When you’re growing up, time flows differently. A warm summer’s day can stretch on for an eternity, yet an entire childhood flashes by in an instant. The evocative puzzler The Gardens Between is all about exploring this bittersweet passage of time – and not just thematically. In this game, you literally control time.

It all begins with two best friends, Arina and Frendt, huddled in their tree fort the night before Frendt’s family moves away. A nasty storm rages outside, and when lightning strikes nearby, the duo is warped to a dreamlike world where they must navigate a series of puzzles, while reliving treasured memories of their friendship.

The heroes move on their own accord. Your role is simply to gently guide time forward or backward. Early in the game, for example, you circumvent a collapsed stack of wooden blocks by rewinding time to prevent them from falling in the first place. In another, Arina jumps on a giant saw that’s stuck in a board. By moving time forward and back, you make her land on the saw repeatedly until it breaks through the wood and falls, creating a path for Frendt.

Each level takes place on a small, isolated mountain with references to key moments of Arina and Frendt’s friendship. One mountain path winds around an old television set and videogame console, calling to mind the times they happily played 8-bit classics together. Another is littered with blueprints and construction materials, a nod to their tree fort haven.

Though the puzzles are clever and challenging, the game’s true appeal lies in its subtle, stirring narrative. Poignant details, like packed boxes and a moving van, fill the background on each level. The sombre yet hope-filled soundtrack and beautifully surreal graphics heighten the mood.

The Gardens Between is a rare puzzler, one that is so deeply moving, it might even inspire you to catch up with an old friend.