10 Best Time Loop Games

Time is at the heart of many important games, such as 2021's Deathloop. Metacritic ranks many more titles worth checking out.

Time loops have been very popular recently. This trope usually entails characters repeating the same events over again. For some reason, that has been a popular device lately. It has been seen in many video games, such as last year's Deathloop.

There are many examples of the trope available, likely inspired by the hit movie Groundhog Day. Games that feature a repetitive loop of time with gameplay components are rated highly on Metacritic, giving players many options for games that utilize these aspects very well.

Gnosia (2019) - 82

Gnosia is a visually appealing, short science fiction novel available on Nintendo Switch. A player takes up the role of an astronaut on a drifting spacecraft. The candidate must locate the mysterious Gnosia, who is an alien among the workers. It is a blending of the visual novel and science fiction genres, as any crew member can be a Gnosia.

This is where the game's time loop aspect comes into play. The agnosia may vary from playthrough to playthrough, and different characters will be the Gnosia in different playthroughs of the game. Even the Gnosia is a player that twists the format around a great deal. The player needs to see a lot of different situations in different playthroughs to achieve the real ending.

The Sexy Brutale (2017) - 83

The Sexy Brutale lives up to its name. It is held continuously for ten continuous hours, during which time a ball rolls every twelve hours. In that time frame, all of the characters are killed, completing the brutal aspect of the subtitle. The player must explore the mansion and stop the murders.

The game has many fans for its story and puzzles, though some think the game is too easy. Learning about all the other players at the party is quite rewarding, and it rewards this manner of exploration. The game is is available on all platforms.

Loop Hero (2021)  - 84

Excellent for endless play, Loop Hero is a great infinite role-playing game that was released last year. Due to its looping nature, it can be played indefinitely, though it does have an ending, which happens to be part of the fun. In this game, however, it is a roguelike, so it could endlessly alter with different setups. The time loop setting is a popular setting for roguelikes.

The game is anything but ordinary, although the world it creates is random. The player will find enemies that give cards that allow the player to acquire more land and equipment, and they will also find items and weapons. The diversity and challenge come from positioning environment cards strategically for enemies and loot and summoning boss fights.

Returnal (2021) - 86

Do you wish to read Returnal, a PlayStation 4 game, which claimed to be "the first Triple-A roguelike"? It was very detailed in terms of graphics, featured lots of production values, and had a great gameplay loop. It pulled the best elements of other roguelites to give it an outstanding combination.

In Returnal, the player character Selene crashes down on a hostile environment when she dies. Each time she perishes, she is revived into her crashed spaceship. This repetition of events is an important component of the game's structure but also helps conceal its secret treasures. Discovering and traveling to new places rewards exploration of the land and tiny incremental steps toward breaking the simulation loop.

Outer Wilds (2019) - 86

Even knowing that the game has some sort of time loop ruins its once-in-a-lifetime charm. This space exploration game's scope and scale are very impressive.

Many games are played on the surface of planets, but this one allows players to virtually explore the entire universe on their own schedules throughout the day when the sun explodes and the universe resets. The game lasts for about twenty-two minutes before the sun explodes and everything is rebooted. This prompt forces the player to dislike the loop and attempt to fix it.

Steins;Gate (2009) - 87

Steins;Gate is frequently thought of as an anime, but it was originally a video game. It is one of the greatest visual novels ever and was not very heavy in terms of gameplay. It was heavy on a fascinating science fiction story. Steins;Gate features time travel of all kinds, not just loops.

The game is covers many different time travel scenarios, and the scenario loops come up many times. Certain characters get stuck in loops, and others may be stuck in a loop and not realize it. That's where the fun really lies with characters. The lead, Okabe, comes off as a truly eccentric and has an equally quirky supporting cast that he surrounds himself with.

Deathloop (2021) - 88

Deathloop was one of the most anticipated video games of 2018. It was highly anticipated in trailers for the game before it was released, which was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews.

The game is not Arkane's first work in the Immersive Sim genre, and it shows that the developer is highly skilled. The game's world is densely populated with interactive objects. The players must assassinate several targets on Blackreef Island, and they must complete this task in one minute or less to fulfill the objective of Deathloop's gameplay. Mastering that remarkable run is the main appeal of the gameplay.

The Forgotten City (2021) - 90

The Forgotten City is unusual in that it began as a mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim before becoming a game in its own right. The game began as a mod for Skyrim in 2015 and evolved into a full release the following year. That full version released in 2021 will include new updates and features. In this game, players explore a ruined Roman city that is about to fall into ruin.

While resembling traditional western RPGs, the game is more like classic adventure game. The player must explore a huge world and speak with NPCs to learn about the city. The way that the game thematically blends natural laws with governmental law is breathtaking. The game received tons of praise for its nonlinear structure and challenging moral dilemmas.

Undertale (2015) - 93

Undertale is an extremely popular and beloved game, but it could feasibly be played indefinitely without the player ever knowing there is a time loop in it. The fantastical world filled with monsters does not seem to fit a script for a sci-fi plotline tool. It is not the monsters who set the schedule, but rather the player.

Within the lore of the game, it is said that humans have a trait known as DETERMINATION, which enables them to save the game. In most other video games, saving is not an actual in-game phenomenon, but it is in Undertale. The attempts to restart the game and even begin new games constitute canon events in the game. Very few characters know about these events, and they include them in the dark routes of the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2000) - 95

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was not the first video game to include a time loop, but it has been the model for many game developer's use of a limited scope. This sequel to the classic Ocarina of Time was made under a time constraint, inspiring its limited scope. He is trapped in a land with a central metropolis that will be destroyed by the Moon in three days unless he can reverse three days in time every hour at the eleventh hour. The way characters react and move over the course of three days is intriguing.

On the first and third days, the players' anxiety begins to set in, and the villagers respond differently from those on the previous days. Participants must take note of the villagers' behavior to see if they behave differently at different times and on days other than the ones specified in the game. Many side-quests rely on this knowledge. Its complex loop often made the series' more standard dungeons difficult, but the world it created was memorable, very human, and thoroughly horrifying