By the end of 2021, Annapurna Interactive published an adventure game called twelve minutes, which revolves around a man who is stuck in a short time loop. While the implementation of this concept has been polarizing for players, it is one of many games proving that strict in-game time limits can potentially enhance the gameplay experience.
Since the early arcade days, games have featured timed missions or levels that require the player to complete an objective before the clock runs out. But some games, like the original Pikmin, set the entire playthrough on a timer instead of specific levels or missions.
House (2020)
Originally created as a Flash game in 2016 and remade in 2020, House is a horror puzzle game in which the player controls a young girl named Tabby who is stuck in a time loop. As the house itself tries to kill the whole family, Tabby must explore the house, find objects and solve puzzles to save all the family members from the building’s dangerous traps, but in the meantime she will probably die in many horrific ways.
During each new playthrough, the player can apply more of his knowledge, which they must do before her house-possessed father comes home at the end of the loop and tries to kill Tabby. An update released earlier this year included a new campaign where the player controls Tabby’s sister, Melody, which takes place months after Tabby’s campaign.
Their Eyes (2021)
One of the best horror games released in 2021 was the Lovecraftian indie puzzle title their eyes, which has a pixel art style inspired by retro MS-DOS games. As a young man with amnesia, the player wakes up near the small town of Lockwood that is full of dangerous creatures and dark mysteries. With only 30 minutes left until the day ends, the player must explore the area and find a way out of the city before night falls and they are trapped forever.
As the player acquires more items and solves puzzles, they slowly discover the horrifying truths behind the creatures, the city, a cult leader known as ‘The Stranger’, and the protagonist’s own forgotten past. With many secrets and different endings, this short experience is definitely worth several playthroughs.
Mini (2018)
Of the many excellent monochromatic games, one of the most unique is the indie adventure game of 2018 mini, who has an art style inspired by the 1993 original The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. As a cartoonish duck-like creature, the player picks up a cursed sword on the beach near their house.
Due to the curse of the sword, the player can only be alive for 60 seconds per day, meaning each “run” lasts only one minute. Using checkpoints all over the map, the player must explore the world, find items, fight monsters and solve puzzles to reach the sword factory that makes these cursed swords, defeat the owner and break the curse.
Dead Rising 1-3 (2006-2013)
Created by Keiji Inafune who is also known as the father of the Mega Man franchise, Dead Rising is an action-adventure series about fighting against hordes of zombies. Unlike most other zombie-focused games, Dead Rising franchise focuses more on fun, fast-paced action than horror elements. After a research experiment involving livestock goes awry, special insects are born that can infect humans, turning them into zombies.
The main antagonist of the series, a pharmaceutical company called Phenotrans, is starting to trigger outbreaks so that they can harvest the insects from infected individuals and use them to make Zombrex, a drug that prevents the zombification process. While the first three games each focus on unique characters and locations, all require the player to complete the game within certain time limits.
Outer Wilderness (2019)
In addition twelve minutes, Another time running game published by Annapurna Interactive is the award winning puzzle exploration game of 2019 outer wilderness, where the player travels back in time every 22 minutes. As an unnamed space explorer, the player embarks on his first solo flight to watch the sun go supernova, destroying the entire solar system.
However, instead of dying, they are simply sent back to the past for 22 minutes before the sun exploded, which is due to the player’s accidental connection to a strange statue built by an ancient race known as the Nomai. Now the player must explore the solar system to solve various mysteries that eventually reveal the truths behind the Nomai, the time loop and the ‘Eye of the Universe’.
80 days (2014)
Loosely based on the famous 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days by French novelist Jules Verne, 80 days is a 2014 steampunk adventure game initially set in London, England in 1872. Shortly after wealthy socialite Phileas Fogg makes a bet that he can travel the Earth in 80 days or less, he embarks on the long journey along with his servant, Passepartout.
As a Passepartout, the player must manage every aspect of the journey, including their money, the routes they use, the supplies they have, the transport they use, and the health of Phileas Fogg himself. With thousands of choices and over 100 cities to visit, players will have to experience several playthroughs to even get to the surface of what this game has to offer.
Pikmin (2001)
Released in 2001 for the GameCube, Pikmin is a real-time strategy puzzle exploration game that the beloved began Pikmin series. The game follows a spaceship pilot named Captain Olimar who accidentally hits a comet and crashes on an unknown alien planet.
When he wakes up, he discovers that the planet’s atmosphere is filled with toxic oxygen and that his life support stops working after 30 days. To help him find at least 25 of his ship’s 30 parts, he harvests plant-like creatures known as Pikmin, which help him traverse the world, fight enemy creatures, and find the scattered parts of his ship. Depending on how many parts the player has at the end of the in-game 30 days, they will receive one of three endings.
Fallout 1-2 (1997-1998)
Although the precipitation series has become an iconic, mainstream video game franchise, most new fans don’t know much about the first two parts: precipitation (1997) and Fallout 2 (1998). Unlike the later entries, these first two games are isometric CRPGs. precipitation revolves around the Vault Dweller who must travel through the post-nuclear wasteland to find a computer chip for their home, Vault 13.
In the meantime, Fallout 2 follows the Vault Dweller’s grandchild as they travel across the wasteland to find the Garden of Eden Creation Kit for their tribe. Despite their differences, both games have in-game time limits. precipitation requires the player to find the chip within 150 days and then complete the next mission in 500 days. Due to technical limitations, Fallout 2 must be struck within 13 years.
Personas 3-5 (2006-2019)
Made as a subseries to the bigger one Megami Tensei franchise, Persona is an ongoing JRPG series that mostly revolves around high school students who are given the ability to conjure up “personas,” which are manifestations of their inner selves. Using these personas, the protagonists fight against various enemies and possibly save the world from supernatural threats.
Although absent from the original Persona and both persona 2 episodes, the third, fourth and fifth episodes contain slice-of-life elements that require the player to go through a year of high school while also dealing with the supernatural aspects. Besides the fact that the player has to complete certain missions for certain days, everything must be finished before the end of the year.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000)
One of the most famous games with a time limit is the 2000 N64 action9adventure game The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, which is a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The franchise’s protagonist, Link, must save the world from Termina, which is trapped in a three-day time loop that ends with the moon crashing into the land, destroying everything.
To prevent Skull Kid from using Majora’s Mask to lower the moon, Link must use the Ocarina of Time to manipulate the flow of time. This gives the player time to explore the world, traverse dungeons and complete objectives despite the time limit.
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