaving Sarah, his granddaughter behind. Having to shoulder the arduous task of clearing out her grandfather's attic, she is soon to find that not everything about her grandfather's attic is what it seems.
| LANGUAGE | AUDIO | SUBTITLES | INTERFACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Y | Y | Y |
Short, straightforward puzzles paired with an interesting story premise. It’s free, so there’s not much to complain about. That said, it clearly feels like a prologue, and the next chapter appears to have been either abandoned or significantly delayed.
Should be a nice story, but this is toooo short, just 30 minutes playtime
Very quick to solve the puzzles, but it had a very interesting story.
Too short. It's just 3 simple puzzles...
Oyun 30 dakika civarı sürüyor. Sadece 30 dakikada bitiyor ve bulmacaları da güzel. Ücretsiz arada oynayıp takılabileceğiniz güzel bir oyun olmuş.
the game was good but i need a 2 now
Good little game. Enjoyed it!
Nice point-and-click. At first, I thought I wasn't gonna like this game, but after a while, I settled into it. The story has me intrigued. Ignore the negative reviews, which seem to mostly be about how short and simple it is - if you finish the game, you clearly see this story's not over yet.
Patience, as they say, is a virtue.
A charming little gem of a game (emphasis on little, I am afraid).
The game's atmosphere and soundtrack add to the dark fairy tale aesthetic, which is discreet yet felt. The puzzles are quite easy, but seem to have been crafted with care.
Unfortunately, the whole experience is very brief. The game is literally a room with three puzzles and a few items scattered around. It certainly leaves you wanting much more.
All in all, if you are a fan of adventure games, or an achievement hunter, you definitely need to try this one!
And hey, it 's free!
Jogo fenomenal demais, vale muito a pena mesmo sendo em inglês
• Непогана безкоштовна гра.
• Проходження займає близько 30 хв.
• Схожа на серію ігор The Room.
• Нас кидають на горище, щоб розгадати дідові "приколи", які пов'язані з магією.
• Хороший візуал та достатньо якісне озвучення.
• Це пролог. Сторінка другого розділу є у стім.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3671298403
[h1] Please add Ukrainian language to the game [/h1]
Nice
A very quick intro to the tale about to be told.
3 puzzles.
Looking forward to the next part.
Короткая бесплатная прогулка-головоломка от первого лица. Сделана одним разработчиком с душой.
Чергова безкоштовна гра про прибирання горища, яка намагається оповідати історію. Ну таке щось, не жахливе й не те щоб дуже варте уваги, суто згаяти трохи часу.
não sei ingles
It is very important to figure out if a game is Indie or AAA.
This way we know if we should be understanding / lenient to young solo devs and appreciate their effort, or if we should raise our expectations and judge a million dollar project if it's above the acceptable standards threshhold.
(Too many developers want to appear as poor innocent lambs and hide behind an Indie status while being a publicly traded company that cares more about their shareholders than consumers.)
That's why even AA games should be viewed through a critical lens but still be given enough leniency.
Giving leniency to AAA games is how we get sycophants that keep defending Ubisoft or Apple.
It is also important to pay attention in which country the game was made in.
If we know that the industry in a specific place is not as developed, we can be far more understanding and appreciative. Also it is promote devs, so people don't think all games are made in America. That's how we got these popular "rockstar" game devs that are incompetent yet overinflate their importance like: Todd Howard or Leslie Benzies.
Technical aspects should always be mentioned, be they good or bad. When not mentioned because they were passable enough, the standards start corroding and developers start thinking what they can get away with.
Praise the sound design, music soundtrack and voice acting if you want to see more of it in games.
Art style, graphics, bugs and crashes, anything that amplifies enjoyment or frustration need to be mentioned.
Gameplay is one of the most important aspects that should never be ignored or downplayed. These are games after all, not books or movies!
This game? An Indie demo that never was.
A great game that is the first chapter to an abandoned game.
It's a shame that we may never know what could have come from this series!
Very fun little game! Great game for playing when you don't have a lot of time to play, look around a little bit, leave and come back later.
Loved it!
this game was short but very nice and sad too
Very interesting concept. I honestly hope the developer makes the chapter II to this but as this came out in 2019... that doesn't seem too likely though the developer has mentioned it is at least on their mind looking back at 2024ish. either way it was an interesting playthrough for sure and I would recommend it if you're okay with it ending on a cliff hanger of sorts.
It's good. Looking forward to more.
This game was super fun !! i took a while doing the puzzles but it just made everythiuing even more exciting ! I definetly recommend this game if you just want to experience a short puzzle game !
Playtime: 38 minutes
Price: Free
Braincells used: also free
So What Never Was is basically:
You walk into your grandpa’s attic, touch like three objects, suddenly discover he was apparently part‑time Indiana Jones, part‑time wizard, and then the game ends right when things get spicy.
Pros:
- Cozy attic vibes
- Surprisingly good voice acting
- Puzzles that don’t make you want to Google “how to escape attic IRL”
- Free. Like actually free. No “cosmetic attic dust DLC.”
Cons:
- Ends faster than my motivation on a Monday
- Makes you want a sequel that may or may not ever exist
- I now want a magical compass and I blame this game
Final Thoughts:
Short, sweet, mysterious, and over before you can finish your coffee.
If you like narrative puzzle games or just want a 30–45 minute break from reality, grab it. It’s free. Worst case, you lose half an hour. Best case, you get emotionally attached to an attic.
It's [i]so[/i] refreshing playing a game with actual puzzles, not that LucasArts slop. I just wish there was more of it, 40 minutes wasn't enough.
fue demasiado facil y rapido, en especial los logros, espéraba mas
Esteticamente esta muy cuidado! Los desafios son simples, pero se entiende que el producto busca ser eso para un gamplay de 2 horas como mucho.
Es una linda experiencia corta, logra bien las emociones que busca y te atrapa con su corta duración, habiendo juegos que duran el triple pero no logran atraparte.
love the game play and stroy
A história é super interessante e emocionante, adorei explorar e desvendar os mistérios. Só achei que ia poder explorar outros cômodos e ser um pouco mais longo, fiquei com vontade de jogar mais.
Grafica e storia davvero bellissime e l’atmosfera è molto curata.
L’unico vero difetto è che dura davvero poco, finisce troppo in fretta.
I give it 2/5 stars
This game was so nice the graphics are nice as well. I also really like the story line. Excited for part 2!
What Never Was is a short first-person exploration game set in an old lighthouse, where you uncover a quiet, emotional story through notes, objects, and environmental details.
I really liked it. It’s simple and very short, but the atmosphere is lovely and the story is touching. There’s almost no gameplay, but it doesn’t need it — it’s all about mood, memory, and letting the narrative unfold at its own pace. A small but meaningful experience that works best if you enjoy gentle, story-driven exploration games.
great game to play if you have a little free time!
Took longer to download and install than play through.
短小精悍的小解谜游戏，还不错
Super cute game. Can't wait for part 2
What Never Was ist ein kleines, aber richtig starkes Story-Erlebnis, das mich positiv überrascht hat.
Die Atmosphäre ist von Anfang an besonders: ruhig, melancholisch und gleichzeitig neugierig machend. Man erkundet die Umgebung in eigenem Tempo, findet Hinweise und setzt Stück für Stück die Geschichte zusammen. Genau dieses entschleunigte Entdecken funktioniert hier super – ohne Stress, ohne überladen zu wirken.
Mir hat auch gefallen, wie emotional die Erzählung ist, ohne kitschig zu werden. Es ist eher eine kurze, nachdenkliche Reise, die am Ende hängen bleibt. Visuell ist es stimmig umgesetzt, und die Soundkulisse unterstützt die Stimmung sehr gut.
Fazit: Kurz, aber intensiv – perfekt, wenn man Lust auf eine ruhige, atmosphärische Story-Erfahrung hat. Klare Empfehlung.
um joguinho bem curto, zerei em 40 minutos, é aconchegante, bem feito, os puzzles são bons, a trilha sonora é boa assim como a atuação de voz, gostei bastante, recomendo pra uma jogatina rápida e casual
Lovely atmosphere but you expect a game to consist of more than 3 puzzles.
Had potential. And 100% lived up to the name I guess....
good soup
Beautiful short story about a girl who discovers magical artefacts left by her grandfather. I wish there were more to it, even while staying in this one place, the attic. But as it stands it's already enjoyable to find the little clues and solve this one mystery. I recommend.
สนุกกก เกมสั้นๆ พัซเซิลไม่ยากมาก เราเล่น 40 นาทีเสร็จอะ ตอนจบนี่ค้างมากนะ555555
This feels like a prototype. It's an especially well put together prototype, but there's really not much to it.
It is, however, free.
I hope to see the game released one day but loved this short trailer.
Short, mysterious and free.
Truly recommended, great puzzles and doesn't take even half an hour to 100% it. Hopefully we can get a sequel to fully explore the world inside.
10/10
No Chapter II ?
Float Across the Kuiper Belt - Ikurru
me parecio una cagada, pero bueno, es gratis.
玩法类似未上锁的房间，全流程半小时左右。没有中文，英语四级水平流畅体验。
大概剧情是祖父去世后妈妈要卖掉他的遗物，然后主角在阁楼整理遗物时发现祖父的神秘学笔记和手稿上的怪物，原来祖父瞒着一家人在全球探索神秘力量，而主角也将踏上同样的旅程，简直是某个克苏鲁小说的开头。但很遗憾也就只有个开头了，希望作者早日制作出后续内容。
还算可以的免费小游戏，值得一玩。
Quick but quaint storytelling. I enjoyed it.
Great short free game. Took me longer than it should have.
Good game, but short story.
Such a intriguing game and a great play. Definitely leaves me wanting a lot more and I would love if there was hours more of this game.
This was a fun game. Theirs good puzzles that you need to solve. Its a short fun story. Would recommend
Awww, I really sweet point & click short freebie that is a prologue chapter (or a demo) to an upcoming game, really interested to see how it will turn out. Cozy puzzle solving atmosphere and really good voice acting!
I'd pay for more =)
It's just a prolouge, but made me curious for the full game release! It's even in my wishlist now.
Игра «What Never Was» — атмосферный психологический хоррор с элементами детектива. Сюжет вращается вокруг пропавшей девочки и её связи с главным героем, психологом. Погружение в историю насыщено тревожной атмосферой, но графика и звуковая дорожка остаются на базовом уровне. Сюжет сложен, с неожиданными поворотами, однако отдельные моменты могут показаться запутанными. Геймплей сосредоточен на сборе фрагментов информации и разгадке загадок, что добавляет интриги. Несмотря на технические недостатки, игра оставляет глубокое впечатление благодаря нестандартному сюжету и атмосфере. Подойдет ценителям психологических триллеров.
good
Short Game. Not much walking but more room exploration. You search through your grandfather's room. You look through books and investigate the desk lamps, drawers, the window etc to get audio voiceover. The gme suggests you saarch things twice as you get different voiceovers. You get 2 different voiceovers for each item. e.g., The DeskLamp, the protagonist says "its a desk llamp" and "Its my grandfathers Desk Lamp". as example.
I took my time so it took me about 45 minutes. Youtubers knew where to look so it took them 10-15 minutes. I took my time.
Free Game so no complaints. Worth the 20-30 minutes gameplay.
Give it a go as you might like it for a freebie :)
Приятная игра, которая быстро проходится и имеет неплохой простенький сюжет. Советую, если хочется погрузиться во что-то таинственное и походить по старому чердаку со всякими интересностями.
I can't wait for Chapter II to come out!!! I'm already hooked!
Free point & click
Takie nic - reklama pełnej wersji gry określonej mianem rozdziału II, nie warto. Rozumiem zamysł, ale nie zmienia to bezcelowości poświęcania na to coś swojego czasu.
Cozy short game and fun puzzles!
Nice little short puzzle game, was interested in the story and hope to see the 2nd game release in the future.
Enjoyable i wish there was more
ОЦЕНКА: 3 / 5
Очень странно оценивать демку, а это буквально только демка - пролог к будущей игре, которая спустя шесть лет так и не вышла. Забавно, что есть неплохая русская озвучка (ставится отдельно).
Wish it was longer!!
Muy bueno! Ójala saquen 2da parte pronto...
What Never Was is a great short narrative with solid voice acting and easy achievements. The puzzles are straightforward and pretty easy. If you like walking sims/puzzle games this is definitely worth a play, considering it is about 25 minutes long and free.
This was a fun, albeit small, game with a few puzzles. This is not something for people who want a grand epic, but it'll be an enjoyable diversion from your day to day. Biggest reason I would recommend it is just to show some support for the creator. Sadly, Chapter 2 is progressing very slow as of a year ago (check the Facebook page for more), but we may still see it happen.
Cute little game. Very immersive, with great graphics.
What Never Was ressemble davantage à une petite expérimentation vidéoludique qu’à un véritable jeu abouti. Proposé sous la forme d’un court récit interactif, il installe une ambiance mystérieuse qui intrigue au premier abord, mais peine rapidement à offrir une expérience marquante.
Le principal reproche tient à sa trop grande brièveté : l’aventure se boucle en un rien de temps et laisse le sentiment d’une esquisse plus que d’une œuvre achevée. Les mécaniques, basiques et peu développées, n’apportent pas de concept réellement original ou mémorable.
En somme, même si l’on peut saluer l’intention et l’atmosphère posée, What Never Was manque de profondeur et de substance pour captiver durablement. Une curiosité vite parcourue, mais que je ne recommanderais pas à ceux qui recherchent une expérience de jeu véritablement enrichissante.
this game was good for being free the puzzles were extremely good and this was the best short game i've played
All in all, I am pleasantly surprised by What Never Was.
The game is short, yes. However, it drags you in almost immediately and doesn’t let go until the very end. The fact that this game is pretty much made by one guy doesn’t make it less impressive.
And did I mention it is free on Steam?!
The controls could be better, but otherwise, I wouldn’t really change anything! If the developer releases a game that dives further into the story I can 100% certain say; I will buy it at once!
best puzzle game i ever played i recommeded you have to play if you like puzzle games
Vintage chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients
150g salted butter, softened
80g light brown muscovado sugar
80g granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
225g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt
200g plain chocolate chips or chunks
Method
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 190C/fan170C/gas 5 and line two baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
STEP 2
Put 150g softened salted butter, 80g light brown muscovado sugar and 80g granulated sugar into a bowl and beat until creamy.
STEP 3
Beat in 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 large egg.
STEP 4
Sift 225g plain flour, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda and ¼ tsp salt into the bowl and mix it in with a wooden spoon.
STEP 5
Add 200g plain chocolate chips or chunks and stir well.
STEP 6
Use a teaspoon to make small scoops of the mixture, spacing them well apart on the baking trays. This mixture should make about 30 cookies.
STEP 7
Bake for 8–10 mins until they are light brown on the edges and still slightly soft in the centre if you press them.
STEP 8
Leave on the tray for a couple of mins to set and then lift onto a cooling rack.
RECIPE TIPS
FREEZING THE BISCUITS
If you’ve frozen the biscuits, take them out and arrange them on a lined baking sheet. Once defrosted, pop them in a medium oven 190C/170 fan/gas mark 5 and heat for 2-3 mins to crisp up. Don’t leave them too long or they’ll dry out.
STORING DOUGH
You can keep the uncooked dough in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Simply take some out, dollop on a lined baking tray and allow to come up to room temperature for 5 mins before baking
Something that feels more like a short prologue to a much bigger game. It's still free, so I would nonetheless recommend it, just keep in mind it leaves you wanting more when there's actually none coming (yet). Either way, it took me about 15-20 mins to finish.
The atmosphere, the voice acting and the few puzzles were quite nice, so I'd be interested in seeing more. Let's hope the developer gets there.
I've played this game last year but i remembered this year and decided to post something about it
I really liked it! Ireally like the aesthetic of if! Pretty vintage and nostalgic and I also liked the storyline! Im really exicted to see and play the second chapter! Curious and excited to see the story being unfold and more secrets to investigate and to discover.
Keep up with the good work <3
O jogo foi bastante promissor, poderia facilmente ser usado como prólogo para um próximo (ao que vi, o segundo capítulo está em andamento). Os puzzles são fáceis, a temática é muito interessante, uma pena que em menos de 30 minutos de jogo, já havia o completado, jogaria o sucessor com muito prazer.
First person point and click mystery goodness. It definitely leaves you on a cliffhanger, so let's hope that future content comes to fruition. Worth checking out if you want a short shot of brain teasing.
edit: ends on a cliffhanger, and it seems very unlikely that more content will come out in the future. Will update if that changes.
good
É um jogo muito curtinho. Terminei em menos de uma hora.
Acredito que os desenvolvedores podem ir longe. Se o jogo fosse longo, seria bem promissor.
É um jogo casualmente investigativo. E mesmo só tendo andar, pegar, e investigar objetos, você acaba ficando entretido com a história que eles criaram.
Sarah está olhando as coisas do avô falecido. O avô de Sarah gostava de viajar, olhar coisas arqueológicas, místicas...
O que você precisa fazer no sótão é achar as páginas do diário do vovô, e uma foto que ele tirou. E, claro, abrir gavetas, e resolver o puzzle do globo terrestre e do relógio.
Tudo bem simples, tudo bem rapidinho. Mas o que eu achei interessante é que o jogo acaba com um cliff hanger, que deixa a gente querendo saber mais do que vai acontecer. É como se What Never Was fosse uma demo em teoria, mas os desenvolvedores encerraram a história como cliff hanger para uma "continuação".
É um jogo bem "orgânico", e dá de 10 a zero no The Room.... pelo menos na minha opinião.
A végére nem számítottam :O
Ötletes volt!
Nie jest to najlepsza gra. ale ktoś sie napracował
Beautiful.
ok game.
Mad respect for the developer,
the game had good storyline (enough to start looking for puzzles), great setup and some mystery
9/10 game.
Game was great in every way except it's only 3 very basic puzzles and less than an hour to beat. Game was released over 6 years ago so I don't see them releasing more for it. Sad really. Had potential.
Süßes, kleines Story Spiel für zwischendurch. Man kann es in kurzer Zeit durchspielen und somit einen kleinen Einblick in die Geschichte bekommen, welche sich dort entfaltet.
Für ein kostenloses Spiel also definitiv empfehlenswert.
I mean yeah nice game but it took me 5 minutes to finish it.
克苏鲁的呼唤风格的解密
good little short game. waiting for part 2...
i am so bad at puzzles
лучше бы этой игры никогда небыло
Aggressively waiting for Chapter II
Wow what a Game it was Nice and not too hard but just right kind of Game for Puzzle Solving
i can't wait to see what is in next in store in this good game
