TIMEframe

About

TIMEframe is a single-player adventure game with a deep, engaging story and delightful visuals. It features a relaxing, dynamic soundtrack and a unique polygonal art style. With a short playthrough time and high replayability, TIMEframe offers a thoughtful, meditative experience that reveals new intrigue and history with each loop.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 515 reviews

music153 positive mentions

replayability4 negative mentions

Beautiful art style and unique graphics create an immersive atmosphere.
The soundtrack is calming and enhances the overall experience.
The concept of exploring a civilization on the brink of destruction is intriguing and thought-provoking.

Gameplay is limited to walking and clicking on artifacts, with no real interaction or puzzles.
The time loop mechanic can be frustrating, forcing players to restart frequently and hindering exploration.
The game is very short, taking only about an hour to complete, which may not justify the price.

music
267 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, creating a relaxing and melancholic experience that complements the visual aesthetics. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as the standout feature, with its soothing melodies and dynamic changes that reflect the player's exploration and the impending doom of the game's narrative. However, some note that the limited variety in the soundtrack can lead to repetitiveness over the short playtime, yet overall, the music is considered a significant asset to the game's emotional impact.
- “A beautiful music score underlines the experience, which also gives hints about how much time is left until the apocalypse.”
- “The music tells its own story that matches your own discovery of the game's story.”
- “The soundtrack is absolutely amazing, and perhaps the one thing that made this game worthwhile.”
- “This one has none of that, you just walk around the map looking for artifacts while a bit of music plays.”
- “The graphics and music weren't enough to save the game, and all in all it very quickly became boring.”
- “The music is repetitive to the point of annoyance, the story didn't seem that interesting, and the locations are interesting looking but since they're static, you're just walking to them and walking away.”
story
231 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
71%
6%
The story in this walking simulator is often described as minimalistic and fragmented, requiring players to piece together narrative elements from scattered artifacts and text. While some players appreciate the melancholic atmosphere and the emotional depth conveyed through music and visuals, many criticize the lack of a cohesive or engaging plot, with some finding the storytelling approach too vague or shallow. Overall, the experience is seen as more of an artistic exploration than a traditional game, appealing primarily to those who enjoy atmospheric storytelling over gameplay.
- “Beautiful walking sim with a story both sad and hopeful.”
- “The atmosphere is incredible, the music is sublime and the story... the story just goes right to your heart.”
- “A wistful story of hope, acceptance, impermanence and transcendence told with precious few words and delightful music.”
- “The gameplay consists of very slowly walking to various points on a map to bring up a screen of text, detailing a story and world that you'll know the fate of by the time you get the third one.”
- “The world itself simply doesn't have a story to tell.”
- “The story is absolutely threadbare.”
graphics
138 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
4%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique, minimalist art style that features distinctly shaded triangles and a low-poly aesthetic, which many players find beautiful and evocative. While some appreciate the simplicity and the way it enhances the atmosphere, others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking detail, leading to mixed feelings about its overall visual appeal. Overall, the visuals are often described as charming and atmospheric, complemented by a fitting soundtrack, but opinions vary on their depth and engagement.
- “The art style is unique; all the textures and particle effects consist of very distinctly shaded triangles, almost like little mosaics.”
- “I was constantly in awe of the simple but beautifully done graphics.”
- “The graphics are very nice, stylized polygons and slightly pixellated textures (this is deliberate but looks pretty good).”
- “The graphics and music weren't enough to save the game, and all in all it very quickly became boring.”
- “The graphics were boring and so was the game.”
- “The story is okay, and the graphics are like 3D tech demos from the 1990s.”
gameplay
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
81%
6%
The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator, involving slow traversal between points of interest to read text that reveals the story, with minimal interactivity and no puzzles. Many players find the time-loop mechanic frustrating, as it resets progress frequently, leading to a repetitive experience that lacks depth. While the visuals and soundtrack are praised, the overall gameplay is considered shallow and not worth the price for those seeking more engaging mechanics.
- “The gameplay consists of you walking, exploring, and discovering inscribed objects that reward you with excerpts from the past of their culture.”
- “It's an exploration game with, in all my years of gaming, one of the most endearing and interesting mechanics with beauty in its simplicity.”
- “The exploring (gameplay) is amazing, and just feels right.”
- “The gameplay consists of very slowly walking to various points on a map to bring up a screen of text, detailing a story and world that you'll know the fate of by the time you get the third one.”
- “There is no gameplay to speak of, merely walking and reading.”
- “The time loop mechanic is not very well implemented - there is no true visual indication of how much time you have left, so it is pretty common to be nearing a megalith when suddenly the cycle ends and you have to start over.”
atmosphere
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
20%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, characterized by a melancholic yet relaxing ambiance enhanced by a captivating soundtrack. Players appreciate the grand environments and the sense of exploration, although some express frustration with the limitations on exploration due to gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game is described as an atmospheric walking simulator that effectively immerses players in a compelling world, despite its brevity and minimalistic story.
- “It's slow and hardly rewarding, but the fleeing transience of life itself comes across through a beautiful little score and atmospheric worldbuilding.”
- “The environments are grand and impressive to look at, and honestly, the atmosphere the game has is exceptional.”
- “The atmosphere is incredible, the music is sublime, and the story... the story just goes right to your heart.”
- “Walking simulators live and die on story and atmosphere, and Timeframe flops on both.”
- “Walking simulators generally encourage you to take your time and drink in the atmosphere, but Timeframe's main mechanic prevents this from actually being something you can do.”
- “While the landscape looks pretty, and the slow-motion parts add a bullet-time surrealism to the atmosphere, the game is ultimately boring: the vast majority of your time will be spent with your finger on the W key, moving toward whichever monument you haven't visited yet, listening to the same two guitar and piano tracks.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
36%
36%
Overall, the game suffers from low replayability, with many players noting that once they have explored all locations and completed the game, there is little incentive to play again. While some mention potential for exploration and achievements, the consensus leans towards a lack of engaging content for multiple playthroughs, often resulting in a disappointing experience for those seeking longevity.
- “Well, from what I can tell thus far, it may indeed have quite a bit of replayability as there's a sufficiently large landscape to explore, and quite a number of achievements to unlock.”
- “This was a nice, thoughtful game that some might consider relaxing, but I enjoyed it once I figured out what was going on. I have a few nitpicks that I would like to see changed, even if I never touch this game again (it doesn't have much replayability).”
- “The one major downside of the timeframe is its replayability; once you have discovered and completed everything, there isn't much else to do.”
- “But this game has absolutely no replay value once you discover all of its locations and come to a conclusion (or not) about what it’s all about.”
- “The one major downside of the game is its replayability; once you have discovered and completed everything, there isn't much else to do.”
- “This was a nice, thoughtful game that some might consider relaxing, but I enjoyed it once I figured out what was going on. However, it doesn't have much replayability.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious due to the extensive walking required to explore vast areas and reach scattered monuments, often leading to repetitive backtracking. While the journey can feel monotonous, many appreciate the enriching writings and music that accompany the exploration, making the experience worthwhile despite its shortcomings. Overall, the game offers a short playtime of about 40-60 minutes, which some players feel could be more engaging.
- “Walking is tedious and insanely boring.”
- “The journey to make it to each of the locations before the comet hits within the 10 minutes (thankfully, progress is saved) is not a particularly pleasant one, and the initial part is an exercise in guesswork and tedious wandering before you can properly get the orientation down.”
- “After 10 minutes of walking around, the game forces you back to the spawn point, making it very tedious to walk back to wherever you were.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke a range of feelings, from ambivalence to deep sympathy for a civilization facing imminent destruction. Players appreciate the blend of exploration and impending doom, which creates a poignant atmosphere that resonates with themes of impermanence and loss. Despite some critiques regarding gameplay depth, the game's aesthetic and heartfelt narrative leave a lasting emotional impact, with many players expressing that it moved them to tears.
- “I struggle to call this a 'game.' It's a walking simulator with a neat aesthetic, present backstory, and a surprising level of emotional reaction; I was ambivalent when it first started, compelled when I found lore, confused when I saw the only movement in the world, and surprised and scared when the comet comes and wipes everything out, then determined to find everything out.”
- “This is a beautiful and surprisingly emotional game.”
- “In timeframe, you're stuck on a planet that is about to be reduced to ash in 10 seconds, but every second takes a minute to pass, and so you can explore this planet that is about to be obliterated. It gets really emotional; you see how beautiful some of the buildings are, and the statues, the tower. It's kind of sad to think that it will all be gone and forgotten.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
While the game runs smoothly for some players, many report significant optimization issues, including low frame rates, graphical glitches, and excessive heat generation from their hardware during gameplay. Overall, the optimization appears to be lacking, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The game runs smoothly, which is a positive aspect.”
- “The game doesn't seem optimized at all, considering the low FPS and several graphical glitches I experienced.”
- “My computer heated up like a jet engine while playing this game, indicating some optimization problems.”
- “My computer heated up like a jet engine while playing this game, indicating some serious optimization problems.”
- “The game doesn't seem optimized at all, considering the low FPS, and I experienced several graphical glitches, such as crystals and obelisks.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users expressing disappointment in its lack of depth and emotional engagement compared to other franchises. Many recommend against financially supporting the developer unless there is a personal connection.
- “Unless you know the developer personally, please do not give them money for this high school cash grab.”
- “The monetization in this game feels exploitative and is a major turn-off for players looking for a fair experience.”
- “The constant push for in-game purchases detracts from the overall enjoyment and immersion of the game.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have reported significant stability issues, including frequent crashes attributed to video glitches and low frame rates. Additionally, there are numerous graphical glitches that detract from the overall experience, indicating a lack of optimization.
- “While playing, my game crashed three times due to what I presume were video glitches.”
- “The game doesn't seem optimized at all considering the low FPS, and I experienced several graphical glitches (crystals and obelisks).”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game elicits a range of emotions, blending nostalgia and melancholy with moments that provoke genuine laughter, suggesting a unique and personal comedic touch that resonates differently with each player.
- “It woke my curiosity, I felt happy when I found one of the artifacts, I felt fear when I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, I felt angry when I didn't manage to make it in time, I felt nostalgic and it made me laugh (not sure if I have bad humor or not, haha).”