In Stars And Time

In Stars and Time (2023) is a cartoon-like adventure where you try to save the world while stuck in a time loop. You begin at the end of your adventure, having already assembled a powerful team, but find yourself suddenly retreading ground and repeating conversations you've already had. It stands out for its mind-bending time-loop conundrum where you are stuck in time when no-one else knows.

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You play Siffrin, a young adventurer on a mission to free the land from the rule of an evil king. Once you enter his castle, though, you die, only to wake up outside, earlier in your adventure. You realise you can go back in time, so set out again, rewinding time to escape bad situations or change unwanted outcomes. But as you retread the same conversations and events, your mental health deteriorates, straining your relationships even as you inch towards success.

Play involves exploring, fighting enemies, interacting with your companions, and time-looping back to previous parts of the game to unlock the way forward. In combat, you must pick the right moves for different enemy types to deal maximum damage. You often need to go back in time to advance the story and solve puzzles, but doing so means your companions return to their prior strength, and crucial items you've found are lost.

The result is a game where the challenge comes not from levelling up or building a party, but instead from using your time-loop powers in inventive ways. It's a fun twist that rewards creative problem-solving with a well-written narrative.

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Our examiner, Thom Robertson, first checked In Stars And Time 9 days ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 4 days ago.