Forever Ago Preview
Here are some interesting demographics: while the average age of video gamers is 37, 50% or more of people over the age of 70 play a video game at least once a week, primarily mobile or casual. Gamers 65 or older account for around 9% of the gaming population. I mention these statistics because it’s rare that games feature senior protagonists (Old Snake notwithstanding). Forever Ago might be the start of a trend.
In case the idea of a video game about your grandpa not being able to figure out a FaceTime camera is off-putting, fear not. Forever Ago is a point and click adventure about a road trip, memory, and redemption. I can’t tell you too much about the story. Not so much as to avoid spoilers, but because I only played 30 minutes and it just teased the narrative to come.
Van Life
In the demo I played, we meet Alfred, a kindly-looking grey-haired gentleman who wakes in one of those quaint cottage motels with an adjacent diner. We don’t know much about Alfred except that he has a checklist. It includes things like “find favorite flowers” and “sit in the booth by the window.” As Alfred goes through his checklist, each task triggers a memory of his youth with a young woman. There are several montage segments of Alfred and his wife (we presume) road-tripping in his van. We don’t know what Alfred’s checklist is all about, but his sad demeanor suggests loss.
Several tasks involve the diner, things like sitting in a specific booth, taking photos of flowers or playing a song on the jukebox. There are complications around every task. For instance, the window booth is reserved for reward program members. Even though the diner is empty, the young woman won’t seat him there for fear of losing her job. Negotiating with Alfred, she’ll make an exception if he checks out the ongoing problem with the diner’s trash being spread around. Turns out to be a stray dog. The ancient jukebox is broken. You get the idea.
Pixel Hunts
Forever Ago — at least in the slice of game I played — lives somewhere between puzzle adventure and interactive novel. There are some dialogue choices, puzzle elements and a few tasks that can be done in any order. However, progression is clearly tied to eventually running through the dialogue options and completing the tasks in sequence.
I really liked that an elder was at the center of Forever Ago’s story, though I suspect Alfred’s younger self will take on a more prominent role later. The game can’t escape the “grumpy old man” cliche, even though it’s clear Alfred is troubled by something and not just ornery. I liked the game’s combination of melancholy and subtle commentary. The conceit of Alfred tasked to solve the trash mystery stretched credulity.
I was also less convinced by the game’s mechanics. Jittery gamer that I am, movement felt very slow and deliberate. I’m not a fan of games that present puzzles or tasks that are ultimately not choices but busywork to pad out the run time, or to try to make the player feel like a participant. I always wonder if a game is the right genre to tell that kind of story. However, I have no idea if early choices make a difference later on.
Artistry
I think I sound a little more negative than I actually felt while playing. The game looks beautifully drawn, with expressive graphic novel-style art that really nails beautifully the locations and atmosphere. I’ll have to reserve judgement about nearly everything — characters, writing, game play — until I’ve seen the entire game. 30 minutes was just a teaser.
Forever Ago is intriguing because of its central character and pervasive feelings of nostalgic, sadness and longing. I’m looking forward to playing the full game when it releases on October 8. 2026.
***PC code provided by the developers for preview***
