12 Minutes Reviews
Twelve Minutes is a good adventure game, but its puzzle design makes it feel— mature, cinematic presentation aside—like something of a relic. If it was released in 1995, you'd be ringing up the LucasArts hint line for help and getting scolded by your parents for running up a massive phone bill. But it has its charms, and the way the story is gradually peeled back, growing more disturbing with each loop, is effectively done. There's a huge amount of emotion, drama, and conflict squeezed into this tiny, dingy three-room apartment. But also a lot of frustration as you struggle to determine precisely the correct sequence of events to let you move the story forward and finally get some closure.
Luis Antonio's smart timeloop starring James McAvoy is an absorbing yarn... if you can see past its frayed edges
Twelve Minutes has an intoxicating premise about a man stuck in a time loop, backed by a Hollywood cast of voice actors that immediately presents the game with a veneer of cinematic prestige. But just as it quickly captivates the player with the tantalising promise to unravel all its mysteries, it also loses all that steam just as rapidly with its unbelievable twists and unspeakable violence, resulting in a conclusion that's as mind-boggling as it's nauseating. In the end, Twelve Minutes can't seem to rise above its film influences, as it grinds to an unsatisfying, disconcerting halt.
A clever and idiosyncratic time loop detective thriller with top notch voice acting, which suffers from circular gameplay that quickly descends into monotony.
Twelve Minutes is a videogame that is fantastic in every area, except being a videogame. There's a lot to love, and I think people will overlook its faults. Sadly those faults are there, almost completely tanking an otherwise excellent piece of fiction.
Twelve Minutes starts off well but eventually descends into chaos. The game’s premise of trying to rewrite 12 minutes of a couple’s time is a great idea but the execution varies in success. Twelve Minutes starts well with a convincing story loop and gameplay that makes sense. Unfortunately that story loop becomes confused with a controversial twist that muddies timelines and morals. Gameplay starts to lean heavily into trial and error and some will give up before they see some of the later outcomes. Those that persist will likely remain confused. Luis Antonio seemingly had a lot of ambition with this one, but it hasn’t completely paid off.
Twelve Minutes plays like an escape room on extra hard difficulty and with higher stakes. As an intriguing albeit small-scale thriller with many twists and turns that can sometimes be frustrating, ending the time loop is ultimately somewhat worth the effort.
Twelve Minutes is a clever and well written psychological thriller, but in the end it chooses to abandon the logic and forces the player to act in a forced way.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Overall, Twelve Minutes is an excellent game, with an interesting concept and story. But, it is let down by rigid and stale gameplay, which hold it back from being a must-play...
Script had all it needs to turn into something memorable, but due to the ending it gets so confusing that soon will be forgotten
Review in Greek | Read full review
Despite not being a natural fit on console, Twelve Minutes provides a consistently engaging story that kept me tied to my controller until the very end. A strong voice cast and interesting central conceit make it worth checking out, especially if you can play it for no additional cost via Game Pass. I’m still not sure the story fully comes together, but it provided enough to think about that I know I won’t stop thinking about it anytime soon.
Twelve Minutes is an engrossing adventure that is more about the journey than the destination. It’s not the most thrilling or thought-provoking story out there, but it still satiates that mystery craving. The star-studded casting elevates the atmosphere, and the involvement of the player is a unique way to take on the classic point-and-click genre. Though you’ll have to suffer through lengthy moments of tedium and irritation, there’s a lot to unpack and discover in this intriguing tale.
A simple and unique game as a proposal. Loops that subtract more than they add to both the game and the plot.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Twelve Minutes ends up going for shock value and loses the small character moments and choices that made it so engaging. But pulling my hair out to solve the apartments puzzles was reward enough for me to want to see the loop closed.
I'm certainly happy to have played through it, but with its late arrival on Switch I also feel like I expected more from it, in terms of both quality and shock value. The fact remains, though, Twelve Minutes is a strong mystery game that fans of story-focused experiences will likely enjoy. It doesn't hurt that Willem Dafoe is a national treasure, either.
A Groundhog Day-inspired time-loop murder mystery situated entirely in a humble, three-room New York City apartment, featuring a regular couple and a menacing detective that comes knocking. Do you have what it takes to push through the monotony and learn the truth?
While Twelve Minutes can be frustrating at times, the story and characters more than make up for it. Especially when backed up by the tight design and elegant visual/audio elements.
Some devilishly clever puzzles shine in a unique take on the point-and click genre, but the game waits to the end to make its story truly interesting, which might be a little late if you're looking for an emotional investment to get you through some of the more tedious moments.
While it manages to side-step its shortcomings through clever design, Twelve Minutes ultimately feels like it'll be one of those water cooler games that some will love, others will hate, but everyone will just want to talk about. It tells a cerebral story while demanding your full attention, along with an unorthodox wit, to best its cat and mouse puzzles.
Twelve Minutes represents a videogame experiment born from a series of suggestive intuitions. The choice to set the title within the confines of a small two-room apartment, combined with the mystery that constantly permeates the work, certainly represents one of the most valuable aspects of indie published by Annapurna Interactive.
Review in Italian | Read full review