Last week in class we played TIME Stories, an adventure game where teams work together to solve a certain mission. There are several different missions that can be purchased for TIME Stories, and each one is set in a different location with a different theme (we played the asylum mission in class). Each mission is filled with secrets and challenges, so the replay value is extremely low once you complete an individual mission, however there are TONS of missions to buy so you have a lot of play-throughs at your disposal. I’ve never played a game like this before, and it’s actually become one of my favorites of the semester.
The hardest part of the game was trying to discern what information was valuable and what information was trying to throw you off your mission. Certain entry points require a lot of time to pass through and end up being a complete waste of your team’s resources. Also, you lose all of your progression upon failing the mission (depending on various conditions), and it’s tough to remember how you got to where you were, where you got certain items, etc. This made the game extremely challenging, however it was rewarding as you cracked puzzles and made positive advancements in the mission.
Leadership was a huge element of playing TIME Stories. Each turn, there’s a captain who ultimately makes decisions and does dice rolls. He/She must be able to listen to their team’s ideas, as well as be confident in their actions. The group has the same goal, and with so many options available to your team, someone HAS to step up and facilitate decision making if you want to win.
I think my brother would absolutely love TIME Stories. He’s a huge fan of story telling and strategic gameplay, which TIME Stories revolves around.