A Wise Use of Time

About

"A Wise Use of Time" is a puzzle-adventure game where players manipulate time to solve challenges and uncover the story. By rewinding, pausing, and accelerating time, players uncover secrets and help characters in need. With its unique time manipulation mechanic, the game offers a fresh take on puzzle-solving and storytelling.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 200 reviews

story50 positive mentions

The game features an engaging and well-written story with interesting characters and a variety of choices that enhance replayability.
Many players found the time manipulation mechanic to be a fun and unique aspect of the gameplay, allowing for creative interactions with the story.
Despite some criticisms, several reviews highlighted the immersive experience and the emotional impact of the choices made throughout the game.

Many players felt that the choices often led to similar outcomes, diminishing the sense of agency and making multiple playthroughs feel less rewarding.
The game was criticized for its abrupt ending and lack of closure, leaving some players unsatisfied with the overall experience.
Some reviewers noted that certain character actions felt forced or out of character, leading to inconsistencies in the narrative.

story
122 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
57%
2%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players praising its engaging characters, clever writing, and the impact of choices, while others criticize its pacing and lack of resolution, particularly due to cliffhangers and rushed conclusions. Some found the narrative immersive and replayable, highlighting the fun of a choose-your-own-adventure format, but others felt that their choices often led to forced or uncharacteristic outcomes. Overall, while the story has its strengths, it leaves some players wanting more coherence and completion.
- “This game had an exciting and interesting story while many of the choices were impactful, and only a few felt forced or railroaded, but these were few and far between.”
- “An incredible and well-driven story with many twists and turns as well as alternate endings to the story the reader controls; any bookworm would love it.”
- “Gripping, well-written story with good character development and a lot of replayability.”
- “The plot lost me very quickly; at some points it moves way too fast to be enjoyable, while at others it drags terribly.”
- “It feels like the writers got bored of the story and ended it before you could reach a conclusion.”
- “I felt a lot less involved with the characters and the story than normal, and things just felt rushed.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
13%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many players enjoying the varied side-stories and multiple endings based on their choices. However, some users noted that the lack of a save point or bookmark feature can make replaying the entire game tedious. While it offers significant replay value, it may not reach the levels of some other titles in the genre.
- “A great game I've gotten a lot of replayability out of, worth every penny.”
- “Gripping, well written story with good character development and a lot of replayability.”
- “I recommend it, it has replay value but not as much as other games (if you want a lot of replay, I recommend Choice of Robots).”
- “It's quite replayable, as although the major story structure remains the same, the side-stories vary depending on your actions.”
- “More replay value than most games.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players appreciate the brief romantic scenes and find the story entertaining and thought-provoking, others feel that the lack of deeper character development undermines the emotional connections. Overall, it offers a blend of heartwarming moments and thrilling narratives, but the emotional depth may not fully resonate with all players.
- “At times thought-provoking science fiction, at other times heartwarming romance, and in other occasions thrilling crime-indulgence.”
- “Emotional towards the character.”
- “This is one of the best choices of game; the story is entertaining, interesting, and emotional.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by clever writing and well-integrated details that are consistently referenced throughout the story, showcasing the signature style of the creator, Dattilo.
- “I recognized Dattilo's signature: a really well-written story with clever humor and a lot of little details that don't go forgotten but are referenced throughout the story.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users suggest that the game's graphics and sound effects are not essential, emphasizing that a strong imagination can enhance the experience regardless of visual and auditory elements.
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development in the game is praised for being gripping and well-written, contributing significantly to the overall narrative and enhancing replayability.
- “Gripping, well-written story with good character development and a lot of replayability.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay features simplified stat mechanics that some players find less intuitive compared to other titles in the genre, leading to inconsistent experiences where actions can yield unexpectedly high fatigue levels. This lack of clarity in the mechanics can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “The stat mechanics, though much more simplistic, weren't as intuitive to me as most Choice of Games titles are (Heroes Trilogy, Hero of Kendrickstone, Slammed!); sometimes you can use your powers with no or very little ill effects, while at other times, you'll do something that seems much simpler and generate a huge amount of fatigue.”
- “The stat mechanics, though much more simplistic, weren't as intuitive to me as most Choice of Games titles are (Heroes Trilogy, Hero of Kendrickstone, Slammed!); sometimes you can use your powers with no or very little ill effects, while other times you'll do something that seems much simpler and generate a huge amount of fatigue.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is praised for enhancing the experience, particularly when paired with curated playlists like "most epic music ever" by hdsoundi, which complements the gameplay effectively.
- “As a standalone CYOA game, I believe that it performs admirably, especially when accompanied by a suitable YouTube mix (I recommend 'Most Epic Music Ever' by HDSoundi).”