I really enjoy time loop games where the player can explore and there’s a story, and isn’t just a puzzle game. I played Outer Wilds a few years ago and I loved everything about it, it’s my favorite in the genre.
Ones I’ve played and liked / have on my list to play that look good:
- Outer Wilds - (I still need to play the DLC)
- Deathloop
- Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
- Undertale?
- The Sexy Brutale
- Zero Escape series (on my list to play)
Ones I don’t like as much:
- The Forgotten City - I liked the story (for the most part) but I felt it was spoiled far too early. I think by being a shorter non-linear game that was likely to happen. I got 3/4 endings in 6 hours. It was very hand-holdy which I didn’t like. It had quests and quest markers which I felt didn’t help the game at all. I wish it went the Outer Wilds approach and instead listed everything you learned, so the player would have to piece together what they needed to do next.
- Twelve Minutes - I watched a playthrough of this game. The story was very interesting, but I don’t think I would have the patience for the puzzles, it’s a puzzle heavy game. I would like a game with more exploration.
- Minit - Played it for ~3 hours, it was interesting but I would like a longer time loop.
These games have a time travel mechanic which I still enjoy but aren’t really what I’m looking for:
- Braid - The story is very interesting but it’s a puzzle platformer with levels.
- Life is Strange - I love this game but it’s a time travel game rather than a time loop.
- Chrono Trigger - I think this game has time travel instead of a time loop, it’s still on my list to play.
- Steins;gate (now on my list to rewatch rather than play, and it’s more time travel rather than groundhog day time loop).
Are there any hidden gems I’m missing? Preferably looking for games I can play on PC but I also have a Switch, Wii U, and 3DS.
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Probably not what you are looking for but Call of Duty Zombies is a timeloop. Every match you play is canon to the lore. Black Ops 3 on PC is probably the best one to get since it has the most of the maps from earlier games + Steam workshop support for custom maps. Most levels even have ways to beat them and break the timeloop which will provide a cutscene with lore drops.
If you and some friends can get the game on sale the base game alone is great without DLC just for the endless amount of content in the workshop.
I’m bad at zombies but I play with friends that are much better than me and we have fun. I’m still learning how to get a good train of zombies going.
I guess this game is a time loop in the same way Hitman could be considered a time loop.
It’s a bit out there, but Planescape: Torment.
It’s not a real time loop, but you’re an immortal amnesiac who just woke up on a mortuary slab.
Apparently not for the first time either.The game revolves around figuring out why you’re even immortal, what to do about it, and what your different previous incarnations were up to.
While not a time loop, it has a unique vibe that’s vaguely similar to a time loop in a sense.
Maybe more like a death loop I guess (not related to the Deathloop game).
It’s a 90s era CRPG if that’s your jam.This looks very promising, I’ll check it out!
Fair warning…
It’s old (Infinity Engine, like Baldur’s Gate 1)
It’s a lot of text to read.It’s still one of my favourites, but its age shows.
Not quite “time loop”, but related: Return of the Obra Dinn. I need the developer to make another game with exactly the same mechanics.
Personally I would recommend watching the Steins;Gate anime rather than playing the game. The game has a bit of a confusing mechanic for making choices and reaching the true ending basically requires a guide. I also feel the story flows better in the anime, even if some details are left out.
It’s also one of the few series where I unconditionally recommend the English dub, which may make it more accessible to those that don’t necessarily watch a lot of anime. Part of it is that the script relies so heavy on localized, niche cultures and science jargon, and partly because there are some crazy good performances.
I was pleasantly taken by surprise when I got around to playing Angels With Scaly Wings. The title and the trailer had given me a very incorrect idea of what the game was going to be like. Once past the somewhat contrived set up, it ended up being a very well paced sci fi story that keeps throwing curve balls at you loop after loop.
Well you’ve already recommended the next best one. The dlc for Outer Wilds.;)
I’ve literally just completed Outer Wilds, before finding the… entrance… to the DLC, and it’s not grabbed me like the rest of the game. Is it worth doing?
The vibe for the DLC is completely different than the rest of the game, so I’m not terribly surprised that you’d be a little put off. However, Mobius Studios did plan to have the DLC even when they were still making the main game. In other words, it integrates very well into the story and explains pieces of the lore that were left unanswered in the main game.
If I were to use an analogy, it would be like
spoilers
going to the Quantum Moon
in that it’s technically optional but the game really won’t feel complete if you decide not to do it