A SECOND BEFORE US

About

"A Second Before Us" is a puzzle-platformer game where players manipulate time to solve levels. You control two characters, switching between them to coordinate actions in different timelines. Careful planning and quick reflexes are required to overcome obstacles and reach the end of each stage.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

48%

Audience ScoreBased on 58 reviews

story16 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and varied environments that enhance the atmosphere.
The story has a fantastic foundation and intriguing premise, drawing players into a post-apocalyptic setting.
It's a short and easy game, making it accessible for achievement hunters and fans of walking simulators.

The execution is weak, with limited levels, obvious puzzles, and a lack of supporting backstory details.
Technical issues, such as clunky controls, slow movement, and glitches, detract from the overall experience.
The story is often confusing and open-ended, leaving players unsatisfied with the conclusion.

story
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
63%
13%
The game's story has a compelling foundation and interesting premise, but many players feel it is poorly executed, leading to confusion and a lack of clarity. While the narrative is primarily conveyed through notes and has potential, it often falls short in depth and coherence, leaving players wanting more engaging and well-integrated storytelling. Overall, the story's execution detracts from the immersive experience, despite its intriguing themes and settings.
- “The story is very interesting and has a great foundation.”
- “The plot of the game drew me in and the stories have kept me playing.”
- “For me, the main pleasure of this game was working my way through all the possible twists and turns of the story.”
- “The story is hectic and confusing, being told mostly through a series of poorly-written notes and some poorly acted voice-overs.”
- “I really liked the premise of the story and felt that it had lots of potential but never capitalized on it.”
- “It's a journey when testing out this game and you feel immersed in it; unfortunately, as a player who has no clue what to expect, the game came across as something that tried to convey a deep story with meaning, but didn't deliver in the execution.”
graphics
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
47%
13%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and atmosphere, with many users noting the visually appealing environments and smooth presentation. However, some criticism arises due to limited graphics options and occasional outdated or bland textures, particularly in comparison to more modern titles. Overall, while the graphics are considered a strong point, they may not meet the expectations of players seeking extensive customization or cutting-edge visuals.
- “Graphically, it’s a very pretty game.”
- “Good walking simulator with nice graphics, environments, and story.”
- “Beautiful graphics.”
- “The game looks pretty but it lacks any real graphics options.”
- “Even graphics quality can only be changed between 4 presets; settings for individual features are not available.”
- “It was glitchy with the mouse; the graphics are outdated.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The gameplay is characterized by exploration and puzzle-solving across various historical and fantastical settings, such as ancient Greece and Stonehenge. While players appreciate the environmental interaction and story elements, there are concerns about the mechanics, length, and reliance on text-based notes, leading to a mixed reception overall.
- “Due to this, gameplay is not limited to the sci-fi facility you live in; you'll also visit places like a lighthouse in ancient Greece or Stonehenge in the 19th century.”
- “The gameplay is okay; you walk around each level, find notes (which add to the story), and solve puzzles.”
- “Maybe the length of gameplay should be fleshed out more or the approach needs to be more than just reading a text message.”
- “I was also frustrated with the mechanics and gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is what you'd expect from a game like this - exploring nice levels, interacting with the environment, and doing puzzles.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including clunky controls, slow movement, and various environmental glitches such as freezing animations and invisible walls. Additionally, players have reported problems with camera shake, low-quality textures, and even spelling errors in in-game notes, contributing to an overall buggy experience.
- “The controls are clunky and movement is slow, and I encountered a few environment glitches.”
- “There's this weird camera shake whenever you move, you walk very slow, it's buggy, and the first note I picked up had spelling errors in it.”
- “The environments have big glitches (like the flag animations in the Petra level freezing after some time or a lot of unnecessary invisible walls closing in the player), the lighting is wonky, and some textures are low-quality.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its captivating atmosphere, featuring stunning graphics and a beautifully crafted world that enhances the walking simulation experience. Players appreciate the smooth gameplay and find the atmosphere across different stories to be both amazing and immersive, making it a recommended choice for fans of the genre. However, it is noted to be relatively short, with some players completing it multiple times.
- “The atmosphere in the different stories is amazing and beautiful.”
- “It is pretty short; I completed it two times. Awesome atmosphere, great graphics, wonderful world, smooth walking simulator, nice puzzles, and easy.”
- “If you’re a fan of atmospheric and walking simulation games, I would maybe recommend it.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users appreciate the background music, noting that it enhances the experience alongside the changing scenery.
- “I like the change of scenery as well as the background music.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users report that while the game generally performs well, there are instances of instability that affect the overall experience.
- “But sometimes the performance isn't that stable.”