Stuck In Time
- December 9, 2021
- Housemade Inc.
- 65h median play time
Get on Steam"Stuck In Time" is a single-player, narrative-driven adventure game where you must help trapped souls move on from the mysterious house they inhabit. Utilize time manipulation abilities to solve puzzles, uncover secrets, and interact with the house's enigmatic inhabitants. With its unique gameplay and intriguing storyline, "Stuck In Time" offers a memorable and immersive gaming experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Unique gameplay that combines idle mechanics with exploration and puzzle-solving.
- Satisfying progression as actions become easier with familiarity, allowing for deeper exploration.
- Charming pixel art and engaging story elements that unfold as you progress.
- Clunky UI and lack of quality of life features make managing long action lists tedious.
- Game can feel grindy, especially in the early stages, with slow progression and repetitive tasks.
- Frequent crashes and save file issues can lead to frustration and loss of progress.
- gameplay292 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a unique blend of idle mechanics and programming-style puzzles, allowing players to optimize their actions and explore a richly developed world. While many players appreciate the innovative mechanics and engaging core loop, some express concerns about the pacing, UI/UX issues, and a lack of depth in certain gameplay elements. Overall, it offers a compelling experience for fans of idle games and those who enjoy strategic planning, though it may require patience to fully appreciate its intricacies.
“A really neat central mechanic here, it's an interesting mix of a programming puzzle game and an idle/incremental.”
“Great balance of game mechanics (optimizing loops) and exploration (discovering the story).”
“The looping mechanic is well thought out; the world develops as your character explores and completes tasks, enabling new approaches to old problems and progression to happen somewhat organically.”
“Not a fleshed out set of features or gameplay loop, seems rushed.”
“The gameplay loop is just too unvaried for the amount of effort you need to put in.”
“Gameplay is non-existent; I'm a software engineer in real life and I understand that the game is trying to teach kids programming.”
- story190 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its intriguing premise, character development, and the gradual unfolding of narrative elements through gameplay. While some find the story engaging and fun, others note that it lacks depth and can feel repetitive or grindy, with a desire for more exploration and lore. Overall, it strikes a balance between mechanics and storytelling, making it a compelling experience for fans of narrative-driven idle games.
“Stuck in time for 145 hours... had a lot of fun and was depressed beyond what I thought was possible because of my choices and the story... absolutely lovely game, great story, fun gameplay, easy mechanics and a few not too hard puzzles.”
“I loved the way the story and progression drives the character to change the way loops are approached.”
“Characters and story: for every character I was so eager to see not only the mechanical benefits they could give me but the lore and personality they had was just great.”
“Not seen much of the world nor story to keep you going.”
“The grind emphasis would still be okay if what you discover on your journey was interesting or funny in some way, or if the story was well-written or clever; in my opinion, stuck in time has neither surprising discoveries nor a well-written story.”
“It's too short as far as the map and gameplay goes, and too long as far as trying to reach the end and complete the story goes.”
- graphics170 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the detailed pixel art and unique aesthetic that evokes a nostalgic feel, reminiscent of classic titles. However, a significant number of players have noted the similarities to "Loop Hero," leading to accusations of aesthetic borrowing, which some feel detracts from the game's originality. Overall, while the visuals are generally well-received, the debate over their inspiration from other games remains a prominent theme in the feedback.
“The sprite work for the character portrait animations is some of the best stylized pixel art I have ever seen.”
“The graphics are pretty slick for this sort of game, comparing it to things like Groundhog Life and Increlution.”
“For such small pixel art, there is great detail, and a strong, dark aesthetic that has a certain Lovecraft vibe to it.”
“If you want an average quality pixel graphics tileset playing on one of your monitors that you occasionally tab to to fiddle with while something downloads, be my guest.”
“I was very put off by how much the art style seemed to be imitating Loop Hero at first; it made me think this would be a rushed, low-quality knockoff.”
“So no, can't recommend a game that is technically good, but whose developer got lazy after finishing the gameplay design and simply aped the artwork and world from another game instead of taking the time to develop their own style.”
- grinding114 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it both tedious and integral to progression. While some appreciate the idle mechanics and the challenge of optimizing grinding loops, others feel that the repetitive nature and lack of quality-of-life features can make the experience frustrating. Overall, the game caters to fans of idle and time-loop genres, but those seeking a more dynamic or less grind-heavy experience may find it lacking.
“Not very fun, the grinding kind of slows down the pace right away and though I know it's an idle game, why not give us a fast forward button?”
“Was able to 100% it in about 5 straight days (including grinding 'familiarity' while asleep and at work), but honestly any longer would have just felt tedious.”
“The patience required to play this with such a poor UI decision of not showing you what your character's state will be at any given time while planning your loop is astronomical; it's tedious to the point of frustrating obfuscation.”
- optimization52 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with players noting a lack of automation and cumbersome manual route building that can lead to confusion. While some enjoy the puzzle-like aspect of optimization and find it integral to gameplay, others report significant performance issues, particularly during late-game scenarios, despite recent updates aimed at improving quality of life. Overall, while optimization is a core element of the experience, it could benefit from further enhancements to streamline gameplay and reduce lag.
“An excellent blend of time management, optimization, and idle grinding to improve your stats and enable new routes and strategies that enhance your runs.”
“It's 50+ hours of exploration, optimization, thinking, laughing, setting goals for yourself, and reaching them.”
“As the game progresses, your paths and plans evolve; a lot of the fun comes from optimization and discovery — different stats become more or less valuable depending on your stage of development, fundamentally changing the gameplay.”
“Having to build new routes from scratch is pretty annoying and there is very little route optimization or automation. You have to do that all by hand, and it's very easy to lose track of every single function in your route, especially if you finish a route and want to fix something in the middle of it; it gets messy.”
“The worst part is the poor optimization. Maybe my inexperience is showing, but when a strong PC build drops to 0-5 fps for 2-3 seconds every time a single change is made to a large loop, something needs to be looked at.”
“There is some strong indication that map screens have active render routines despite not being displayed, which may account for some of the performance issues.”
- music46 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its quality and nostalgic feel, likening it to classic Super Nintendo soundtracks. However, some users expressed frustration over the lack of looping and the limited frequency of music playback, which detracted from their overall experience. Despite these issues, the soundtrack is generally considered a highlight, with requests for options to purchase it or have more control over its playback.
“The soundtrack is sooooo good.”
“As if this wasn't enough, the game is complete with a soundtrack that feels like a love letter to half the Super Nintendo games I played growing up.”
“Solid game, great visuals, excellent soundtrack, good price.”
“The music does not loop, and the developer has actively chosen to make it that way.”
“I don't know if it was an issue on my end, but the music playing over the game ironically stopped after one duration rather than looping.”
“Sound effects fulfill their goal while the music is too repetitive and feels really unfitting.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many players expressing disappointment over the absence of additional levels, maps, or a new game plus (NG+) system. While the main story is well-designed and enjoyable, the consensus is that once completed, there is little incentive to replay the game.
“I'm only sad that it doesn't have different levels or a whole lot of replayability, though its main story is well designed and a lot of fun!”
“I just beat the game, it really needs a new game plus or prestige system; without it, the game has zero replayability. But 186.1 hours for $11.50 AUD isn't bad, although half of that was asleep grinding.”
“There isn't much replay value, if any.”
“I just beat the game, it really needs a NG+ or prestige system; without it, the game has zero replayability. But 186.1 hours for $11.50 AUD isn't bad, although half of that was asleep grinding.”
“I don't think this has much replayability, but I'd certainly be interested in other games with a similar approach.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a key element that enhances the overall experience, providing a lighthearted counterbalance to the grinding gameplay. While some players appreciate the engaging story and funny moments, others feel that the lack of surprising discoveries and clever writing detracts from the humor's effectiveness. The presence of multiple endings adds a layer of irony, as players must invest significant time to achieve them, which some find amusing.
“All while uncovering a fun story with mystery and humor to offset the idling and grinding, making it a very engaging and pleasant experience.”
“Having multiple endings is funny considering that a single ending itself takes thousands of 'runs'.”
“It's 50+ hours of exploration, optimization, thinking, laughing, setting goals for yourself, and reaching them.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a player-friendly monetization model, with no microtransactions, energy systems, or advertisements, allowing for an uninterrupted gaming experience.
“No microtransactions, no energy.”
“No ads.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a desire for deeper emotional engagement through quest lines that explore the women's perspectives and their shared plight in the time loop. This addition could enhance the game's emotional depth and foster a stronger connection between characters and players.
“This game will get a full and heartfelt endorsement when the developers add quest lines from the women to earn their trust or explain to them the fact that they are also trapped in the time loop and will never see tomorrow unless they choose to provide the blood to help you break the loop.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by its intriguing lore, particularly through diary entries that not only enrich the narrative but also provide essential hints for progression. This depth of storytelling contributes to a unique and immersive world that feels distinct and engaging.
“The lore is surprisingly interesting and atmospheric if you choose to read the diary entries (and you should, because they contain vital progression hints), and in the end, it sets this world apart as something that stands on its own feet.”
