60 Seconds!

''60 Seconds!'' is a survival game developed and published by Polish studio Robot Gentleman. It was released on May 25, 2015 for Windows, on December 18, 2017 for the Nintendo Switch, on March 6, 2020 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, on December 28, 2017 for Android, and on September 22, 2016 for iOS. The game takes place in a suburban town as a nuclear bomb is set to detonate in 60 seconds, forcing a family of four to gather as many supplies as possible within the timeframe and then survive and eventually escape to a safer place with what supplies could be gathered.

The game was originally supposed to be a test to see if Unity was a good game engine, and was released after the success of the test.

A sequel titled ''60 Parsecs!'' was released on September 18, 2018. Set aboard a space station, it contains similar mechanics and gameplay focused on survival, plus other new elements.

A revamped version of ''60 Seconds!'' titled ''60 Seconds! Reatomized'' was released on July 25, 2019.

Plot

''60 Seconds!'' takes place in the United States during the 1950s. The game follows the McDoodle family (Ted, Dolores, Mary Jane, and Timmy) as they try to survive the effects of a nuclear apocalypse for as long as possible.

Gameplay

When the game begins, the player has the titular 60 seconds to acquire supplies, family members, and diversional items (e.g. a checkers set), and bring them to an underground shelter beneath their house, including the family member they initially control, before a nuclear bomb is dropped on the neighborhood. The items acquired will affect the subsequent gameplay.

Each day, the player must make decisions for the family based on supplies available, limited information, and the abilities of the saved family members. Some of these entail risks, and may result in poor health or even the death of one or all of the family members.

The player must ration consumable supplies, such as food and water, among the family members. They are rationed based on how many consumables were initially acquired, the family members' overall health, and their need for particular rations. The player must also be cautious about the mental state of the family members, as it may deteriorate due to isolation and affect the gameplay. (e.g. Ted will turn one of his socks into a puppet and begin talking to it as if it was a person.)

At times, a character may be required to leave the shelter to scavenge for supplies and food. Again, this entails risk, as they may fall ill due to radiation, or may face an event resulting in their death.

Other times, a knock may be heard at the hatch of the underground shelter, and the player must make a decision on whether to ignore it, or open the hatch to allow whoever or whatever is there to interact with the characters. Depending on the event, this could result in a possible trade between the McDoodles and other affected families, or shelter raid where supplies are stolen. This is just one of many types of events that can happen in-game, and generally, one will happen every day.

If the player makes certain decisions, groups including the U.S. Army or a larger group of friendly survivors may come to rescue the family, successfully ending the game.

Reception

''60 Seconds!'' was reviewed on Steam as "very positive" (9,635 votes). The game also received on Metacritic a 75/100 and 80/100 for the PC version from critic reviews, and 6.3 mixed or average reviews from the users. Metacritic also gave the Xbox One version a 63/100 from critic reviews, while the Nintendo Switch version received 6.3 mixed or average reviews from the users. NintendoLife gave the game a 4/10 with the user ranking 10/10. PocketGamer listed ''60 Seconds!'' as one of the top 15 best survival games for iPhone and iPad. Gamesnort gave ''60 Seconds!'' a 3.9/5, while awarding it with badges: the Best Game of 2017, the Best in Adventure, the Best on Windows PS, the Best on Nintendo Switch and Mac.

References

{{Reflist

2015 video games
Action-adventure games
Windows games
MacOS games
Nintendo Switch games
PlayStation 4 games
Post-apocalyptic video games
Xbox One games
Single-player video games
Survival video games
Video games about insects
Video games about nuclear war and weapons
Video games set in the United States
Video games developed in Poland
Indie games
Video games set in the 1950s
Cold War video games