Many games contain time travel elements. This list includes computer and video games, board games, pen and paper role-playing games and play by mail games which strongly feature time travel.
Video games
Although the concept of time travel has been used and explored by both film and literature, video games have used the idea considerably less. Unlike films and literature, video games allow the player to interact directly, opening up different forms of gameplay. Time travel as a plot device has been employed in video games since early arcade games. The manipulation of time as an aspect of gameplay entered the mainstream following the release of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in 2003, though earlier titles such as 2000's The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask have employed it.
Time travel as a storyline element
Time travel as a gameplay element
Board games
Various kinds of family and simulation games exist, where people play face-to-face or around a table, or within earshot of each other, or passing written notes around, and the topic of the game occasionally includes time travel.
- Alternate Realities, designed by Kelly Coyle
- Khronos
- Time and Again, packaged by Time Line Ltd, designed by Voss & Worzel
- Time Master, Pace setter boxed game, designed by Marc Acres, with several variants such as:
- Red Ace High
- Time Tricks
- Time Marines, designed by Dan Reece
- Time Travel Kriegspiel Chess variant, designed by Macintyre and Reece
- U.S. Patent No. 1, designed by James Ernest and Falko Goettsch
The following are sourced from various pages on BoardGameGeek.com:
- 221B Baker St.: Sherlock Holmes & the Time Machine, designed by X in 1996 for John N. Hansen Co., Inc./University Games; players solve mysteries
- Assassin! The Game of Time Travel, designer uncredited in 1972 for Conflict Magazine/Simulations Design Corporation; abstract strategy, logic, attempt to predict opponent's moves
- LEGO Time Cruisers Game, designer uncredited in 1997 for LEGO/RoseArt/Warren Company; players collect artifacts
- Lost in Time, designed by Talya Shachar for Feldheim Publishers; players collect and replace artifacts
- Perspective: The Time Line Game, designer uncredited in 1993 for The Branch Office, Inc.; players re-arrange historical events; educational
- Time Agent, designed by Thomas Lehmann in 1992 for Prism Games/TimJim Games; players alter time
- Time Bastards, designed by Vince Fryer in 2011, self/web published; players alter time, cooperative or competitive
- Time Control, designed by Rob Arnow and Anthony Thompson in 2003 for Thompson Industries; players battle each other and alter/correct time
- Time Jump, designed by Gerhard Wieser in 2003 for PrintGames.net; players race
- Time Line, designed by Lloyd Krasner in 2002 for Warp Spawn Games; players compete for control of their time line
- The Time Machine, designer uncredited in 1963 for American Toy & Furniture Co., Inc.; players race and collect artifacts
- Time Pirates, designed by Alan R. Moon and Aaron Weissblum in 2000 for Platnik/Rio Grande Games; players collect artifacts
- Time Travel Chess, designed by Gary K. Gifford, self-published in 2003; chess variant, pieces may move back or forward several turns
- Time Travelers, designer uncredited in 1988 for Mabuhay Educational Center, Inc.; players collect artifacts
- Time Tripper, designed by Jim Dunnigan in 1980 for Simulations Publications, Inc.; players battle their way back "home"
- The Time Tunnel Game, designer uncredited in 1966 for Ideal; players race
- Time Tunnels, designed by Robert Von Gruenigen in 1988 for Uncontrollable Dungeon Master; hex and counter hidden movement war game
- Time Twist The Board Game, designed by Matthew Meadows in 2008 for MM Board Games; players steal artifacts from the game and each other
- Time War, designed by J. Stephen Peek in 1979 for Yaquinto; players battle each other and alter/correct time
- Timelag, designed by Mike Vitale in 1980 for Gameshop/Nova Game Designs; wargame, with a relativity mechanic
- TimeLine, designed by James Ernest in 2003 for Cheapass Games; collect artifacts, race, alter time
- TimeLine, designed by George Marino in 1985 for Geo Games; 8 piece chess variant, pieces may be captured from any space they've ever occupied
- Timelock, designed by Jason Darrah and web published in 2008; abstract strategy race to match a pattern before the pattern changes
- Wrinkles in Time, designer uncredited (Lloyd Krasner?) in 2004 for Warp Spawn Games; players fight over control of balance tokens
Doctor Who themed boardgames
- Dalek Battle through Time Game, designer uncredited in 2008 for Toy Brokers Ltd; players race, sometimes chased by a dalek
- Doctor Who: The Game of Time & Space, designed by Derek Carver in 1980 for Games Workshop Ltd.; players collect artifacts
- Doctor Who - The Lords of Time, designed by C. Gerard Luft in 2002 for Warp Spawn Games; players race
- Doctor Who: The Time Travelling Action Game, designer uncredited in 2007 for Toy Brokers Ltd.; players defeat game opponents while board changes
- Doctor Who: The Time Wars Family Board Game, designer uncredited in 2010 for Imagination Entertainment Ltd.; players answer trivia, race while board changes
Card games
- 20th Century Time Travel Card Game, designed by Mike Fitzgerald in 2003 for U.S. Games Systems, Inc.; "rummy-like" play, special deck, play direction changes
- Chrononauts
- Doctor Who: Battles in Time, designer uncredited in 2006 for G E Fabbri; collectible card game and magazine
- Doctor Who Collectible Card Game, designed by Eamon Bloomfield and Paul Viall in 1996 for MMG Ltd.; players "overwhelm" their opponent
- Legacy: Gears of Time, designed by Ben Harkins in 2012 for Floodgate Games; play cards to competitively alter time
- Time Gradient, designed by Stephen Tavener in 2003 self-published; uses two decks of standard playing cards, players compete to alter time favorable to their civilization
- Time Travel Baseball, designed by Stanley Frohlich in 1979 for Downey Games/Time Travel Inc; play baseball with ball players from any era (1900-1980s)
- The Time Tunnel Card Game, designer uncredited in 1966 for Ideal many standard playing card games may be played
- Timestream: The Remnant, designed by Patrick Scott in 2002 for Cahaba Productions; collectible card game collect artifacts, alter time
- Timestreams: Deck 1 - Stone Age vs. Future Tech, by Jeremy Holcomb, Joseph Huber (II), Stephen McLaughlin and Dan Tibbles in 2009 for Bucephalus Games; play card combos to earn points
- Towers in Time, designed by Mike Sager in 1994 for Thunder Castle Games; collectible card game
Role-playing games
- Beyond the Supernatural
- C°ntinuum
- DayTrippers
- The Doctor Who Role Playing Game
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse (2015)
- Dungeons and Dragons
- GURPS Time Travel
- LegendMUD - the multi-user dungeon creation of gaming guru Raph Koster
- Mysteries by Vincent (girls): The Time Machine Mystery, designed by Cindy Vincent for Mysteries by Vincent; how-to-host-a-mystery as time travellers
- Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game
- Rifts
- Robotech
- Tempus - time travel MUD
- Time Heroes
- Time Lord
- Timemaster
- Timeship (1983)
- Transdimensional Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989)
- Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?
Play-by-mail games
Play-by-mail games are games in which the moves and reports are sent by postal mail. Those which contain time travel include:
- Outtime days, designed by Freitas
- Time Trap, designed by Richard Loomis
Game expansions
- Age of Steam: Time Traveler, designed by Charlie Bink and Sean Brown in 2011 for Eagle Games; expands Age of Steam
- Railways Through Time, designed by Charlie Bink in 2011 for Eagle Games; expands Railways of the World
- The Sims 3: Into the Future, by EA Maxis, the eleventh and final expansion for The Sims 3 series before releasing The Sims 4 in Autumn of 2014
- Timestreams: Deck 2 - Medieval vs. Modern Day, by Jeremy Holcomb, Joseph Huber (II), Stephen McLaughlin and Dan Tibbles in 2009 for Bucephalus Games; expansion for Timestreams series
- The Twelve Doctors: The Key to Time, designed by Mark Chaplin and Joe Walerko self-published in 2011; expansion for The Twelve Doctors: Doctor Who Card Game
References
External links
- Time travel in videogames
- Replica
- Replicat