A time loop reshaped into a melancholy adventure RPG. Reliving the same day weaves a thoughtful meditation on time, dread, and acceptance. The combat stays simple, but the writing and tone carry the whole thing with real grace. Quietly unforgettable.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player12+
Description
Siffrin and friends are trapped in a time loop on the threshold of a palace they must conquer. Published by Armor Games, released worldwide in 2023. Rock-paper-scissors battles, knowledge gathered across loops, puzzles solved by memory and a poignant tale about exhaustion.
In Stars and Time review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
Trapped in a time loop, a band of friends relives the same day, doomed to end badly. With each repetition the writing digs into exhaustion, doubt and what makes us try again anyway. Tender, funny and devastating, this adventure turns the time-loop mechanic into a deeply human story.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Caught in a time loop, the hero relives the same dungeon until the curse breaks, and it's precisely that mastered repetition that shapes the adventure. Every failure reveals one more fragment, unlocks fresh choices and feeds bonds that bend the course of events. Rather than wearing thin, the mystery thickens with each restart, and that accumulating progression earns it a reputation as a clever, surprisingly dense RPG.
Technical info
💾1 GB📅20/11/2023
Published by Armor Games
In Stars and Time (Nintendo Switch) price, value & rarity
Behind its time loop and rock-paper-scissors battles hides one of the most moving stories on exhaustion and the fear of failure an RPG has ever dared. Niche at launch and held back by a crowded indie scene, it struggled to find its crowd. Yet its devastating writing and painfully true characters reward the trip. For anyone seeking an RPG that speaks from within.
When the game breaks the 4th wall
Trapped in a time loop, the heroine relives the same day over and over, and the story leans on that repetition to probe the patience of whoever replays it. The sense of wear, the fatigue of starting again and the sharp awareness of time folding back spill past the fictional frame to meet the player's own experience. A melancholy that resonates well beyond the screen.
Is In Stars and Time still worth playing in 2026?
In Stars and Time takes the time loop, an idea seen a thousand times, and draws from it a tale of rare emotional intelligence. Rather than a mere gimmick, the repetition becomes the very subject, a luminous metaphor for exhaustion and the dread of failure. The rock-paper-scissors battles are deliberately simple, but the real game lies in the knowledge gathered across loops. The writing carries the weight of its theme with delicacy, and the stark black and white deepens the intimacy. Some stretches drag by design, which can weigh on you. For anyone after a sincere, original narrative RPG, it is a discovery that lingers.
