The Kids We Were

About

The Kids We Were is a narrative-driven adventure set in 1980s Japan. You play as Minato, a boy tracking his missing father by following a cryptic notebook that lets him travel 33 years into the past. The story splits between his present-day search in a quiet Tokyo suburb and flashbacks to his parents’ first meeting. Dialogue choices and environmental exploration shape how clues connect. The gameplay blends visual novel storytelling with light puzzle-solving as Minato unravels family secrets and rewrites memories. The Complete Edition adds a post-game bonus episode and new collectibles to the original mobile hit. It won the avex Award and was named to Google Play’s Best Indies 2020. With a 4.6/5 rating on Steam, players praise its bittersweet script and period detail. The nostalgic setting and layered character moments make it a standout for fans of story-rich adventures. Available on Switch and mobile, it balances intimate drama with time-bending twists.

Storyline

The Kids We Were is a cinematic adventure game with a heavy focus on narrative. Set in the late Japanese Showa era (the 1980s), it's a nostalgic journey through a unique time in Japan's recent history. Take on the role of Minato, a young boy who sets out on an unexpected and incredible summer adventure. Our story begins with Minato arriving in the small town of Kagami, an exceptionally ordinary sort of place in a sleepy suburb of Tokyo. But there's more to this simple trip than meets the eye. Minato has a secret objective: he intends to find his missing father, who is supposedly living somewhere in the area. Our young sleuth Minato wastes no time getting started, and soon finds a puzzling clue to his father's whereabouts. A mysterious notebook left for him with the portentous title "The Seven Mysteries." With this notebook as his guide, Minato sets out on a long and difficult journey, not through space, but through time. For his destination is none other than 33 years in the past—the day his father and mother first met!