Temporality

About

Temporality is a single player action game with a warfare theme. It was developed by James Earl Cox III and was released on November 12, 2018. It received positive reviews from players.

"Temporality" is an interactive music video-game featuring the song "Transitivity" by Julie Buchanan. The game, which can be played using keys A and D, has been praised for its unique beauty and emotional impact. It has been featured on several platforms and received a bronze award at the Serious Play Conference 2015. The game is the 61st out of 100 games developed in 5 years.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 76 reviews

music5 positive mentions

graphics2 negative mentions

A poignant and emotional experience that effectively conveys the harsh realities of war through minimalist storytelling.
The game is short and free, making it an accessible piece of interactive art that encourages reflection on life and the experiences of soldiers.
Despite its simplicity, the game features beautiful music and visuals that enhance its impactful message.

The gameplay is extremely limited, consisting mainly of pressing two keys, which may leave some players feeling unsatisfied.
Many scenes are repetitive, which can diminish the emotional impact and make the experience feel shallow.
Some players may find it more of an art piece than a game, leading to mixed feelings about its classification and overall value.

music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
The music in the game is widely praised for its emotional depth and perfect accompaniment to the pixel art style, enhancing the poignant narrative of a soldier's experience in World War I. Composed by Julie Buchanan, the soundtrack is described as beautiful and chilling, making the short gameplay a memorable and affecting experience. Overall, the music significantly elevates the game's impact, creating a powerful atmosphere despite its brevity.
- “The music is perfect.”
- “A surprisingly affecting music video describing the memories of dying soldiers in the Great War.”
- “This game may be short, but nevertheless a poignant experience set to beautiful music.”
- “Four scenes total of you just running forward while music plays in the background.”
- “You can't send a message by having pixels move and sad music play.”
- “Interesting that the composer, Julie Buchanan, also did the music for The Other Half.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay of Temporality is minimalistic and largely non-traditional, with players only able to move time forward or backward using two keys, resulting in a lack of conventional gaming mechanics. While it is presented as a game, many reviewers emphasize that it functions more as an artistic installation, offering a visually impactful experience rather than engaging gameplay. Overall, the gameplay is rated poorly, with some users giving it a score of 0/10 due to its simplistic and limited interactions.
- “The gameplay also reminds me of the movie Tenet.”
- “Despite the use of simple color palettes, art assets, and only 2 directional keys for gameplay, this short game depicts a visually profound message in each scene.”
- “There is not much to say about the gameplay, in the way that you can just make the time go forth or back, in order to visualize the lifetime of the character.”
- “Temporality is a free 2D retro pixel art installation masquerading as a game, but it's important to note there is no gameplay here.”
- “There is not much to say about the gameplay, as you can only make time go forward or backward to visualize the lifetime of the character.”
- “Do not make the mistake of thinking it is a proper game, because the only gameplay consists of pressing 'd' to move forward in time or 'a' to revert time.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
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40%
The game features a minimalist yet impactful storytelling approach, focusing on the internal struggles of a soldier during war. It is described more as an interactive story than a traditional video game, offering a unique rewind mechanic that enhances the narrative experience. Overall, it delivers a profound exploration of human emotions in the context of battle.
- “A nice example of competent minimalist storytelling in video games.”
- “Nice to see some really human storytelling in games when it comes to wars.”
- “It's a story about a soldier and the things that go through his mind as he charges into battle.”
- “It isn't exactly a video game, rather an interactive story with an option to rewind (back & forward), but it has a deep story to tell you.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its surprisingly strong emotional impact, resonating with players who appreciate video games as "emotional art-pieces." It is recommended for those seeking a profound and evocative gaming experience.
- “Surprisingly good, and somewhat emotional.”
- “Give it a try if you like video games that are 'emotional art pieces.'”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The graphics received mixed reviews, with some praising the chunky pixel art style and its fitting musical accompaniment, while others criticized the visuals as extremely unattractive, resulting in a low overall rating.
- “The chunky pixel art style and music accompaniment are on point.”
- “The graphics are as ugly as they could possibly be.”
- “Graphics: 0/10”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with some users rating it as low as 0/10, indicating that there is little incentive to play it again after the initial experience.
- “The replay value is practically non-existent.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's no incentive to play it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel pointless.”