The present invention discloses a solution for a surface based computing device to return passed objects. That is, software of the surface based computing device can permit software objects appearing within a display of a surface based computing device to be passed among users positioned about the surface based computing device. The surface based computing device can also include software maintaining linkages between passed software objects and return positions defined for each of the passed software objects. Further software can be configured to automatically return at least one of the passed software objects from a current position on the display to an associated return position responsive to an occurrence of a return object event relating to that passed software object. Visual representation of the linkages can be optionally shown on the surface based computing device and the passing objects can be optionally animated.