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The 30 Best Games With Time-Traveling Mechanics

1-30

News - July 6th 2024, 18:00 GMT+2
Braid

Braid

From the same creator of the acclaimed game The Witness, Braid was one of those early games from the golden age of indie games, where if you die or make a mistake, you can always rewind time, all with the goal of rescuing the princess... But from whom? | © Thekla

Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds

One of the best games about time loops that you'll find in the industry. You have to relive the same space odyssey every few minutes, as a supernova will explode the solar system, destroying all the planets where you can try and fail to hide. Can you solve the mystery before the next explosion? | © Annapurna

Singularity

Singularity

The more seasoned gamers have one game in mind when thinking about time mechanics, and that game is Singularity. With a device that allows you to alter the age of objects and enemies, you'll have to fight your way through hordes of enemies in this blend of shooter and science fiction. | © Activision

Day of the Tentacle

Day of the Tentacle

And speaking of great games from the past (and with a modern remake that does it justice), Day of the Tentacle is one of the essential point-and-click adventures that everyone has to play. Simply put, it has a lot of charm and heart pour into it. Makes you wonder if loading the save game over and over counts as a time travel mechanic... | © Double Fine

Prince of Persia Warrior Within

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

We could add any of the Prince of Persia games, as the Sands of Time always give us the same ability to rewind time (for when we fall during the most stressful parkour sections), freeze it to avoid enemies, and speed it up to move from one victim to another. But the one with the best combat? We definitely have to go with Warrior Within. | © Ubisoft

Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger

Another essential time travel game that allows you to use different eras as an open world. But where Chrono Trigger shines is in the details, from the time-based turn combat (like some Final Fantasy titles) to not touching chests in the past so they are better in the future. And you can fight the final boss that will cause the apocalypse very early in the game! Provided, of course, that you have the guts... | © Square Enix

Majoras

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

They don't call him the Hero of Time for nothing, but not all Zelda titles show Link using time as a game mechanic. However, in Majora's Mask, we know that the moon will crash into the earth in 3 days, so we'll have to relive the same 3 days over and over again if we want to have enough time to complete this fantastic title. | © Nintendo

12 Minutes

Twelve Minutes

But did you know that being trapped in a time loop is not just fun, but actually a terrifying idea? Although Twelve Minutes is a short game (the title says it all), you are doomed to relive a very traumatic moment over and over again, unless you manage to change the outcome in the little time you have left. | © Annapurna

Steins Gate

Steins;Gate

The great thing about the time travel subgenre is that it works perfectly for visual novels, and none do it as well as the massive Steins;Gate franchise. Imagine the idea of having to save all your loved ones, but with the prior knowledge of multiple iterations teaching you which decisions to make. | © Spike Chunsoft

The Forgotten City

The Forgotten City

The Forgotten City is not just a journey to the past, but a mystery that resonates through the ages. In this Roman city, a great tragedy has occurred, and jumping through time and talking to different characters will allow you to uncover what happened in this place... if you truly want to know... | © Dear Villagers

Ghost Trick

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

A game with time mechanics from the creator of Ace Attorney? Yes, please! Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective puts us in the shoes of someone who has just died, and whose spirit has only one night of existence before disappearing forever. Can you solve the mystery of your murder before you run out of time? | © CAPCOM

Bioshock infinite

BioShock Infinite

It's hard to say that BioShock Infinite has time mechanics. Of course, it's elemental to the story and gives you one of the best plot twists in video game history (which I still haven't recovered from), not to mention the idea of an environmental anachronism of the American Revolution turned cult in a floating city. But what we could call a mechanic is Elizabeth's help, as she can open time portals to bring back turrets and enemy machines you destroyed in the past to aid you in the present. | © 2K

Deathloop

Deathloop

Deathloop has received a lot of criticism since its release, partly deserved, partly exaggerated, but there's no doubt that it presents us with a unique concept, where we have to commit several murders before the time loop closes. Although some may find its gameplay repetitive, fans of this subgenre and shooters will love this concept. | © Arkane

Loop Hero

Loop Hero

If you think about it, roguelikes work perfectly for time travel. It's all about trying, dying, going back to the past, and trying again with the new knowledge adquired. Loop Hero is the basic formula of roguelikes improved by hundreds of its predecessors and mixed with gameplay involving positioning towers, terrain, and enemies. | © Devolver

The Sexy Brutale

The Sexy Brutale

Nothing like a Groundhog Day-style story, and in this case, we find ourselves at a mysterious aristocratic ball with a Victorian vibe, where the guests are being murdered by someone hiding behind one of the hundreds of masks. Can you uncover the killer before it's your turn, or will you have to repeat the day over and over again? | © Tequila

Super Time Force Ultra

Super Time Force Ultra

You know the chaos of those platform games like Broforce, where there are explosions, gunfire, and enemies all over the screen? And you know what would make it even more chaotic? Time mechanics! With Super Time Force Ultra, you get all the action of a platform shooter, plus the ability to fast forward, rewind, and freeze time to your advantage... or to your detriment. | © Capybara

Timesplitters 4

Time Splitters: Future Perfect

Time Splitters is a cult franchise that has released several installments over the years, but it’s Time Splitters: Future Perfect that truly uses a time travel mechanic. While the story in all installments of the franchise forces you to travel to different historical eras, it's in this title where the actions you take in the past will affect your future, and vice versa. | © EA

Onimusha 3 Demon Siege

Onimusha 3: Demon Siege

It's curious to think that a sequel would involve time travel, but that's the case with Onimusha 3: Demon Siege. From feudal Japan to modern Paris, you'll have to balance between the two eras, solving puzzles and hoping that the actions you take in one will affect the other. Doesn't it make you think of Samurai Jack? Give me more samurai through time! | © CAPCOM

Quantum Break

Quantum Break

There are many action games with time mechanics, as we've seen in this very list. But is there one that also has an excellent story? Of course, and that would be Quantum Break, where the actions you take in the past will affect the combat you have in the future. Make sure to choose wisely! | © Remedy Entertainment

Shadow of Memories

Shadow of Memories

Start the game, get stabbed. That's how this interesting game from Konami called Shadow of Memories begins, where you'll have to solve your (attempted) murder by traveling to different moments in the town of Lebensbaum, Germany. You'll need to talk to different people and collect clues to understand what the heck is going on. | © Konami

Minit

Minit

Start the game, die in 60 seconds. Damn, these time travel games don't forgive. In the case of Minit, it's an adorable minimalist adventure where you have 60 seconds to discover more about the world and its characters, only to die and try again, all with the hope of stopping this strange time loop you find yourself in. | © Devolver

Timemelters

Timemelters

Witches through time? Absolutely! Timemelters is the kind of game where the story doesn't matter as much as the fun gameplay. You fight with your spells against hordes of enemies, only to die from an attack... But that doesn't matter, because you can go back in time and have your past self help you in the middle of the battle, taking the same actions you previously did! Time to create your own army of temporal witch clones. | © Autoexec

Timelie

Timelie

A genre we haven't really touched on is stealth, and Timelie is not only unique in its class but does it with overwhelming perfection. Imagine time as a media player, where you can pause, fast-forward, and rewind the scene, all with the aim of finding the best path to your objective. | © Urnique

Cobalt Core

Cobalt Core

We might be cheating by adding Cobalt Core, as its "time mechanics" are based on the same concept as all roguelikes: try, die, try again. But it's not just an excellent game for building ships and testing them in combat; the story of being trapped in a classic time loop combined with the excellent visual art makes it worth putting on the list. | © Brace Yourself

Time Shift

TimeShift

If I had a coin for every shooter game with time mechanics... And TimeShift is one of those classic games, for good reason, as it was one of the first. You know the drill: rewind and stop time, so you can calmly walk up to them and shoot them where it hurts the most. | © Autoexec

LOOPERS

LOOPERS

If I had a coin for every time a visual novel makes use of time loops... Wait, didn't I say something similar just recently? This feeling of déjà vu is the essence of LOOPERS, where the anime aesthetic hides something strange, as the school day is repeating over and over again. Haven't we seen this before, or are we also trapped in a time loop? | © VisualArts

Radiant

Radiant Historia

A classic from Japan, from the excellent studio Atlus (Persona, Megami Tensei, etc), is Radiant Historia. Although it's not well known in the West, this RPG brings us an essential time mechanic using a book known as the White Chronicle, which allows us to experience different parallel timelines. And if that's not enough, just look at the great amount of animation in this title. It's an endless source of waifus! | © Atlus

Blinx

Blinx: The Time Sweeper

The real tragedy of Blinx: The Time Sweeper is how ahead of its time it was (which makes it a true time traveler). The same mechanics of rewinding and freezing time that we see in so many games on this list are present in Blinx, despite being released in 2002. A platformer for the ages, where time is a resource you can spend! | © Artoon

Slay the Princess

Slay The Princess

Does Slay The Princess have time mechanics? Of course, it does! We have to relive the same chapters over and over to progress in this visual novel. Maybe on your first attempt, you decide to kill the princess; maybe on the next, you want to save her. There are many decisions to make, and each time you return to the beginning of the story, both she and you have changed thanks to the knowledge of the decisions made in the past. | © Black Tabby Games

Hype

Hype: The Time Quest

And as usual in my game lists, we need a rare and little-known game, and in this case, it's a collaboration between Ubisoft and Playmobil, called Hype: The Time Quest. You can feel the inspiration from Zelda, as in this story, our hero is free to travel to different eras of the same medieval world to find treasures, gain abilities, and defeat bosses to pave your way to the black knight and save the kingdom. | © Ubisoft

1-30

If we were to make a list of video games about time travel, the list would be endless. This narrative trope can be used as an easy way out of creating complex stories. But what happens when time travel is part of not just the narrative, but the game mechanics themselves? I want time loops in my ludonarrative!

That's why we've decided to create a list of 30 games with time travel mechanics. And spoiler alert: Life is Strange is not on this list because we only included good games ;).

If we were to make a list of video games about time travel, the list would be endless. This narrative trope can be used as an easy way out of creating complex stories. But what happens when time travel is part of not just the narrative, but the game mechanics themselves? I want time loops in my ludonarrative!

That's why we've decided to create a list of 30 games with time travel mechanics. And spoiler alert: Life is Strange is not on this list because we only included good games ;).

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