Groundhog Day: Top 20 Video Games About Being Stuck In A Time Loop

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Ignacio Weil

Gaming - May 30th 2025, 17:02 GMT+2

Cropped Elsinore — 20. Elsinore (2019)

Imagine *Hamlet*, but instead of just watching all the royal drama unravel, you’re stuck living it… again and again. *Elsinore* puts you in the embroidered slippers of Ophelia, who—surprise!—has four days to stop everyone from dying horribly. It’s Shakespeare with a dash of Groundhog Day and a sprinkle of existential dread. Each loop lets you gather new information, meddle with the fates of princes, and maybe even survive the weekend. With every decision rippling through the court like a poisoned goblet, the game makes tragedy interactive in the best way possible. Because nothing says "fun" like dodging destiny with Elizabethan diction. | © Golden Glitch Studios

Randals Monday — 19. Randal's Monday (2014)

If *Clerks* had a baby with *Groundhog Day* and raised it on '90s pop culture references and bad decisions, you'd get *Randal’s Monday*. This point-and-click adventure stars Randal Hicks, a kleptomaniac with a hangover and a time loop problem that makes Mondays eternal—like an ironic punishment from the gods of retail. With each loop, Randal tries to fix the chaos he’s caused, only to make things infinitely worse. It’s crude, it’s meta, and it’s stuffed with so many nerdy nods that your inner comic book collector might swoon. Just don’t expect the moral high ground—this game’s sense of humor lives in the basement with the skeletons. | © Nexus Game Studios

DEATHLOOP — 18. Deathloop (2021)

Welcome to the island of Blackreef, where time is broken, everyone wants to kill you, and fashion hasn’t moved past retro-futuristic chic. *Deathloop* hands you a gun, a grudge, and a snarky rival named Julianna who really enjoys murdering you. Repeatedly. You’re Colt, a man stuck reliving the same day while trying to assassinate eight targets and escape the loop. But it’s not just bullets and banter—there’s a clever clockwork puzzle beneath the chaos. Every loop is a step toward mastery or another spectacular fail. It’s like if James Bond had to solve an escape room while being hunted by a very stylish nemesis. | © Arkane Studios

17. The Sexy Brutale (2017)

It’s murder o’clock all day, every day, at the most elegantly cursed masquerade in gaming. In *The Sexy Brutale*, you play Lafcadio Boone, a priest with a pocket watch and a penchant for saving people from very creative deaths. Every guest at this bizarre mansion is doomed to die in a beautifully choreographed loop, and it’s your job to sneak, eavesdrop, and meddle your way to justice. Think *Majora’s Mask* meets *Clue*, but with masks, jazz, and a sinister secret beneath the velvet. The whole game is a dance of timing, curiosity, and wonderfully macabre design. Bonus: no actual sexy time required. | © Cavalier Game Studios / Tequila Works

16. Zero Escape Trilogy (2009–2016)

Ever wanted to escape from a locked room… with your life, memory, and sanity barely intact? The *Zero Escape* trilogy (*999*, *Virtue’s Last Reward*, and *Zero Time Dilemma*) doesn’t just trap you—it plays with time, identity, and your concept of reality like a smug puzzle box. One moment you're solving logic puzzles, the next you're questioning the meaning of free will with a talking rabbit. Every choice splits timelines, reveals hidden truths, and sometimes kills your favorite character (again). It’s the kind of story that demands a corkboard and red string—or at least a very patient brain. Just remember: it’s not paranoia if the timeline is out to get you. | © Chunsoft / Spike Chunsoft

15. The Stanley Parable (2013)

This is the story of a man named Stanley. Or is it? In *The Stanley Parable*, you play as Stanley, an office worker who suddenly finds his monitor-filled life turned upside down when everyone disappears and a cheeky narrator starts commenting on your every move. You *can* follow his directions—or you can do absolutely the opposite and watch him spiral into philosophical exasperation. Every choice spawns a new ending, many of them absurd, bleak, or gloriously pointless. It’s not just a time loop; it’s a loop of ideas, player agency, and postmodern game design doing cartwheels in a cubicle. No matter what you do, the Narrator is watching. Judging. Looping. | © Galactic Cafe

14. Loop Hero (2021)

A world devoured by a cosmic Lich, a looping path through oblivion, and you—playing dungeon master and hero at the same time. *Loop Hero* hands you control over the land itself as your pixelated warrior trudges endlessly in circles, slaying monsters, collecting loot, and slowly regaining memories of a broken world. You don’t steer the hero directly, but you control fate with a deck of terrain tiles and an addiction to optimization. It’s a roguelike, a card game, and a meditation on the futility of progress… all in one nostalgic package. Who knew walking in circles could be so epic? | © Four Quarters

13. LOOPERS (2021)

Buckle up for emotional whiplash—*LOOPERS* is a visual novel that throws teens, time loops, and tearjerkers into a blender of sci-fi and feels. Our plucky protagonist and his friends get caught in a looping summer day, Groundhog Day-style, but with added layers of friendship, existential dread, and geocaching (yes, really). What starts as a cheerful romp slowly reveals deeper themes of regret, growth, and whether it’s possible to escape the past—or if we’re doomed to repeat it. It’s sentimental, a little strange, and unashamedly earnest, like a time-traveling anime hug with emotional baggage. | © Key / VisualArts

Cropped grimgrimoire — 12. GrimGrimoire (2007)

Welcome to a wizard school where the semester never ends—literally. In *GrimGrimoire*, you play Lillet Blan, a student trapped in a five-day magical time loop at the most accident-prone academy since Hogwarts. This isn’t just any old time loop, though—it’s full of ghosts, grimoires, and real-time strategy battles against mythological foes. You’ll relive the same week repeatedly, slowly unraveling a plot filled with dark secrets, mysterious mentors, and enough magical jargon to fill a potion shop. The art is lush, the voice acting delightfully dramatic, and the spell-slinging satisfying. Who knew being stuck in school forever could actually be this fun? | © Vanillaware / Nippon Ichi Software

11. Minit (2018)

Sixty seconds to live, explore, and die—*Minit* doesn’t mince time. Every life lasts only one minute, but that’s just enough to chop grass, talk to a duck, and maybe uncover a sinister corporate conspiracy. With each short-lived sprint, you inch closer to the end, unlocking shortcuts and secrets in this bite-sized Zelda-like adventure. It’s minimalist in style but maximalist in charm, turning the frustration of dying over and over into a surprisingly cozy loop of progress. The best part? You’ll be saying “just one more minute” for hours. Time may be short, but the fun’s eternal. | © JW, Kitty, Jukio, and Dom / Devolver Digital

Cropped Returnal — 10. Returnal (2021)

In *Returnal*, you crash-land on an alien planet where the laws of physics are just polite suggestions and death is more of a scheduling inconvenience. You’re Selene, a space pilot caught in a brutal, bullet-hell ballet where every loop reveals a little more about the world—and her psyche. It's equal parts cosmic horror and emotional sci-fi therapy, with a side of tentacle monsters and malfunctioning tech. The game is tough, fast, and utterly mesmerizing, like *Edge of Tomorrow* after three espressos. Every time you die, you get stronger, and every time you live, you question what “living” even means anymore. | © Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment

9. The Forgotten City (2021)

Time travel and ancient Rome—what could possibly go wrong? In *The Forgotten City*, you awaken in a mysterious underground utopia where breaking even one moral law triggers divine wrath (and yes, that includes stealing a loaf of bread). You’ll relive the same golden day over and over, questioning citizens, solving mysteries, and trying not to spark a civilization-wide apocalypse. It’s part detective thriller, part philosophical quandary, with dialogue that feels like someone actually majored in Ethics 101. Smart, spooky, and surprisingly hilarious at times, this game proves that sometimes the biggest time loop is the one inside your own head. | © Modern Storyteller

8. Reventure (2019)

Ever wondered how many hilarious ways a hero can fail? *Reventure* has your answer—100 of them, to be exact. This deceptively simple pixel platformer dares you to break the rules, think outside the sword, and embrace your inner moron. Every run ends in a different ending, whether it’s due to heroic success, reckless misadventure, or accidentally sitting on your own bomb. Each death (or really bad decision) becomes canon, unlocking new items, shortcuts, and endless gags. It’s the time loop equivalent of a blooper reel with surprising heart underneath the goofiness. Failure is not only expected—it’s practically the point. | © Pixelatto

7. Dead Cells (2018)

You’re a pile of sentient goo with attitude, reanimating corpses and slicing through procedurally generated dungeons like it's your undead day job. *Dead Cells* is a “roguevania” action platformer where every death kicks you back to square one—but a slightly stronger, better-dressed square one. The loop is brutally addictive: die, learn, upgrade, repeat. The combat is silky-smooth, the weapons are deliciously varied, and the biomes are filled with secrets (and spikes). It’s not technically a time loop in the narrative sense, but spiritually? Oh yeah. You’ll be seeing that first level more often than your own kitchen. | © Motion Twin

6. Cobalt Core (2023)

*FTL* meets *Slay the Spire* in a delightfully punchy roguelike deckbuilder—*Cobalt Core* is a time loop story disguised as a tactical starship showdown. You pilot a little ship through looping runs of intergalactic chaos, trying to piece together why time’s gone wibbly-wobbly and why your crewmates keep remembering things they shouldn’t. The art is slick, the writing’s witty, and the gameplay has that “just one more run” energy that will sneak up on your sleep schedule like a stealth drone. The more you play, the more timelines you twist into place—and the more you'll love watching everything explode in slo-mo. | © Rocket Rat Games

Cropped In Stars And Time — 5. In Stars And Time (2023)

This delightful indie RPG feels like if *Undertale* and *Groundhog Day* had a quirky, melodramatic child who loved existential dread and puzzle-based turn-based combat. You play as Siffrin, a sardonic little guy stuck in a loop where he relives the same doomed journey with his party over and over again. Death? Inevitable. Progress? Elusive. But friendship? Surprisingly heartwarming. Every loop peels back another layer of mystery—or trauma—depending on your appetite for narrative pain. The art is charming, the humor is snarky, and the game constantly breaks the fourth wall just enough to make you question if it's your choices or the illusion of choice doing the talking. | © Armor Games Studios

4. Slay The Princess (2023)

Let’s get one thing straight: *Slay the Princess* sounds like a dating sim made by a medieval incel, but it’s actually a terrifying psychological horror game that plays you harder than your last breakup. You’re told to kill a princess. She’s in a cabin. That’s the mission. Easy, right? Oh, sweet summer child—nothing is what it seems, and each decision you make spawns wildly different timelines with creepy implications and philosophical rabbit holes. This game practically weaponizes narration, with multiple voice actors narrating your inner conflict like an anxious Greek chorus. Every loop adds to the tension until you're not sure if you’re the hero, the villain, or just another pawn in a meta-narrative fever dream. | © Black Tabby Games

3. Raging Loop (2015)

If the werewolf game and *Twin Peaks* had a dramatic anime baby, it’d be *Raging Loop*. You’re a guy who rides into a remote Japanese village, only to get caught in a recurring death game involving gods, deception, and a lot of extremely polite murder. Each loop reveals new details as your character retains memories, steadily turning a terrifying folklore mystery into a sprawling, multi-layered psychological thriller. Don’t let the visual novel format fool you—this one gets under your skin with its blend of horror, suspense, and absurd cosmic meddling. Think "Scooby-Doo meets Shinto mythology" but with a lot more blood and paranoia. | © Kemco

Cropped Majoras Mask — 2. The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000)

This is the OG time-loop game that traumatized a generation of kids who just wanted more *Ocarina of Time*. Instead, we got cursed moon faces, a deeply unsettling countdown to world destruction, and NPCs with lives so rich and tragic they could each star in their own soap opera. Link has only 72 in-game hours (about 54 minutes real-time) to stop the apocalypse, which he does by looping again and again, slowly unraveling the intricately woven drama of Termina. It's like Nintendo let David Lynch direct a Zelda game, and we loved them for it. Creepy, brilliant, and emotionally devastating in that very specific Nintendo way. | © Nintendo

Outer wilds — 1. Outer Wilds (2019)

You know you’ve hit time loop gold when dying by launching yourself into the sun feels like a learning experience. *Outer Wilds* is a masterclass in non-linear storytelling and cosmic awe, throwing you into a handcrafted solar system that resets every 22 minutes—right as the sun explodes. No upgrades, no XP, no weapons—just knowledge. Every loop brings epiphanies, discoveries, and new existential questions you’re not sure you want answered. It’s part sci-fi mystery, part planetary field trip, and 100% “I didn’t cry, there was just supernova dust in my eye.” If games are art, this is a Van Gogh that also kills you with gravity. | © Mobius Digital

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Time loops have become one of the most fascinating narrative mechanics in modern video games, offering players the thrill of repeating the same day—or moment—until they find a way to break free. Inspired by the classic film Groundhog Day, these games challenge players to master patterns, learn from failure, and reshape fate through repetition. Whether you're resetting reality after every mistake or unraveling mysteries one loop at a time, time loop games deliver a unique blend of storytelling and strategy. In this list, we’ve rounded up the top 20 video games that dive headfirst into time loop madness—perfect for fans of Groundhog Day and sci-fi adventures alike.