Twelve Minutes

 PC
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 60 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 60
  3. Negative: 0 out of 60
  1. British GQ
    Aug 22, 2021
    But those A-listers simply can’t offset the core frustrations. I wanted to know more, was desperate to progress and its story had its hooks into me, but the harsh time restrictions made Twelve Minutes often feel like a chore. If you can stick with it then its story is weird, violent and, at times, pretty shocking, but this is a game I think perfectly sums up how a time loop would actually feel: annoying, frustrating, pressurised, claustrophobic. As a game, it’s just not as entertaining or – ironically – as time conscious as it needs to be to succeed. In the best time-loop games, you have the freedom to experiment with one thing before trying another. Offsetting the repetition is easier. In Twelve Minutes, stuck in those same four walls, those same dozen minutes can feel like as many hours.
  2. Eurogamer
    Aug 18, 2021
    There's quality within this intriguing time loop, though by the end you're left wondering whether the core idea is a good one after all.
  3. Polygon
    Aug 18, 2021
    As far as I can tell, I made it to the true ending of Twelve Minutes. However, in conversations with co-workers who have also reached that point, we haven’t been able to decipher what it all means or what the game is trying to say. It aspires to grapple with Big Life Questions, and I imagine that many players will find it to be a text ripe for that kind of discussion. For me, Twelve Minutes is more about the journey than the destination — but maybe I’d feel differently if I could wipe my memory and experience it fresh, exploring undiscovered paths to new conclusions.
  5. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Aug 18, 2021
    Twelve Minutes' time loop puzzle is layered and weird, but its short time limit doesn't find the sweet spot between tense and frustrating.

Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 513 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 227 out of 513
  2. Mixed: 141 out of 513
  3. Negative: 145 out of 513
  1. Ki183063
    Aug 20, 2021
    0
    The idea is good. But not executed well. Frustrating loops and some plot holes made it a bad game
  2. tacsquid
    Aug 20, 2021
    2
    The game is initially fun. Things logically make sense and you have a good time. Eventually though, you end up "fighting the system". youThe game is initially fun. Things logically make sense and you have a good time. Eventually though, you end up "fighting the system". you "know" what happened and now you are just clicking away trying to figure out how to get your character to say or do what you want. You'll have to try over and over until you fumble across the right combination to make your dude say the line you need. Most people who can't afford to replay it over and over will end up googling a walk though because wasting hours on guess work isn't "fun".

    If you have limited free time this game is a hard pass or wait for it to be on sale and have a walk though standing by. If you have nothing to do, have played all the other new releases, and are looking for something to waste a few hours of time this may be the game for you. I wouldn't recommend it though.    … Full Review »
  3. diazli1031
    Aug 20, 2021
    0
    A BAD STORY DRIVEN GAME. this game struggle with its loops. sometimes you just want to close the game and never come back. i like the idea.A BAD STORY DRIVEN GAME. this game struggle with its loops. sometimes you just want to close the game and never come back. i like the idea. but they couldn't make it good.… Full Review »
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