Twelve Minutes

Repetition is key to this strong but deeply disturbing plot.
Twelve Minutes
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Twelve Minutes is a mature point-and-click mystery game, available for download on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows based PCs. Players take on the role of a character trapped within a twelve-minute time loop, forced to relive the same events over and over while trying to uncover clues to a deeper mystery. Although the game has a relatively basic and stylized look, there are still a number of disturbing scenes to potentially encounter, including scenes of torture, suicide, and murder. Parents should also be aware that the game's final "twist" involves some disturbing revelations about the main characters, as well as a lot of dialogue about sex. There's frequent use of strong profanity, including "s--t" and "f--k,", and players can drug their partner in an attempt to investigate without interruption as well as take advantage of their incapacitated state.
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What’s It About?
TWELVE MINUTES might not seem like much time, but with each passing moment and every tick of the clock, lives are changed forever. What begins as a romantic, celebratory dinner between a man and his wife takes a sharp turn when the police come knocking, accusing his wife of murder. After this encounter takes another deadly twist, the man find himself back where he started, twelve minutes earlier. Caught in a perpetual time loop, reliving the last twelve minutes over and over, the man must uncover the truth behind his wife's past and how it connects to the cop's motivations for revenge. What extremes will he go to in order to prove his wife's innocence? And how will he cope with even darker, long buried secrets now laid bare?
Is It Any Good?
There are games out there that cater to just about every type, from light-hearted fun to dramatic suspense to terrifying horror, but not every game is suited to every audience. Twelve Minutes is a prime example of a well-crafted and superbly performed story that's still likely to sit poorly on people's palate. From a gameplay perspective, there's almost too much freedom. It does little to nothing to guide the player's actions in each successive time loop. While the game accounts for most ideas the player might have, it never points out if it's even close to the correct course of action. Making matters more frustrating, it's easy to misuse, misinterpret, or simply overlook some key item or snippet of dialogue, forcing players to repeat themselves over and over and over again to the point of frustration. And then there's the story, the driving force behind why players are even invested in the experience.
There are a lot of different reasons to classify certain "Mature" entertainment as not suitable for kids. While Twelve Minutes might not show viscerally detailed depictions of violence, nor does it have graphic nudity or explicit sex, the game's already grim plot quickly spirals into much darker and disturbing subject matter that definitely isn't meant for younger audiences. Given the player's wide range of options in each time loop, it's possible to (and even likely) to participate in scenes that include violence against a pregnant woman, torture, murder, and suicide. And all of that is before the game's final twist that, while trying to avoid spoilers, paints the main character in a completely different and extremely uncomfortable light, with no "happy ending" in sight. While most games tend to leave you feeling fulfilled and entertained, Twelve Minutes leaves you feeling mentally spent, emotionally empty, and quite possibly in need of a long shower.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about choice and consequence. How have decisions and actions taken in the past affected the present day lives of yourself and others? If you knew previously what you know now, would there be anything you would do differently?
What are some positive ways to discuss mature content such as violence, sex, and other subjects with kids? How can you help to encourage kids to reach out when dealing with difficult subjects?
Game Details
- Platforms: Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
- Release date: August 19, 2021
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Adventures, Brothers and Sisters
- ESRB rating: M for Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language
- Last updated: August 23, 2021
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