Unknown past
Other (objects, etc.) concept
124
games
23platforms
What the protagonist did or was before the beginning of the game is never revealed.
Notable people involved: 'Guzusuru', Michael Hoge, Stefan Nyul, Ellen McLain and 'Tuyoki'
Alternate name: Blank past
VITA 2017-08-15
PS3 2011-10-04
WIN 2015-09-15
PS3 2007-04-24
PS4 2016-04-12
WIN 2015-07-09
WIN 1998
WIN 2013-11
WIN 1998-05-22
PS3 2014-06-03
X360 2006-08-29
WIN 2013-08-08
This is not a true case of obscured identity, but rather failure from game designers to actually characterize the protagonist beyond what they do in the game, making them appear like deus-ex-designer beings who didn't exist before the point the designer decided where and when the player should begin the game.
One blatant example of this is that the protagonist never meets people they knew before the game's events.
Limitations: (things that should not be tagged)
* Presence of profession tags, though occasionally these can be ignored (e.g. character is not indicated to having been employed in that profession).
* Character is sufficiently young (pre-teens/toddlers).
* Some game genres unless they have qualities that dispel this, e.g. sports and puzzles.
* Sequels that follow the same character (later released prequels not included in this limitation).
* Amnesia, even if they never recover their memories of the past.
One blatant example of this is that the protagonist never meets people they knew before the game's events.
Limitations: (things that should not be tagged)
* Presence of profession tags, though occasionally these can be ignored (e.g. character is not indicated to having been employed in that profession).
* Character is sufficiently young (pre-teens/toddlers).
* Some game genres unless they have qualities that dispel this, e.g. sports and puzzles.
* Sequels that follow the same character (later released prequels not included in this limitation).
* Amnesia, even if they never recover their memories of the past.
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Games by year
The first Unknown past video game was released in 1990.
Bethesda Softworks, Blizzard, Valve and LucasArts published most of these games.