A Long Way Back
A downloadable game for Windows
On his deathbed, surrounded by his family, Walter Sumpter grumbles about how much he did not gain and achieve in his lifetime. When he crosses the veil, Walter realizes the true meaning of the phrase “life flashing before your eyes”.
Made for Kindred's Game Jam #6!
v0.2 added more checkpoints and slightly decreased difficulty due to feedback!
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I just finished playing A Long Way Back and... wow. What an emotional journey.
From the very first moments, I was pulled into the atmosphere you created — the music, the art style, the pacing, everything worked in perfect harmony to tell a story that felt deeply personal and resonant.
The way you explored grief, memory, and hope through such a minimalist yet emotionally rich design really touched me. I found myself pausing just to take in the quiet moments, the subtle transitions, the way the world changes as you move forward.
This isn't just a game — it's a piece of art. One that lingers in your mind long after it's over.
Thank you for making something so heartfelt. I can tell this was crafted with care and love, and as a player, I truly appreciate that.
I'm genuinely excited to see what you create next. You have a gift for storytelling that is rare and powerful. Please keep sharing your vision with the world.
Hi! This is the first game I've ever installed from itch.io :D
How do I undownload (delete?) once I'm done?
Why dont u just delete like any other file
Beautiful game; so beautiful.
(Spoilers)
I think the gameplay and some other elements were a bit unpolished, and not always super satisfying. It made it a bit hard for me to commit to it at first. Although the concept of losing a mechanic each time you go back (and the fact that this wasn't immediately announced, so I was caught by surprise by the mechanics I no longer knew) was so extremely poignant and emotional and awesome. If I remember correctly the first time he mentioned losing skills was when he didn't want to lose his wedding ring? Which made me cry. That moment was so incredibly well done through writing, pacing, level design, everything. Another wonderful level design choice was the right to left movement rather than left to right, that matched up thematically so well.
I thought the sense of progression generally was so unique, from loss of mechanics instead of acquisition, the changes in the music, to Walter's character design and etc. The ending really wrecked me, and I don't think I've had exactly that happen to me in a game before; the game just instantly closing (or dying) and kicking me out to my home screen. That was crushing, and so well conceived.
If you ever made a polished, purchasable version of this game, I'd be your first customer. I'm about to do my first game jam, and a collaborator told me we might not be able to make something impactful and emotional in the time we have; I'm gonna point them toward this game to show them otherwise.
After playing, I was inspired to spend the night with a friend and enjoy my time in a city I don't like all that much. And it gave me a renewed sense of gratitude for the upcoming holidays with my family.
Thanks so much for a great experience!
Hi wow, I can't believe I never came across this comment until now. This game was made for an old game jam, and we definitely ended up spending way more time concentrating on story rather than gameplay, which left it quite a bit buggy and unpolished.
I'm really happy to hear how much you enjoyed it. My friend, sister, and I all worked really hard on it and we're really proud of the result, and we were all incredibly honored and heart-warmed to read this comment.
Maybe we will remake someday! I never considered it before, but you definitely make me want to now. If I do, you'll be the first to know. Thank you again from all three of us. You made my day!