The fun corner: three time loops, three ways to play

An underground city is being buried in sand. Next time around, you might reach it earlier. In Outer Wilds, time does more than send you back to the start: it changes the places you can explore. That’s one way to make a time loop into a puzzle; two other games give it very different rules.

In Mobius Digital’s space adventure, you join a small space program seeking answers in a solar system caught in a loop. A planet crumbles as time passes. When to visit becomes a question alongside where to fly. Your tools can track signals and translate ancient writing, and you can also roast a marshmallow.

In The Forgotten City by Modern Storyteller, the problem is closer to home. You reach a cursed Roman city where one person’s sin kills everyone. Fighting is an option, but you can also question residents, persuade or bribe them, and use the time loop to investigate. The detail you need may be in a conversation rather than on a distant planet. Your choices can lead to multiple endings.

In DEATHLOOP by Arkane Lyon, Colt tries to escape the loop by killing eight targets before the day resets. Information gathered about the targets and the island of Blackreef helps you plan another attempt. Rival assassin Julianna can also be controlled by another player; alternatively, you can choose to let the computer control her.