Yesterday Origins
A prequel-sequel graphic adventure about immortality and the Spanish Inquisition.
Yesterday Origins, a graphic adventure game released in 2016, was developed by Spain’s Pendulo Studios and published by Microïds. It acts as both a prequel and a sequel to the studio’s earlier title *Yesterday*, centering on protagonists John Yesterday and his girlfriend Pauline as they probe the origins of John’s immortality. The project marked Pendulo’s first new game since 2012, a period when financial troubles forced the company to restructure.
Development began in November 2014, immediately after Pendulo signed a deal with Microïds. The studio had neared bankruptcy following an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign for its project *Day One* in September 2012, which had been an attempt to secure funding after failing to find a traditional publisher. Juan Miguel Marín later described that time as “a bad time,” and Albert Garciá of *La Vanguardia* noted the company’s future was uncertain. The game was revealed in May 2015.
Pendulo aimed to make *Yesterday Origins* harder than its recent titles, reversing a trend of lowering difficulty in response to market demands. Josué Monchan estimated the game was “twice as long as its predecessor.” The prequel-sequel structure was chosen, Monchan said, to make the story accessible to newcomers while still rewarding players of the original. The team switched from their proprietary engine to Unity, which they later called “the most brutal change” in project management.
In the plot, centuries ago, John became immortal after escaping the Spanish Inquisition with help from Father Ginés. Ginés took him to a noble estate to translate the Book of the Flesh and create an immortality potion. When Ginés ordered John to torture a child for entertainment, John refused and helped the child escape. In the present, John and Pauline sell a large Japanese sculpture to eccentric heiress Baxter. John finds a book bearing the Book of the Flesh’s tattoo and tracks its author to New York. After leaving New York, Baxter’s security chief kidnaps John and returns him to France, where he meets an aged Ginés, who lives only two or three weeks before dying and resurrecting as a frail old man. Ginés begs John to read the book again to find a reversal potion. Baxter interrupts, intending to take the potion for herself. In a flashback, Pauline had swapped a key ingredient, the coin of judgment.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Yesterday Origins
- Developer
- Pendulo Studios
- Publisher
- Microïds
- Director
- Ramón Hernáez
- Writer
- Ramón Hernáez, Josué Monchán
- Platforms
- macOS · Windows · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One · Android · iOS · Nintendo Switch
- Genre
- Adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Yesterday Origins began development in November 2014, after Pendulo Studios had been inactive for two years following an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign for its project Day One in September 2012. The company had neared bankruptcy and was unable to secure a traditional publisher before signing a deal with Microïds in mid-December 2014. The project was revealed in May 2015.
The game's plot interweaves two timelines: centuries ago, John Yesterday becomes immortal after escaping the Spanish Inquisition with the help of Father Ginés, who translates the Book of the Flesh to create a potion of immortality. In the present day, John and Pauline sell a sculpture to eccentric heiress Baxter, leading to a chain of events involving the Book of the Flesh, a kidnapping, and a confrontation over the immortality potion. The story concludes with John realizing he was immortal before meeting Ginés, and reappearing as a baby after a reversal potion is made.
Pendulo made Yesterday Origins in Unity, describing the engine switch as 'the most brutal change' in the company's project management. The developers aimed to make the game harder than their recent titles, reversing a trend of decreasing difficulty, and estimated it was at least twice as long as its predecessor.
Reader's Guide
Yesterday Origins holds significance as Pendulo Studios' comeback title after a two-year hiatus caused by financial struggles and near-bankruptcy. The game's development marked a strategic shift for the studio, which moved from a proprietary engine to Unity—a change the team later called the most difficult in their project management history. By designing the game as both a prequel and a sequel, Pendulo sought to make it accessible to newcomers while rewarding players of the original Yesterday. The game's difficulty was intentionally increased compared to the studio's recent output, reversing a long trend of simplification. Reviews were generally mixed across most platforms, but the Xbox One version received positive reviews and ranked among the highest-scoring Spanish-made games on Metacritic by 2017. The game's narrative, involving immortality, the Spanish Inquisition, and a complex dual-timeline structure, reflects Pendulo's continued focus on story-driven adventure gameplay.
Did You Know?
- Yesterday Origins is both a prequel and a sequel to Pendulo's earlier game Yesterday.
- The game was developed in Unity, which Pendulo called 'the most brutal change' in their project management.
- Pendulo Studios had been inactive for two years before signing with Microïds in December 2014.
- The Xbox One version of Yesterday Origins was among the 18 highest-scoring Spanish games on Metacritic by 2017.
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