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A Taste of the Past

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2022

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Quick resume

What do you do when you lose someone you love? A Taste of the Past is an emotional sidescroller about reconnecting with your Chinese culture while navigating a train to the afterlife. Featuring a wholesome story, cooking minigames, and hope.

Global score

98/100

Genres

Adventure, Casual, Free To Play, Indie, Visual Novel, Puzzle

Similar games

    Pros

    • Beautiful art and music
    • Emotional and touching story
    • Short and accessible
    • Relatable themes of grief and family
    • Free to play

    Cons

    • Very short gameplay
    • Simple and minimal minigames
    • Limited voice acting
    • Linear narrative with minimal player impact
    • Some minor bugs reported

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Intimacy, Survival, Violence, Competition. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Strategy, Thrill, Competence.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      2

      "Players make dialogue choices and engage in simple minigames, but the story is mostly linear and guided."

    • Competence
      -2

      "Gameplay consists of simple, easy minigames with minimal challenge, focusing more on narrative than skill."

    • Competition
      -5

      "No competitive elements; the game is a personal, emotional narrative experience."

    • Continuation
      1

      "Short playtime (~30 minutes) but players express desire to replay for emotional impact."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Single-player experience focused on personal story without multiplayer or cooperative play."

    • Creativity
      1

      "Players customize dialogue responses and engage in simple cooking minigames, but within predefined structures."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No elements of dominance or control over others; the game emphasizes empathy and personal reflection."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game as emotional catharsis and distraction from real-life grief and stress."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of personal interest and emotional connection, not obligation."

    • Experimenting
      1

      "Some exploration of dialogue options and minigames, but mostly a guided narrative experience."

    • Exploration
      2

      "Players explore different train cars and interact with ancestors, discovering story elements."

    • Expression
      1

      "Dialogue choices allow some self-expression; no character customization beyond that."

    • Fantasy
      3

      "The story involves a dreamlike afterlife train and ancestral interactions, blending fiction with emotional themes."

    • Fellowship
      3

      "Strong sense of family and cultural community through ancestral dialogue and shared heritage."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players experience emotional growth and learning about grief, heritage, and self-acceptance."

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention during the short play session; not designed for background play."

    • Intimacy
      4

      "Emotional connections with family members and ancestors create a sense of close relationships."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management elements; purely a personal narrative."

    • Progression
      2

      "Progression through story and unlocking recipe steps, but no item collection or upgrades."

    • Relaxation
      4

      "Calm, soothing atmosphere with gentle music and art, promoting emotional relaxation."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Beautiful art and music provide sensory enjoyment and emotional stimulation."

    • Status
      -5

      "No social status or recognition mechanics; experience is private and personal."

    • Story
      5

      "Narrative-driven game with strong emotional story about grief, family, and cultural heritage."

    • Strategy
      -4

      "Minimal strategic or problem-solving elements; gameplay is straightforward and simple."

    • Thrill
      -4

      "No suspense or risk; the experience is calm and emotionally contemplative."

    • Value
      5

      "Highly praised for emotional impact and quality despite being free and short."

    • Violence
      -5

      "No violence; focus on constructive, emotional, and cultural themes."

    • Survival
      -5

      "No survival or threat elements; stable, safe narrative environment."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026