TIMEframe

About

TIMEframe is a single player action game. It was developed by Random Seed Games and was released on July 7, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

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

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63%

Audience ScoreBased on 528 reviews

music155 positive mentions

grinding11 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and atmospheric music create an immersive experience.
The concept of exploring a civilization on the brink of destruction is intriguing and thought-provoking.
Short playtime of about an hour makes it a quick, relaxing experience.

Gameplay is limited to walking and clicking on artifacts, with no real interactivity or puzzles.
The time limit mechanic forces players to rush through the exploration, detracting from the overall experience.
The world feels empty and lacks meaningful content, making it feel repetitive and tedious.

music
271 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, providing a calming and melancholic backdrop to the exploration experience. Many reviewers noted that the soundtrack, while sometimes repetitive, is well-composed and integral to the game's emotional impact, often signaling important moments in the gameplay. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features, elevating the game's artistic presentation and making it a worthwhile experience for players who appreciate atmospheric soundscapes.
- “Between the music, the atmosphere, and the periodic (but not too short or too long) playthrough loops, the game offers a sense of serenity.”
- “A beautiful music score underlines the experience, which also gives hints about how much time is left until the apocalypse.”
- “The music fits the walking simulator throughout its duration and even if it's short, the locations are all fascinating.”
- “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.”
- “The soundtrack is simple but effective, becoming more elaborate with every new discovery.”
story
233 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
70%
6%
The story in this walking simulator is described as minimalistic yet evocative, focusing on the impending doom of an ancient civilization through fragmented text found at various locations. While some players appreciate the atmospheric storytelling and the emotional depth conveyed through music, many criticize the narrative for being vague, disjointed, and lacking engagement, often feeling more like an art exhibit than a cohesive game. Overall, the experience is seen as a blend of beauty and melancholy, with a story that requires patience and exploration to piece together.
- “Beautiful walking sim with a story both sad and hopeful.”
- “The music really adds to the story you unveil during your walkthrough, and if you actually pay attention to everything there is to read in the game, it's quite a nice story.”
- “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
141 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique, minimalist art style that features stylized polygonal shapes and a soothing color palette, creating a relaxing atmosphere. While many players appreciate the beauty and artistic design, some criticize the graphics for being simplistic or repetitive, suggesting that they may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the visuals are often described as enchanting and evocative, complementing the game's melancholic soundtrack and narrative, though 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 are average and the color scheme is monotonous.”
- “The simple graphics would work if there was enough content to see and interact with, but there is virtually nothing here.”
- “The graphics were boring and so was the game.”
gameplay
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
81%
7%
The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator, involving slow traversal between points of interest to read text and uncover the story, with minimal interactivity and no puzzles. Many players find the time-loop mechanic frustrating and repetitive, as it resets progress every 10 minutes, leading to a lack of engaging gameplay. While the visuals and soundtrack are praised, the overall experience is often described as shallow and lacking in substantial gameplay elements, making it difficult to justify the game's price for its short duration.
- “The gameplay consists of you walking, exploring, and discovering inscribed objects that reward you with excerpts from the past of their culture.”
- “The gameplay is walking from point to point and clicking the highlighted object; the game took about an hour to play but it's a short fun experience and worth getting on sale when it's around a dollar.”
- “A pleasant experience, but no real skill-based gameplay to be found unfortunately.”
- “There is zero gameplay.”
- “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 gameplay was standard walking simulator fare, but didn't do much to add to the genre.”
atmosphere
95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
20%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its serene and melancholic qualities, enhanced by a beautiful soundtrack and minimalist visuals. Players appreciate the immersive experience of exploring a world on the brink of destruction, with many noting the calming yet unnerving ambiance that encourages reflection. However, some critiques mention that the gameplay mechanics can detract from fully enjoying the atmospheric elements, as the time constraints limit exploration.
- “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.”
- “A relaxing and atmospheric experience, this walking simulator based off a Ludum Dare project has you exploring the last moments of a valley civilization, which worships an impending comet.”
- “Walking simulators live and die on story and atmosphere, and Timeframe flops on both.”
- “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.”
- “Ironically, the lore that was added for exploration also lessened the atmosphere somewhat.”
grinding
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and boring, particularly due to the extensive walking required to explore vast areas and reach various monuments. While the beautiful environments and engaging writings provide some reward for the effort, the repetitive nature of traversing large distances and the forced resets after 10 minutes contribute to a sense of monotony. Overall, while the game offers easy completion and farming opportunities, the journey can feel laborious and detracts from the overall experience.
- “I knew it was a loop, but the gameplay feels tedious and 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.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
37%
36%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its low replayability, with many users noting that once the story and locations are fully explored, there is little incentive to play again. While a few players mention potential for replay through exploration and achievements, the consensus leans towards a lack of engaging content for multiple playthroughs, often rating it around 3 out of 10 for replay value.
- “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, I have a few nitpicks that I would like to see changed, even if I never touch this game again, as it doesn't have much replayability.”
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 mechanics, the game's aesthetic and heartfelt narrative leave a lasting emotional impact, with many players expressing that it moved them to tears.
- “This is a beautiful and surprisingly emotional game.”
- “I liked how it kept playing the end of the world; it made me feel sympathetic towards the civilization that had lived there.”
- “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 and graphical glitches. Additionally, there are concerns about excessive heat generation during gameplay, indicating potential performance problems.
- “The game runs smoothly, which is a positive aspect.”
- “The game doesn't seem optimized at all, considering the low FPS and the graphical glitches I experienced, such as crystals and obelisks.”
- “My computer heated up significantly while playing this game, indicating some optimization issues.”
- “My computer heated up like a jet engine while playing this game, so there are definitely some optimization problems.”
- “The game doesn't seem optimized at all, considering the low FPS, and I experienced several graphical glitches (crystals and obelisks).”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game is criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users advising against spending money on it. Comparisons to other franchises highlight a perceived lack of depth and emotional engagement, suggesting that the game's financial model detracts from its overall value.
- “Unless you know the developer personally, please do not give them money for this high school cash grab.”
- “The advertising trailers for Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 3 possess more (and deeper) meaning and brought on more powerful emotions than this game is ever able to muster, even if you know nothing about those other franchises whatsoever.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have reported significant stability issues, including frequent crashes and low frame rates, which are attributed to video glitches and poor optimization. Additionally, graphical anomalies such as crystals and obelisks further detract from the overall experience.
- “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 lighthearted moments with nostalgia and melancholy, which some players find amusing. While the humor may not resonate with everyone, it contributes to an overall enjoyable experience that keeps players engaged.
- “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/melancholy, and it made me laugh (not sure if I have bad humor or not, haha).”