Time Master is the latest 3D puzzle platformer to hit Steam; a game loaded with style, charm and some truly innovative game design. You might have seen games similar to Time Master in the past but none that are quite this elegant or packaged with such a polished presentation and narrative. You’ll be playing as Zeno who has “accidentally” banished his sister to a prison vortex. He’ll need to collect a whole bunch of time crystals in order to save her, which kicks off a series of creative platform puzzles that get increasingly more challenging as new time manipulation concepts and environmental obstacles are introduced into the game mechanics.
The core game concept is simple; collect all the time crystals scattered about each level and reach the exit platform within the time limit. You are given three time goals per level, each rewarding you with 1-3 stars based on how fast you can complete each level. Naturally, the 3-star reward has no room for error, often requiring some truly out-of-the-box thinking to complete those single-digit time requirements. Stars are used to unlock additional levels, and thankfully those “gates” don’t require perfection in the previous puzzles to complete the game.
Gameplay consists of you moving Zeno around the levels collecting stars, but the added element of time manipulation puts a thoughtful spin on the concept. At any time you can rewind time and reset the clock. Naturally, all your collected time crystals will be returned to their original locations as well, but here comes the game-changer. You can split time, essentially creating a second version of yourself that can go off on their own path while your previous self replays the actions you performed earlier. The implications of this are pretty mind-blowing and get more intricate the further you progress in the game when new concepts such as time paradoxes are tossed in.
Time Masters quickly becomes a one-person co-op game where you basically program or script the path of one player then work together in real-time with the second version of yourself. Crystals collected by one of you are shared across time, and environmental changes such as crumbling bridges or vanishing blocks also span the timeline creating some unique timing challenges. Thankfully you can pause and resume the original time flow, making it easier to synch up with your former self.
If all of this sounds confusing, it is, and I really wish it was better explained within the game. The pop-up instructions are basic at best, and I really would have liked a video preview of the concepts being taught. A perfect example is this review; trying to explain such a high concept game with mere words. If you’re having trouble visualizing what this game is like or what I am even talking about I encourage you to check out my gameplay video which showcases the first nine levels of the game.
As far as technical excellence, Time Master looks and sounds great with very modest PC requirements, so my RTX3080 was able to run this at 4K with ultra settings. There is a nice zoom and rotate feature in case you need to pop out for a view of the entire playfield, and one of my favorite touches is when the other version of yourself is off-screen a window will appear showing their progress; great for when you are doing choreographed actions. Level designs are architecturally simple with basic block design, but there is nice artistic flair with varied textures and environmental themes.
The narrative cutscenes are gorgeous with quality voice acting; almost too good for a game that is ultimately an isometric puzzle game. The music that plays in the background is soothing and fits with the whimsical style of the game. Menus are simple to navigate and there is a nice level select that shows current completion time along with stars earned and a preview of the level.
If you enjoy puzzle games then you are going to go crazy with Time Master. Its brilliant use of time manipulation and single-player co-op gameplay will really test your fourth dimensional thinking, and the charming visuals and fun audio design make this a great game for the entire family.
