Time may just be a construct, but without these parameters we live our days by, we wouldn’t be able to play games that make time their primary mechanic. Now I know what you’re thinking: no one likes a game that gives you a strict time limit to get stuff done; that’s way too stressful.
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But what about games that drop you right into an infinite time loop and task you with finding a way to escape this loop and return to reality?See, suddenly, highlighting the passage of time within games seems a lot more fun. So, in the spirit of saving time, why don’t we start by highlighting some of them now?
1Outer Wilds
Patience, Exploration, & Natural Curiosity Uncovers The Magic Of The Cosmos
Mobius Games
Metacritic Score
We begin with what is probably the most obvious and most high-profile indie time loop game out there, despite how Obsidian condemned it to initial obscurity by calling their space-based gameThe Outer Worlds.Outer Wildsis a game set in a tiny pocket solar system. In it, you must explore the tiny cosmos and find out what is causing this strange 22-minute time loop you’re able to’t seem to escape from.
What’s magical aboutOuter Wildsis that it’s a completely non-linear experience where exploration takes center stage. The game doesn’t have any progression to speak of, or a rewarding gameplay loop; instead, it sees discovery as its own reward, and somehow, it works brilliantly. The little solar system is filled with plenty of pockets of wonder, the time-loop puzzle is meticulously crafted, and the world is linked together through serene folk music, which often makes it onto mySpotify Wrappedeach year.
It’s a stellar game, and you should play it at least once.Believe me when I say I wish I could play it fresh all over again.
212 Minutes
A Drama With An Ensemble Cast & A Controversial Ending
Luis Antonio
Have you ever noticed that the best episodes of your favorite TV shows tend to be when the ensemble cast all hangs out in one set location? Well,12 Minutestakes that notion and runs with it, creating a time loop in which the player must explore an apartment and make microscopic changes to their behavior to change their fate.
This game presents a thriller narrative for the player to tweak to suit them and will allow you to uncover the real truth regarding your relationship with your wife and what’s been going on behind your back.I won’t lie; the story is pretty bleak and is pretty hard to stomach at the end, but if you are made of stronger stuff than most, then this might be the gritty time-loop game you’ve been looking for.
“Respecting Your Time” Is An Understatement
DW, Kitty, Jukio, Dom
Tired of time loops where you explore and tirelessly work to progress for ages, only to loop right back to the beginning? Well, why not tryMinit— it’s a time loop game in which you play for a maximum of one minute at a time.It’s perfect for short but rewarding gaming sessions and still has all the cleverness and quality of the other time loop games on this list.
Minitis essentially atop-down Zelda RPGwhere you will need to explore the world around you, find key items, gather Intel from NPCs, discover handy shortcuts; and if you reveal all the pieces of this quick-looping puzzle, you’ll be able to get to the source of the loop and end things once and for all. It’s a very short game, even if playing blind, but even with the ‘blink and it’s over’ runtime, it’s still a must-play Time Looper.
4In Stars & Time
A Quirky & Wholesome Spin On RPG Staples
Insert Disc 5
Here’s one that has been my main squeeze for quite some time, popping up out of nowhere in late 2023 when awarding nominees were locked in, and Christmas lists were already written.
In Stars and Timeis a quirky and wholesome turn-based RPG where you and your gang of Saviors will need to work together to free the world that has been frozen in time and defeat The King who has caused this calamity. It sounds pretty standard as far as turn-based RPGs are concerned, and you’d be right. It even uses Rock, Paper, Scissors as its combat model, so it’s about as accessible as it gets. Butthe real beauty of this game is how much the story changes from loop to loop.
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The game states that ‘no loop is wasted,’ and that really feels like the case. The story can be tweaked in so many ways, big and small, and really allows the player to get creative with their actions each time around. Plus,the writing is superb, the puns are on point, and, dare I say it, it might be the best Time Loop game sinceOuter Wilds. If that’s not an endorsement that tempts you to play this one, I don’t know what is.
5The Forgotten City
From Skyrim Mod To Game Awards Nominee
Modern Storyteller
For anyone that doesn’t know,The Forgotten Citybegan its life as a very successfulSkyrimmod. So successful, in fact, that the developer decided to make the game outright, which now exists today asThe Forgotten City,a Time Loop that strips you from modern-day reality, and places you in an Ancient Roman City, before tasking you with breaking a time paradox to get out of there and back to your own timeline.
While the game, from a gameplay perspective, does feel a little bit like clunkySkyrimeven now,it’s the writing that makes this one so impressive.Rarely will you come across a game that can weave a narrative as rich and intriguing asThe Forgotten City, and only through immersing yourself fully in this pocket-sized empire will you be able to break the fabric of time and save everyone from themselves.
However, will you be able to do this without breaking ‘The Golden Rule’? A rule where no one can commit sin? I suppose you’ll need to play this indie gem to find out!
6The Sexy Brutale
Be The Life Of The Party By Saving Lives At The Party
Tequila Works
Here’s one that doesn’t get the love it deserves.This brilliant masquerade ball, dripping in the occult, is the foundation of one of the most quirky and intriguing time-loop games ever published.The Sexy Brutalesees you play as a fellow Masquerade Ball attendee, only, for whatever reason, your mask seems to protect you from the time-related evils that are holding the other party-goers captive.
So you need to use this freedom to spy on others, learn how this looping evening plays out, and see if you can help the various attendees avoid meeting a grizzly fate. With each life you save, you’ll gain new abilities, allowing you to see and discover more, and if you truly get to know every last detail of this 12-hour loop, you just might save everyone! So, adorn your finest Gladrags, and party all night long!
An Essential Time-Looping Indie Classic
Number None
When it comes to Indie time-loop games, you could argue thatBraidis a game that walked so that others could run. But that’s actually sellingBraidshort, because it’s a game that’s still brilliant even by today’s modern standards.Braidis a 2D platformer that asks the player to alter and bend time to their will. This allows them to solve puzzles, create paths forward, and ultimately save the princess in a manner befitting of a mustachioed plumber. But without giving any spoilers, there’s a little more to it than that.
It’s an indie game that was well ahead of its time and hadnarrative ties to the creation of the atomic bomb, if you’re able to believe it. It may be old, but seeing asBraid Anniversary Editionis right around the corner, there’s no time like the present to get acquainted with this piece of indie royalty.
A Shakespearean Tragedy Where You Can Nix The “Tragedy”
Golden Glitch
Then lastly, we haveElsinore, a game that makes me wish that I had paid attention a little more in English Class when Shakespeare was being taught.Elsinoreplaces you in the world of Hamlet. You know, the one where everyone dies. Your role is simple: you need to do everything in your power over the course of four days to keep everyone in Elsinore Castle alive.
Naturally, this is easier said than done. To make this goal a reality, you’ll need to lie, steal, befriend, and generally affect the lives of those around you in a tangible way to truly tip the scales and save everyone. It’s a brilliant time-looping game that proves that point-and-clicker puzzlers are still alive and kicking, which is less than can be said of your fellow Elsinore Castle residents.So, if you want to buck the Shakespearean trend and tell a story in which no one dies, Elsinore is a great option.
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