Any recommendations for time loop games?

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.

candle_lighter,
@candle_lighter@lemmy.ml avatar

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.

StringPotatoTheory,

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.

InEnduringGrowStrong,
@InEnduringGrowStrong@sh.itjust.works avatar

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.

StringPotatoTheory,

This looks very promising, I’ll check it out!

Ashtear,

It’s light on exploration and close to a visual novel, but for non-linear narrative, it’s possible you might like 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.

I don’t want to say too much about it, but Undertale is more about a different kind of loop structure, something unique to gaming. If you like it, you may also like Pony Island, which does work with loops a bit.

Chrono Trigger’s time travel works more like crossing timelines that are in parallel but are also in motion, all with some impact on each other. Still a great game in general, though.

StringPotatoTheory,

I’ll have a look at 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, thank you!

Years ago I played Undertale and Pony Island and I love them both so much. I have a soft spot for 4th wall breaking games.

people_are_cute,
@people_are_cute@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

Katana Zero

cygnosis, (edited )

Surprised I haven’t seen Quantum Break in here. It’s a pretty good shooter with some magic powers thrown in for fun. You don’t get much say in the story, but it still kept my interest all the way through. And it has an interesting take on time travel, woven into the story quite well. It was made by Remedy Entertainment, before Control but after Alan Wake. Also I liked how they cast real actors in the game and made them recognizable. I picked out Courtney Hope in the game from seeing her in Control, even though her character is different in QB.

nycki,

You might enjoy the recently released Cobalt Core. It’s really more like Slay the Spire in space, but the addition of a time loop gives a neat narrative framing to the deckbuilder mechanics.

timetravel,

Super time force ultra is a side scrolling shoot em up with heavy time travel that is like speed running with yourself and saving and cooperating with time travel versions of yourself. I’m not sure if it fits what you’re looking for but it’s a lot of fun

lolcatnip,

I haven’t played it enough to have an opinion on how good it is, but Lemnis Gate is a PvP oriented shooter based around time loop mechanics.

RustedSwitch,
@RustedSwitch@lemmy.world avatar

This is probably not your speed, but I can’t stop myself from mentioning Deathloop…

Also, and this is a bit of a stretch, but Day of The Tentacle was a great game with a time element… I’m reminded by this because I asked ChatGPT for a list of games that met this criteria.

chat.openai.com/…/00b809c0-dabb-4fcd-86ab-8f5f38e…

StringPotatoTheory,

I played Deathloop before and I loved it, I need a sequel asap.

Thank you for the list! I see a few interesting games on there that I will look into more.

LSDpoem,

Save the Date by Paper Dino. Absolute classic time loop indie game. It’s very short but well worth a play.

Lunar,

Alan Wake American Nightmare

BustinJiber,

There is No Time to Explain. It’s one of those mechanics based platformers with crazy time loop story.

Hello_there, (edited )

Try Hitman. All the characters walk around the world and go about their business, and it's up to you to plan out how to go between that and do the assaination after understanding movement routes and actions

conciselyverbose,

Have you heard of Minit?

Not really my thing and haven't played much of it, but it definitely fits the bill.

simple,
@simple@lemmy.world avatar

May I recommend No-one has to die? It’s a bite-sized webgame that I thought was really good, you can finish it in under an hour.

Also if you’re going to play steins;gate I would recommend skipping the sequel (steins;gate 0). It’s not good.

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