Publisher: Annapurna
Developer: Mobius
Year: 2019
Platform: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One

Rating: 8

In general I haven’t had the patience for completely open-world games for various reasons, the most prominent being the narrative often gets derailed either by sidequests or I wind up doing things in an order the writer didn’t intend. Outer Wilds breaks the mold for me, telling a remarkably tight and moving science-fiction story wrapped up in the conceit of a 22-minute time loop.

Publisher: Plug In Digital
Developer: Modern Storyteller
Year: 2021
Platform: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Stadia

Rating: 8

Originally a well-acclaimed Skyrim mod, The Forgotten City is an updated and larger, independent version of the game. While I couldn’t get into Skyrim, I’ll play almost anything about time travel and especially anything that involves time loops. While it takes a little bit to get going (and to fully grasp the game mechanics), once it does it becomes a relative breeze and is one of the most addictive and satisfying adventure game stories I’ve ever played.

Publisher: Woodhill Interactive
Developer: Woodhill Interactive
Year: 2023
Platform: Windows, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series

Rating: 7

For the second time in three years, we have a game where you begin exactly twelve minutes before your untimely death. But while the game Twelve Minutes takes place entirely inside one apartment room, Woodhill Interactive’s Orten Was the Case spans an entire hand-drawn city from the top of its tallest building to the far depths of its underground. The seemingly random clues and disparate objectives keep the pace rather slow for a while, but it all builds into one of the more devilishly complex and rewarding time loop games to date.