Time loop video games and why we love (or hate) them
Some essays about time loops in video games:
“Time Loop Narratives Are About Love” by katy (cw: incest)
“Growth is a genuine change in you. Growth is seeing the world differently than you did before because you’re someone different now.”
Games highlighted: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, DEATHLOOP, Twelve Minutes, Oxenfree
“Time loops are a weird genre for an anxious time” by Jenna Stoeber and Polygon
“Part of why they’re regaining popularity is because the world is a mess and we either don’t know how or don’t have the power to fix it.”
Games highlighted: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Elsinore, Outer Wilds, Undertale, Inscryption, The Stanley Parable, The Forgotten City, Twelve Minutes
“Time Loop Nihilism” by Jacob Geller (cw: graphic violence and incest)
“I eventually came to realize, if I’m going to do this all again, if there are few real consequences for failure… why would I play in a way that’s so boring?”
Games highlighted: DEATHLOOP, Dishonored, Hitman 3, Bloodborne, Twelve Minutes
“Clockwork Games and Time Loops” by Game Maker’s Toolkit
“Every decision you make matters because you’re always spending your most precious currency: time.”
Games highlighted: Outer Wilds, Dead Rising, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, The Sexy Brutale, Elsinore, Minit, Vision Soft Reset, Twelve Minutes, DEATHLOOP, Hitman 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution
“Why Time Loops Work Best in Video Games” by Extra Credits
“Failure doesn’t feel like an inconvenience or a punishment, but is instead a natural and necessary part of the story.”
Games highlighted: Elsinore, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Undertale, DEATHLOOP, Returnal
“The Problem with Time Loop Games | 12 Minutes Analysis” by Ozzy II (cw: graphic violence and incest)
“This is the point I was talking about earlier, where the first half of the game is just worthless.”
Games highlighted: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Outer Wilds, Twelve Minutes, The Sexy Brutale
“Dying Rules in Time Loop Games” by Inside Gaming
“When the sun began to glow and implode, I knew I had no choice but to put down whatever I was doing and accept what was about to happen.”
Games highlighted: Outer Wilds, Into the Breach, Minit, Twelve Minutes, DEATHLOOP, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
“The Best Time Loop Games” by The Gadget Show
“Its black-and-white design and funny writing make this one memorable way longer than the minute it takes to complete a loop.”
Games highlighted: DEATHLOOP, Outer Wilds, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Minit, Elsinore