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Twelve Minutesstands out with its time loop mechanics, where players are stuck in a perpetual loop with their wife and a cop who is coming to kill them. Thankfully, the game doesn’t fall into the trap of many classic adventure games: having numerous moon logic puzzles that feel almost impossible to beat without a guide. That’s not to say that Twelve Minutes is easy, however. Trying to achieve progress can often feel like an uphill battle. So, to help new players who need a bit of guidance, here are a few spoiler-free tips.
Updated February 19, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Twelve Minutes is easily one of the most unique adventure games around, with players stuck in a time loop as they try to thwart an attacker and figure out how to stop the loop in the first place. The game is undeniably exciting, but a lot of the fun can be drained away due to the tiresome nature of the loop and the trial-and-error nature of the gameplay. Thankfully, with the following tips, players can make their journey through the game easier and more manageable.
10 Leave The House When Something Fails
Going through the time loop over and over again can be pretty frustrating, especially when players make a mistake that costs them the run in one particular loop. Having to wait for time to reset so that the player can start their progress again becomes quite grating after a point.
Thankfully, this is where players can simply walk out of the house to restart their loop, negating their frustration. If leaving the house is more complicated than it seems, then players can always dispose of themselves to start another loop instead.
9 Always Try Building Up Towards The Next Loop
Each loop in Twelve Minutes marks a step that players need to take in the right direction to uncover the mystery of the narrative. As a result, each loop should be viewed as a building block that guides players towards the ending.
Pursue every course of action in each loop, and think about different ways in which a particular situation can be tackled. Doing so ensures that players make some tangible progress in the game instead of repeating their mistakes in every loop.
8 Talk About Everything With Everyone
The dialogue in Twelve Minutes can feel really disjointed at times, because of how they’re structured. However, that shouldn’t deter players from exhausting all of these dialogue choices whenever they get the chance.
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This is especially true in a game where only a handful of characters can be interacted with anyway. Given the story-heavy nature of this game, it only makes sense that dialogue is going to be one of the biggest ways to uncover the mystery within Twelve Minutes.
7 Pause The Game While Thinking Of What To Do
Given the nature of Twelve Minutes as an adventure game, it’s only a given that players will take some time before thinking up viable solutions to a given problem. However, time is a finite resource in the loops of this game.
While trying to think of time-sensitive solutions in a given loop, players should pause the game to avoid the frustration of having to repeat a loop once again. It’s a simple yet effective technique to make Twelve Minutes slightly less annoying to play through.
6 Have A Thorough Look Around In The First Loop
By the time they reach mid-game, Twelve Minutes will have players running around the apartment performing all sorts of tasks in order to trigger certain events and open up dialogue options. Consequently, it’s worth having a thorough look around the apartment in the first loop to get a good idea of exactly what there is to work with.
Granted, many of the items won’t come into play until much later in the game, but it’s handy in any point-and-click adventure game to make a mental note of every interactable item.
5 Don’t Aim To Complete The Game; Aim To Learn Something New
This tip may seem counterintuitive, but it’s a good rule of thumb to have throughout the game. Despite what the name suggests, Twelve Minutes isn’t a game that can be rushed through, and players won’t even know how to beat the game until they reach the very end. Moreover, players will have to complete multiple loops and solve almost every puzzle before they can reach the final credits, so it’s not worth trying to find shortcuts.
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Instead of trying to progress as fast as possible, players should prioritize learning new information. Sure, it can be frustrating having to constantly restart at a new loop, but players should snatch at any opportunity to learn new information, as it will save them time and effort in the long run.
4 Pay Attention To Every Detail, Regardless Of How Mundane It May Seem
As one might expect in a game that is confined to a short time period, there is very little wasted dialogue and item placements. In fact, almost every sentence spoken in the game, and almost every item that can be interacted with, plays a significant part in the story.
Of course, there are some items and dialogue options that won’t serve much purpose to ensure that the game isn’t too straightforward, but if players go into Twelve Minutes with the mindset that everything could be key information, then they’ll likely pick up on clues and figure out solutions far quicker than the average person.
3 Write Key Information Down
Following on from the previous point, it’s worth writing down any information that seems relevant. By the time players reach the midgame, they will be inundated with information that may or may not be needed to progress; and with new information being thrown at the player constantly in the opening hours, it will soon be impossible to keep track of it all.
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So, whether it be a new line of dialogue, the location of a hidden item, or a recurring environmental occurrence, players should jot it down on a piece of paper.
2 Despite What The Opening Suggests, The Protagonist Has A Good Memory
Twelve Minutes opens with the protagonist realizing that he’s forgotten his keys; for astute players and life-long fans of graphic adventures, this may seem like an important fact about the protagonist that will be helpful throughout the game. However, the opposite is the case. The protagonist actually has a very good memory, and once he has learned an important piece of information, he will retain it for the rest of the game.
Without delving into spoilers, knowing that the protagonist can remember exact details will help solve some of the game’s conundrums. To be fair to the game, the forgotten key sequence may have been foreshadowing for the end of the story, but it still seems like an odd choice gameplay-wise as the protagonist’s ability to remember small details and sets of numbers plays an important role.
1 (Minor Spoilers) What To Do In The First Three Loops
For those who are in need of a little more guidance, here is a guide for the first three loops. It’s worth pointing out that there are many more things that can be done in the first three loops, though it’s highly unlikely that a first-time player would ever figure them out without knowing everything that happens in the game already. This guide is tailored for those who just need a helping hand for the first few loops.
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Loop 1
Explore the apartment as much as possible while sticking to a natural conversation with the protagonist’s wife. Follow her lead throughout the evening of having dinner with her, hearing her news, and being positive about it. When the cop arrives, simply let the scene play out, don’t try to prevent anything from happening.
Loop 2
As soon as the second loop starts, hide in the closet - be sure to do this before the wife leaves the bathroom. She will not notice that the husband is in the closet, and after some waiting, the cop will arrive. With both the cop and wife thinking they’re alone, some important details will be discussed. Be sure to look around the closet for useful items that will be important later.
Loop 3
It’s time for the protagonist to prove to their wife that they are stuck in a time loop - this is easier than it may seem. To prove that they’re in a time loop, the player needs to predict two things that are going to happen. The first is to find the wrapped present (in the bedroom drawer) and predict that baby clothes are inside; the second is to click on a window and predict that there will soon be heavy rain and thunder.
This will give players the chance to question their wife about the watch and her father, ascertaining plenty of information in the process.
Twelve Minutes was released on August 19, 2021, and is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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