Condensing a life into 80.5 seconds
Time Flies, an indie puzzle-exploration game, invites players to embody a housefly on a unique journey through life's milestones within the insect's limited lifespan. This innovative game combines open-world exploration, flight simulation with realistic insect flight physics, and philosophical meditations on life's brevity and purpose.
In Time Flies, you navigate smoothly through four distinct small areas, each brimming with interactive objects and humorous, often ironic tasks. Objectives like 'Learn an Instrument,' 'Get Rich,' or 'Start a Revolution' represent different facets of human experiences, translated into fly-sized adventures. The game features a simple control scheme, with the control stick being the only input, emphasising the delicacy of insect flight and exploration.
A key gameplay mechanic revolves around time and life expectancy. Players must complete all objectives in an area within a single "life" of the fly. The fly's limited lifespan creates a persistent urgency. Players can find clocks in the environment that allow them to turn back time, buying additional seconds to finish remaining tasks. This mechanic adds strategic depth, as managing and extending your limited time is crucial to ticking all bucket list items off before the fly’s inevitable death.
The game's reflection on time is reinforced by the fact that a real housefly's life lasts between 15 and 30 days, making the metaphor resonate as a playful yet poignant reminder of life’s brevity. The tone contrasts exploration and discovery with the inevitability of mortality, making the fleeting play sessions feel meaningful.
Time Flies innovatively uses real-world statistics to create a unique gaming experience. The game converts the average life expectancy of a selected country into seconds for the player. For instance, in Germany, you get 80.5 seconds, in Japan, 84.5 seconds, and in Lesotho, 51.5 seconds. The game's difficulty level is determined by the average life expectancy of the selected country, making each playthrough a personal challenge.
The game is available on digital platforms like Steam, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac. It is recommended for ages 16 and up by the Steam platform. The game's setting is an apartment with a parquet floor, and it offers hidden tasks within the level, such as making someone laugh by crawling over their feet.
Despite its minimalistic visual style, reminiscent of basic computer graphics, Time Flies is full of charm. The player controls a black dot with legs and wings, a representation of a fly, in the game. The game provides enjoyment in solving the little tasks, especially when completed consecutively in a single run.
In essence, Time Flies is a reflection on how we might make the most of our own limited time. Its premise encourages players to consider their own lives and the tasks they would like to accomplish before time runs out. The game's unique blend of gameplay, philosophy, and humour makes it a must-play for any gamer seeking a thought-provoking experience.
[1] Time Flies Official Website: https://www.timefliesgame.com/ [2] Time Flies on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1464860/Time_Flies/ [3] Time Flies Review on IGN: https://www.ign.com/articles/time-flies-review [4] Time Flies Review on Polygon: https://www.polygon.com/21420794/time-flies-review-housefly-indie-game
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