Really, it’s all so incredible.<\/p>
![\"Minit](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/tAEZUXB.jpg?resize=640%2C360&ssl=1\")
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Minit\u00a0<\/em>(PC, PS4, Xbox One [reviewed]<\/strong>) Minit<\/em>‘s gimmick is that each run lasts a maximum of one minute. The unnamed protagonist, an oddly-shaped duck-alien thing, finds a cursed sword and it comes with the unfortunate restriction that he’ll die after living for 60 seconds. It’s not all bad, though. When death is re-positioned as an inevitability, it feels less like a failure and more like another chance at success.<\/p> That constraint — knowing everything can’t be accomplished immediately — drives Minit<\/em>‘s gameplay loop. Some attempts will be spent wandering and trying to piece together what’s next; some will rely on execution after having already figured out how to proceed. It’s all surprisingly low-stakes because there’s the inherent safety net that a botched run will only take one minute to rectify.<\/p> <\/iframe><\/p> For a central mechanic that’s so on-the-nose minimalist, Minit<\/em>\u00a0is deceptively big. It’s an adventure in the style of Link’s Awakening<\/em>\u00a0— full of quirky characters, item switching, and semi-obtuse objectives. There’s a fish who prefers being on land rather than in the sea. There’s a guy who genuinely just wants to hear some good tunes. The alternative to a sword is a watering can.<\/p> There’s a lot to do and a lot to explore. That seems at direct odds with the minute-long time limit. Minit<\/em>‘s solution is to carry over nearly everything that’s accomplished in past lives. Any progress made is a permanent step toward the conclusion to this grand journey.<\/p> Still, finishing Minit<\/em>\u00a0doesn’t feel like Minit<\/em>‘s ultimate reward. It’s finding a familiarity with every inch of its world that’s most satisfying. It’s knowing how to get across the entirety of the map in under a minute (with plenty of time to spare, honestly). It’s this learned mastery of all of Minit<\/em>‘s systems and being at peace with the 60-second timer. And then it’s using all of that to figure how to wring out the last few elusive secrets. I feel like there’s more stuff I should water.<\/p> By contrasting a relatively-large adventure against a relatively-brief time frame, developers\u00a0JW, Kitty, Jukio, and Dom found a unique piece of game design that’s incredibly effective. Everything about Minit<\/em>\u00a0should feel overwhelming. It doesn’t. Instead, everything feels attainable in due time. There’s this weird and perfect harmony about knowing you’re rushed and also not caring. It’s liberating. I could keep gushing about Minit<\/em>\u00a0but, given the source material, this review is already too long.<\/p> [This review is based on a retail version of the game provided by the publisher.]<\/sub><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":229157,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","categories":[190,1,97,101,94,99],"tags":[173,480,14946,114,1288],"article_type":[],"coauthors":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/strong>Developer: JW, Kitty, Jukio, and Dom
<\/strong>Publisher: Devolver Digital
<\/strong>Released: April 3, 2018
<\/strong>MSRP: $9.99<\/strong><\/p>