In Stars and Time stands out as one of the best RPG titles in recent memory.
94
Verdict
97%
Steam
90
IGDB
Verdict score based on confidence-adjusted Steam reviews?
Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam (97% positive from 8.1K reviews)
Critically acclaimed (90/100 critic average)
Compelling narrative and story
No significant drawbacks reported
In Stars and Time is a 2023 role-playing video game developed by insertdisc5 and published by Armor Games Studios. The game takes place in the fictional country of Vaugarde, which is in the process of being frozen in time by a mysterious figure known as the King. The player controls Siffrin, a member of an adventuring party which hopes to defeat the King and save Vaugarde. Siffrin finds themself trapped in a time loop, which the player can manipulate to solve problems. The game features a turn-based combat system which is based on a rock paper scissors formula. It was based on a set of webcomics made by the developer in 2018 and short prologue in 2020 as a prototype for the final game. In Stars and Time was released in 2023 for Windows and several consoles. Critics were generally positive towards the game, praising the characters and narrative, though some took issue with the looping gameplay. Following release, it received honorable mentions for the Nuovo Award and Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the 2024 Independent Games Festival.
Runs well on modern hardware.
Last updated 1d ago
my mom gifted me this game, according to her she saw 3 seconds of the trailer and knew id like it. she was right. im glad she bought this for me, i would never have played it if she hadn't. and now im giving you the courage! buy this game, its worth it.
I am not going to tell you that In Stars And Time is a perfect game. There are several things about it that don't quite sit right with me (There are a scant few plot beats that stick out in a bad way, the gameplay gets a bit tedious near the end as your options become much more linear and combat ceases to be a challenge, the story does not demand but is enhanced by Start Again Start Again Start Again: A Prologue, which is mildly hard to justify the price for its runtime). However, what I WILL tell you is that it's an absolute masterclass in narrative design, a story which delivers absolute gut punches with almost every revelation from nearly the word go and simply does not stop. A story which has stuck to me, as I'm left spinning in its wake, in a way that nearly no other has-even ones that have gone on to become absolutely vital to my life. Play In Stars And Time. Love Siffrin. Get scared and be joyous and find the good in sincerely one of the worst situations I can ever imagine. Hang out with a character diegetically named Tutorial Kid. Get tricked when you realize you're not playing Undertale. Let go of a home to which you can never return. Play In Stars And Time.
I think the concept is interesting and fun, but the thing is it's a double edged sword. I initially thought the concept was original, but then realized why most other games don't adopt this idea. It makes the game unavoidably repetitive unfortunately. The game added in a feature to make it less torturous, but it is still tedious. As someone who despises seeing the same things multiple times, it was kinda painful. It's more painful when you have to consciously do it yourself because the game indirectly forces you to. Also, personally, I found the dialogues a bit too cringe and so reading the dialogues wasn't very pleasant either. I think it's visually appealing and the characters are well designed though. I don't think it's a bad game. It just wasn't to my taste. I can imagine someone with a different taste might enjoy this. I would've rated it neutral if it was an option.
Reviews sourced from Steam. All reviews belong to their respective authors.
Data sourced from RAWG, Steam, IGDB, CheapShark, Wikipedia, HLTB, and GX Corner. Sources: rawg, steam, cheapshark, igdb, wikipedia.
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