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.

  • RiderExMachina@lemmy.mlEnglish
    101·
    7 months ago

    Not quite “time loop”, but related: Return of the Obra Dinn. I need the developer to make another game with exactly the same mechanics.

  • petenu@feddit.uk
    6·
    7 months ago

    The Mooncrash DLC for Prey (2017) isn’t strictly a time loop game but it might have a lot of the elements that you find interesting.

  • Hello_there@kbin.social
    51·
    7 months ago

    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

  • BenVimes@lemmy.ca
    4·
    7 months ago

    Maybe Radiant Historia fits your bill. It’s a JRPG by Atlus originally on the DS, with a remaster on the 3DS. You can time travel to different nodes in the story and the game will replay identically, which of the “loop” part. It has a branching storyline stemming from a choice early in the game, and you have to hop to the other branch to get abilities and information for the other.

  • cygnosis@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    7 months ago

    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@lemmy.worldEnglish
    41·
    7 months ago

    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.

  • Sentrovasi@kbin.social
    3·
    7 months ago

    Slay the Princess is a relatively light game (largely narrative) that has this as part of its conceit.

  • tabarnaski@sh.itjust.works
    41·
    7 months ago

    Bioshock infinite comes to mind, even though the timeloop aspect of the game is entirely related to the storyline, no game mechanics use it.

  • simple@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    7 months ago

    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.

  • InEnduringGrowStrong@sh.itjust.works@sh.itjust.works
    2·
    6 months ago

    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.

    • String@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      7 months ago

      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.

  • Ashtear@lemm.ee
    2·
    6 months ago

    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.

    • String@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      6 months ago

      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.

  • BustinJiber@lemmy.world
    2·
    7 months ago

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