''Timespinner'' is a

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

developed by Lunar Ray Games and published by

Chucklefish Chucklefish Limited is a British video game developer and publisher based in London. Founded in 2011 by Finn Brice, the company specialises in retro-styled games. Chucklefish is best known for developing '' Starbound'' and ''Wargroove'', as wel ...

. It was funded through the

crowdfunding Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by crow ...

platform

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

in June 2014. Initially scheduled for release in November 2015, growth in the project's scope necessitated a later release date of September 2018.

Gameplay

''Timespinner'' is an action-platformer wherein players control Lunais, a Time Messenger. The game mechanics were heavily inspired by Konami's '' Castlevania: Symphony of the Night''. Luna is able to explore the castle and the surrounding grounds, while finding upgrades that help her do that effectively. That includes a double jump for out of reach platforms, and water mask for being able to breathe underwater. The players can use a familiar, which will follow Lunais around and help during the battles. Another core feature of the game is the ability to pause time for a few seconds, allowing the player to avoid enemy attacks and use enemies as additional platforms to get to otherwise unreachable locations. The time-pausing ability is powered by sand, which can be gained by defeating enemies.

Reception

The PC version of ''Timespinner'' holds an aggregated rating of 73 on

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, indicating "mixed or average reviews," while the PS4 and Switch versions have a score of 81 and 84 respectively, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Shaun Prescott, writing for

PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...

, praised the pixel art graphics and atmosphere of the game, but criticized it for its repetitive environments and for being a "conservative" game that "doesn't offer much that feels new." Kevin McClusky's review for

Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. History ' ...

was more favorable, praising the game's art, music, and story and concluding that while "there's been no shortage of quality indie games inspired by ''Super Metroid'' and ''Castlevania'', ... ''Timespinner'' stands out as one of the best." Annette Magaña's review of the PS4 version for

Push Square Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and other ...

was likewise positive, praising the game's "satisfying, responsive controls," "lavish" levels and diverse combat, as well as its plot that "weaves crucial political themes into its tale of warring nations."

PC World ''PC World'' (stylized as PCWorld) is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. Since 2013, it has been an online only publication. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal tech ...

named ''Timespinner'' among "12 of the best indie PC games you might have missed in 2018."

References

External links

*
Official wiki
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