12 Minutes was one of this year's many time loop games, and one of the most polarizing titles in general. For those who missed out on Xbox and PC, they are in luck, as 12 Minutes is headed to PlayStation and Switch in the not too distant future.
The point-and-click, adventure genre is not as popular as it once was, so it is consistently exciting to see what new things developers are bringing to it. In 12 Minutes, the player has exactly that amount of time to solve a mystery in their home before the time loop resets back to the beginning. As other time loop games like Deathloop have done, through experimentation the player acquires new information and tactics to take into the next loop, uncovering secrets and causing new events to occur. Featuring a star-studded cast and an ambitious (if unsettling) story, 12 Minutes is one of 2021's most peculiar titles.
Annapurna Interactive has released a new trailer for 12 Minutes, announcing that the game is coming to PS4, PS5, and Switch on December 7. The stylish trailer is a sizzle reel featuring some of the game's most cinematic moments intermixed with accolades and reviews from a variety of publishers. It provides a solid sense of the game's objective, and what players can expect as they continue down the rabbit hole, as the player character tries explaining to his wife what is happening, before the cop character kicks down the front door. 12 Minutes was recently nominated for Best Indie Game at The Game Awards 2021.
The fixed camera angles of the appartment make the game's premise additionally clear in this trailer. Characters provide narration as the gameplay cuts between instances where the husband and wife are being tied up on the floor, and in another, the husband attempts to attack the cop. Without a set number of attempts before some permanent game over state, 12 Minutes encourages players to experiment as much as they can to progress the story. Within the confines of the appartment, then, it becomes easy for the player to remember where certain things are, and the order they should proceed.
Games coming to more consoles is always a plus, it allowing for more people to try it than before. Those who have seen 12 Minutes through to its ending though will attest to how divisive and shocking it is. For the couple hours that it takes players to finish it, 12 Minutes may be interesting for those who enjoy dark mystery-thrillers, stories that go to places they likely shouldn't. That said, those hoping for an optimistic, wimsical point-and-click adventure should probably steer clear.
12 Minutes is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS4, PS5, and Switch versions coming December 7.