Twelve Minutes is the story of a husband (voiced by James McAvoy) who returns home to his apartment one day and has dinner with his wife (played by Daisy Ridley). However, it’s interrupted by a strange man (Willem Dafoe) claiming to be a cop who says that the wife killed her father several years ago. After being strangled, the husband finds himself at the beginning of the loop, entering his apartment once more and greeting his wife.

From there, it’s a process of figuring out how to break the loop, which can result in some interesting consequences (like trying to take the intruder by surprise). For more details on Twelve Minutes, you can check out our official review here. Stay tuned for more details on its release for PlayStation platforms and Switch in the coming weeks.

The first ending is pretty easy. Simply wait around and your wife will ask you to sit with her on the couch. She’ll start talking about various things, from wanting more in life to how you’d feel if she had an affair (just roll with it) and eventually bringing up her past. This is when she’ll discuss making mistakes and will go to the bathroom to retrieve something. From there, she’ll invite you out. Simply walk to the front door to unlock the ending and the Achievement “Listen.”

In a new loop, make sure to interact with the book that your wife is reading. She’ll narrate a passage for you, which will be extremely important for the final ending.

For the second ending, grab a cup from the kitchen sink and go to the bathroom. Close the door, take out some sleeping pills and put them inside. Fill up the water at the sink in the kitchen and give it to your wife (but make sure to do this before she gets her own cup of water). Eventually, she’ll get sleepy and go to bed. Next, go to the bathroom, open the ventilation shaft and look for the pocket watch. Grab it and go to the closet to hide.

Eventually, the cop will break in and wander to your bedroom. Upon flipping the light switch, he’ll be stunned and knocked unconscious. Use his zip-tie handcuffs to restrain him but ensure you don’t remove anything else. Once this is done, wait till he wakes up and tell him you’re innocent. Follow his instructions. Eventually, he’ll come out of the bedroom, ask you to call 911 and then leave. This unlocks the second ending and the Achievement “Coward”.

For the third ending, you’ll have to follow the exact same steps as the second ending, up till you zip-tie the cop. This time, you’ll want to actually take the phone out of his pocket, open it and select the text message icon. Select a message from Bumblebee, the cop’s daughter, and then call her phone number – it will be remembered for later. Start a new loop and go to the closet. Check the area marked “Clothes” and look at the bag to take a phone out. Call Bumblebee and choose the option relating to why her father is actually doing all of this. She’ll reply about talking to him and then hang up.

Go speak to your wife and accept the dessert. Help set the table and during dinner, when a song plays on the radio, ask for a dance. Eventually, she’ll give you a gift which contains baby clothes. Click on them in the inventory. You’ll hear the elevator outside and then the cop as he answers his phone. Once he leaves, your wife will discuss the baby. Tell her everything will be great and then dance with her (if she says you seem different, tell her you love her). Wait for the timer to run out and you’ve earned the third ending along with the Achievement “Groundhog.”

For the fourth ending, go to the closet and call Bumblebee. Tell her your wife is innocent and that the cop doesn’t have the full story. Go speak to your wife and tell her the truth. Choose either dialogue option that appears and then tell her that you’ll take the blame and confess. Go to the bathroom and get the pocket watch from the vent. Once the cop rings the doorbell (after speaking to his daughter on the phone), let your wife answer the door. The cop will approach you – confess to the crime. He’ll then ask for the watch and leave, which prompts your wife to ask you to leave. Walk through the door to unlock the fourth ending and the “Confessed” Achievement.

The fifth ending is a little weird but fairly straightforward. Once your wife is out of the bathroom, go inside. Make sure to close the door, or else she’ll walk out of the apartment and mess everything up. Open up the vent below the medicine cabinet with your house keys and get the pocket watch. Look at it until a cutscene is triggered. It will see the protagonist sitting in a chair with their father speaking to them. There are two key options to consider here – go with “Maybe it’s better we’re not together” and the scene will end, earning the “Alone” Achievement. Note that you must have learned the name of your wife’s nanny before doing all these steps.

We then come to the sixth and final ending. After choosing Continue, exit the elevator and walk towards your apartment door. Use your house keys to open it and you’ll find the apartment empty. Go to the bathroom and retrieve the pocket watch. Instead of staring at it again, drag the big hand to around two minutes before 12. Let it count down until you’re back with your father in his study. This time, before choosing anything, you’ll see the same book that your wife was reading, simply sitting on the shelf behind you.

Interact with it to narrate a passage. This will lead to your father speaking and offering a “third” choice. Don’t do anything, or even select “I change my mind” and the sixth ending is yours. In order to play the game after this, you’ll need to start from the very beginning. For more details on the game, check out our official review here.

The Death Stranding director relates it to the Amiga games he used to play back in the day. He also expresses his liking for Willem Dafoe – a renowned actor playing the role of the menacing cop in Twelve Minutes. The star-studded cast of Twelve Minutes is a big highlight of the experience, so it isn’t entirely surprising that Kojima likes it so much.

What Kojima is working on remains a mystery till now except a handful of rumors. Renowned game journalist Jeff Grubb believes that he is working with Microsoft for the next project, while the Abandoned Blue Box mystery also seems to be raging in full force following recent developments on the matter.

Kinda make me want to create another adventure game.

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) August 20, 2021

https://twitter.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/status/1428709025915441155?s=20

Twelve Minutes drops you into the seemingly mundane life of the protagonist, who returns to his small apartment to be greeted by a loving wife who has prepared a special dessert for the evening. A few minutes later, a cop barges through the door and poses an immediate threat to the family with his dominating presence, and immediately handcuffs the couple. Soon, the time-loop resets, and it’s up to you to uncover the myriad of secrets buried deep within this story and eventually break the time loop.

"Even after spending almost 10 hours in a small apartment, Twelve Minutes has so much left to offer in terms of secrets that I am tempted to jump back and do it all over again."

The story itself is great, brilliantly juxtaposing a time-loop with a grounded plot revolving around love and family without overpowering one other. It’s always a treat to uncover a new secret that could potentially change the narrative and relationships of the people involved, which is a great motivator to keep going when all hope seems lost. The writing is equally great, which is magnificently brought to life by the star-studded cast of James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe. There are a number of emotionally evocative moments hidden beneath this time-looping story, and the cast does a great job at doing justice to it at a consistent pace. That being said, there are a few dialogue options that are quite rigid, and lead to premature resets of the time-loop in some of the most unlikely situations which can be immersion-breaking at times.

An interesting point about Twelve Minutes‘ story is that it is told in a non-linear fashion, as some secrets that advance the plot further can be found out of order which remains quite interesting until the very end. There’s also a pinch of this non-linearity found in the way players manage to unearth these clues, which remains a treat in a similar vein. That being said, it can also be a double-edged sword at times considering the game doesn’t provide a lot of hints as to what needs to be done in order to get further in the plot. There was more than one instance during the later hours where I found myself completely clueless because I left out a seemingly insignificant detail during the earlier parts which of course, held huge ramifications for the future.

"It’s always a treat to uncover a new secret that could potentially change the narrative and relationships of the people involved, which is a great motivator to keep going when all hope seems lost."

Twelve Minutes‘ gameplay is standard point-and-click adventure stuff, and players must interact with the surrounding environments and combine items to uncover new and interesting scenarios that further advance the plot. Much like the story, the puzzles themselves are pretty grounded in their scope. Point-and-click adventures have a reputation for including nonsensical puzzles at times, but Twelve Minutes does a great job sidestepping many of these tropes with smart design. This is further accentuated by the fact that Twelve Minutes relies a lot on its environment for creating obstacles and opportunities, and players are encouraged to manipulate the knowledge of these environments to shift the flow of proceedings during a time-loop, which feels eerily similar to something like Hitman.

The environment itself is a pretty small space, being an apartment boasting just a drawing-room, a bathroom, and a bedroom. It’s really surprising to witness the amount of detail and possibilities present within this space, and all of this is achieved without the game world itself feeling too cramped. The time players spend within these four walls is also a significant element, which clocks in at well, 12 minutes. Furthermore, players can advance the time accordingly as they learn more about the narrative – which further decreases the time sink required to see a single run to completion. This creates a pretty addictive gameplay loop of just one more run, which is absolutely vital to the pacing since not every run will bear fruit.

"This creates a pretty addictive gameplay loop of just one more run, which is absolutely vital to the pacing since not every run will bear fruit."

Progression in Twelve Minutes comes in a number of subtle ways, such as dialogue options evolve to reflect your current knowledge of the time-loop and associated characters. This alleviates a lot of concerns that crop up with replaying the same scenario over and over again but does give rise to another problem that could prove to be detrimental for some. As players progress through the narrative, a few scenarios holding crucial information get locked out. If you miss any related details and hints, you might be left perplexed after a while since you wouldn’t obviously have all the pieces to solve this recurring puzzle. A ship-log system like Mobius Digital’s Outer Wilds could have done wonders here, displaying all the relevant information in a single place that could’ve helped you plan your next move.

Twelve Minutes looks quite gorgeous, featuring a clean art style with great use of lighting and reflection through the small environment. The textures and environment also look equally detailed, and animations are equally competent for most actions. The sound design is also great, albeit a bit understated to reflect the actions within the game. It starts out slow and somber, which is a great fit for a evening and slowly and steadily rises in intensity as players progress through the time loop.

"Twelve Minutes can be a pretty lengthy game if players want to hunt down achievements and other related secrets."

Twelve Minutes isn’t a very long game. As mentioned before, it took me just under 10 hours to complete the story and roll the credits. However, that’s not the end since there are a number of secrets – both major and minor that are still left to be uncovered. There are many possibilities of achieving a goal, and as you explore the intricacies of this small world you will find out much more efficient ways of performing the same feat in subsequent runs. As highlighted by the developers, Twelve Minutes can be a pretty lengthy ordeal if players want to hunt down all achievements and hidden scenarios and secrets. Fans looking to do so might be looking at anywhere up to 20 hours of content, which is pretty astonishing once you consider that the game takes place in such a small world.

Twelve Minutes is a thrill ride through and through, constantly presenting players with new and interesting revelations in the time looping narrative that never fails to keep one guessing. It veers away from stereotypical point-and-click adventure tropes, and challenges players to bend its densely-detailed environments to achieve their goals. It’s not a perfect game by any stretch, but gets so much right that players even vaguely interested in the premise should definitely give this game a go.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

Twelve Minutes is an interactive thriller in which you take on the role of a man caught in a time loop, where a police officer keeps breaking into his home and arresting or killing his wife for an alleged murder. The entire game is set within a single apartment, and it’s up to you to make the right choices, break the loop, and uncover the mystery. The game’s got quite the star-studded voice cast, with James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Defoe portraying the main characters.

Twelve Minutes launches for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on August 19.

The story of Twelve Minutes focuses on a man trapped in a time loop and reliving the same 12 minutes in his apartment. A police officer busts in near the end and seemingly murders the man’s wife but depending on your choices, the scene can play out differently. Interestingly, Dafoe (who plays the officer) hints at his character’s involvement with the lines, “It’s been over 20 years, what do you expect? I barely remember her. It was so long ago.”

What could it all mean and how does it relate to the time loop that players are trapped in? We’ll find out when Twelve Minutes launches on August 19th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC. It will also be available day one on Xbox Game Pass.

Story Set-up

The first thing to note is the story set-up. All events take place within the confines of a single apartment where a man and his wife are living. As time passes, the two have dinner and the man learns that his wife is pregnant. However, their celebration is interrupted by a knocking at the door, which leads to a police officer entering and restraining the two. As the man is knocked out and his wife seemingly killed, there’s a core mystery to find out what exactly is going on. What prompted these events?

Time Loop

Of course, the game doesn’t end there. The man finds himself back at the beginning, trapped in a time loop. The same events begin to unfold again and within the same 12 minutes, he’ll have to confront the same police officer. However, this could also be an opportunity to set things right and save his wife and their unborn child.

No Clear Goal

While preventing his wife’s murder is one goal, there is certainly a lot more to the story of Twelve Minutes than meets the eye. As the initial reveal trailer showcased, the wife is accused of murdering her father. Why is the police officer playing judge, jury and executioner? Is the player’s goal to stop her from being murdered? To kill the officer? To solve the mystery of the murder and prove her innocence? Or to break out of the loop? Why have only the past 12 minutes been looping? What are the conditions for the loop?

Experimentation

The player is free to try all sorts of things and the game will react accordingly. These could range from getting a cup of water for the wife and having a conversation about dessert to attacking the officer with a knife when you get the chance (or even taking the knife, hiding in the bathroom and striking when the opportunity arises). The reveal trailer also pointed towards a number of other scenarios, like hiding in the bathroom with the woman which can lead to the officer finding them there. If you don’t lock the door beforehand, then the officer will burst into the apartment that much more easily.

Dialogue Choices

Experimentation and trying different choices is key but even if this is the same scenario on repeat, you’re learning more and more new information. With each new cycle, you can use that information to try and impact the plot. This is manifested in the form of dialogue choices based on what you’ve experienced already. After looping once, the player gains a range of options, from telling the woman that it feels like the same day, informing her about the cop or even asking about her past. You can then try to prove that the day is restarting (and no, telling the wife that she’s thirsty based on the previous instance of giving her water won’t work) or go into more detail. Different decisions will likely open up different dialogue choices so you’re encouraged to play around and see what’s subsequently unlocked.

The Clock is Ticking

One of the many unique things about Twelve Minutes is that, like Outer Wilds, the clock is always ticking. You need to come up with something, anything within that time-span before the loop is reset. This could mean saying or doing different things at specific times, lest you miss the window of opportunity and have to start over. It gives a real sense of urgency to the proceedings while also making them feel more dynamic – what will each decision lead to and how will it impact the overall story? It’s up to the player to find out.

Top-Down Perspective

Another unique twist is in the perspective. The action unfolds from a top-down perspective, providing a full view of the apartment at all times. Gameplay-wise, this means that you can easily scan the different items available. Aesthetically, there is a bit of detachment from the main characters especially since you can’t really see their faces and expressions most of the time. But due to the size of the apartment, it’s almost like watching a stage play unfold while simultaneously having your actions influence the direction. It’s unique, at least for this kind of personal narrative, and fits the overall mechanics of the time loop well.

Film Influences

When talking about inspirations, it’s key to bring up movies like Groundhog Day where the protagonist is also trying to escape a time loop. As it turns out though, a number of films have served as inspiration for Twelve Minutes including Memento, Rear Window and The Shining. The design is heavily inspired by the work of Stanley Kubrick along with Alfred Hitchcock and David Fincher, to the extent that the official poster by mOcean pays homage to them. There is a definite sense of each film-maker’s work in Twelve Minutes, whether it’s the harrowing sense of doom inherent in Hitchcock’s work or the auteur theory of Kubrick.

Minimal, Focused Scope

Though players will be playing through a 12 minute loop multiple times, creator Luis Antonio estimated a total playtime of about six to eight hours. The original goal was to set the game in a neighborhood over a 24 hour period but the overall scope proved to be too large so the location and time was scaled back. Besides, while there have been a number of time looping titles that take place over a period of hours or even days, Twelve Minutes is one of the few that unfolds in real time, each time, over a relatively shorter span.

This overall focus on a more minimalist design extends to the gameplay – originally, there were timepieces that would help the player anticipate what was coming next. However, these were subsequently removed to keep the focus on the conversations and keeping track of details learned therein (which the small size of the apartment also helps with).

All-Star Cast

Despite the scale, there’s a lot of work that goes into a story like this. Motion capture for the characters and full voice-acting is included but surprisingly, Twelve Minutes has a star-studded cast. It includes James McAvoy of Split and X-Men fame voicing the man; Daisy Ridley of Star Wars voicing the woman; and Willem Dafoe, whose range includes Spider-Man, Finding Nemo and John Wick, as the police officer. The stage play comparison feels all the more apt, except it’s with high-profile actors flexing their range and talents over a dynamically evolving tale.

At the Xbox and Bethesda E3 2021 showcase, it was officially announced that Twelve Minutes will be launching for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on August 19. With its launch just a little over a couple of months away, we’re not going to have to wait too long to finally get our hands on it.

It’s previously been confirmed that Twelve Minutes is going to have quite the start-studded voice cast, with Hollywood actors James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe all confirmed to be lending their voices to the game. Learn more about that and their characters through here.

Time-bending indie psychological thriller Twelve Minutes has looked like a fascinating game since the moment it was first revealed, and the more that we’ve seen of the game, the more we can’t wait to get our hands on it. Following its delay last year, the adventure title is now due out some time this year, and ahead of that, developer Luis Antonio – the director and writer of the project – has released new gameplay footage for everyone to look at, courtesy of IGN.

There’s nearly six minutes of gameplay footage in here, and they come with commentary from Antonio, who gives a brief lowdown of how the game’s 12-minute cycles will work, how character interactions will function, some of the fundamental gameplay mechanics, and more. Twelve Minutes also has a pretty star-studded voice cast, and we get a taste of what they sound like in the game in this video as well. Check it our below.

Twelve Minutes launches some time in 2021, but currently has no set release date. It will launch for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.

It was quite some time ago that we got the unveiling of Twelve Minutes, a narrative-based title about a husband and wife stuck in a time loop. At one point it was aiming to release last year, but like many things ultimately got delayed, though in the process did gain quite the voice cast of Hollywood talent. We still don’t have a date just yet, but it seems the developer is moving in on the end stages.

In a blog post from dev Luis Antonio, the developer went into details about what needs to be done. It’s actually quite informative if you’re interested in game development and worth reading, as it goes into the animation and mo-cap work alongside the tools that are used for it. Though they aren’t quite there yet, it’s said once they finish what’s detailed they will then be moving onto the last stage of development that includes localization and finding a release window. Unfortunately, no time frame is given, but they are clearly pretty far along.

12 Minutes is set to release at some point this year for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC. We actually sat down with Luis back in 2019 about the game, which you can read in full through here.