Putt-Putt Travels Through Time

About

In "Putt-Putt® Travels Through Time," Mr. Firebird's time machine malfunctions, causing Putt-Putt's friend Pep to be lost in time. Your child must join Putt-Putt on an adventure through various time periods, making new friends and solving puzzles to find Pep. The game features dynamic changes in Putt-Putt's world with each playthrough, offering a unique experience. Explore prehistoric times, the Old West, and the future, meeting interesting characters along the way to help reunite our friends.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Putt-Putt Travels Through Time screenshot

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 284 reviews

story4 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Putt-Putt Travels Through Time is a nostalgic classic that offers a fun and engaging experience for both children and adults, with its charming characters and colorful environments.
The game features educational elements that promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills, making it a great choice for young players.
With randomized item locations and multiple paths to explore, the game provides excellent replayability, ensuring that each playthrough feels fresh and exciting.

Some players find the game to be overly simplistic and short, which may not provide enough challenge for older audiences.
The lack of a save feature can be frustrating, as players must complete the game in one sitting, which may not be ideal for everyone.
Certain aspects of the game, such as the voice acting and some sound effects, may feel dated or off-putting to modern players.

story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
67%
14%
The game's story is described as compact and engaging, offering family-friendly humor and multiple paths for replayability, though some players find it devolves into fetch quests. While many appreciate the unique characters and emotional depth, others highlight darker interpretations of the narrative, suggesting it may not be suitable for younger audiences. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a mix of fun and challenge, with varying levels of complexity and themes that can resonate differently with players.
- “The story is family friendly featuring appropriate humor, puzzles, and mini-games for all ages.”
- “Amazing storytelling and not too hard but still a challenge.”
- “The story is fun, the characters are unique, and the game is big and varied enough that you could play it multiple times in a row and still have fun.”
- “Tldr: could have been the more colorful game of this miniseries, it devolves into what seems like one long fetch quest while you warp constantly over the multiple environments.”
- “Warning: if not 18 or older, this game will be very frightening. Putt-Putt Travels Through Time is the story of a drunken alcoholic going through his crazy fever dreams. Dr. Firebird is his drug dealer, and all his items represent different troubles in his life. He loses them all after going through rehab, but on a quest to get them back, he falls down the spiral of drugs and alcohol once again. Please proceed with caution.”
- “The puzzles are rather basic, but they are not required for completing the game; they don't progress the story.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
36%
27%
The music in the game is widely praised, with many considering it some of Jeremy Soule's best work, particularly highlighting the catchy theme song and a powerful ballad sung by the in-game muses. Reviewers appreciate the variety and quality of the soundtrack, noting its ability to stick in players' minds long after playing. Overall, the music significantly enhances the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “The music is some of Jeremy Soule's best work as a composer.”
- “The theme song gets wildly stuck in my head.”
- “Most importantly, the song sung by the clocks-- the muses of our age-- is a powerful ballad that rings through the ages.”
- “The theme song actually plays in my head on loop 24/7.”
- “Topiary creatures' song was still better (from Saves the Zoo): -5 points.”
- “Then imagine my surprise when I'm watching the credits and see notorious sex pest (and brilliant Elder Scrolls composer) Jeremy Soule did some of the music for this game.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for being family-friendly and appropriate for all ages, featuring witty moments, funny characters, and engaging mini-games. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone and the inclusion of humorous activities, making it enjoyable for both kids and adults. Overall, the game successfully blends fun and comedy, contributing to its appeal.
- “I liked the funny scaredy T-Rex that helped me get my calculator back.”
- “The story is family-friendly featuring appropriate humor, puzzles, and mini-games for all ages.”
- “The game has cool music, funny moments, great characters, and so much variety.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The gameplay of "Putt Putt Travels Through Time" is praised for its nostalgic charm and engaging mechanics, though some players feel it can be convoluted with fetch quests. While the graphics have improved since earlier titles, opinions vary on whether the gameplay has aged well, with some suggesting it requires a seasoned gamer to fully appreciate its depth. Overall, it offers a unique experience with replayability, despite some concerns about violence and complexity.
- “Even though the story is the same each time you replay the game, the gameplay is different and you have to do different things to progress.”
- “The gameplay is not dated at all, and the graphics look almost as good as the original Crysis.”
- “It really goes to show that despite this game and its predecessor having better graphics than the first two games, the first two may arguably have had better gameplay.”
- “Some of these old adventure games (even the kids' ones) lack fun little optional content and have convoluted fetch quest mechanics that require a guide.”
- “I’d also like to note that you must be a seasoned gamer to truly appreciate some of the mechanics and get the most out of your experience.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
43%
43%
The game offers significant replayability through multiple goal paths, randomized object locations, and varied quests, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the educational elements and diverse landscapes, which enhance the overall experience, particularly for younger audiences. Overall, the improvements in puzzle design and randomization contribute to a higher replay value compared to earlier installments.
- “What's more, this is a game that actually starts to have a lot of replayability to it.”
- “One nice thing I noticed about this particular installment, which I don't remember being the case for the earlier games, was that there are multiple goal paths for the game, meaning increased replay value for children.”
- “I mostly play for my son to enjoy (and as a Ron Gilbert completionist), but this one checks more boxes than the others: educational (dinosaur facts, well that's educational), a bit longer with more 'screens' to explore, diverse landscapes, some of the minigames are amusing, and there's replayability in the sense that each new game randomizes the location of the objects you need to find, and different locations means different quests.”
- “The randomized puzzles add a lot of replay value to the game.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
50%
The graphics of the game are praised for their vibrant, cartoonish aesthetic that has aged well since its 90s release, contributing to an enjoyable exploration experience. Reviewers highlight the beautiful visuals and well-designed characters, noting that the artwork, voice acting, and music complement the overall presentation effectively. Despite some comparisons to earlier titles, the graphics are considered impressive, even rivaling modern standards.
- “For starters, it's an educational 90s point-and-click game with a really cool cartoony aesthetic and graphical look that holds up really well today.”
- “This game has the most beautiful graphics and amazing in-depth characters such as 'Wood Wood' and the sussy apatosaurus.”
- “The gameplay is not dated at all, and the graphics look almost as good as the original Crysis.”
- “It really goes to show that despite this game and its predecessor having better graphics than the first two games, the first two may arguably have had better gameplay.”
- “The graphics are underwhelming and feel outdated compared to other titles released around the same time.”
- “While the art style is unique, the execution leaves much to be desired, resulting in a visually disappointing experience.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its profound emotional impact, described as an emotional rollercoaster that evokes laughter and tears while taking players on a heartfelt journey through time. Reviewers recommend it as a wholesome and engaging experience, particularly for parents seeking meaningful entertainment for their children. Overall, it is considered a must-buy for its ability to resonate deeply with players.
- “10/10 quality game, an emotional rollercoaster that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.”
- “This game follows an emotional journey through time.”
- “10/10 an emotional, heart-wrenching journey; a must buy.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The character development of Toby the Train is notably impactful, transforming from a creepy old pervert to a loyal and rehabilitated friend, evoking strong emotional responses from players.
- “The character development of Toby the Train from a creepy old pervert to a loyal, rehabilitated friend brought tears to my eyes.”
- “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any meaningful growth throughout the game.”
- “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't evolve in any surprising or engaging ways.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report that the game runs smoothly without any significant issues, indicating a high level of stability.
- “Runs great!”
- “The game maintains a smooth performance without any crashes.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is, even during intense moments.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its richness, effectively compensating for the character's one-dimensionality, while the driving physics are noted as being particularly well-executed.
- “While I find the character of Putt-Putt to be somewhat one-dimensional, the game more than makes up for it with its rich atmosphere and spot-on driving physics.”