0:00:03.840,0:00:08.880 Hi, I’m Mark Brown and this is Game Maker’s[br]Toolkit. 0:00:08.880,0:00:14.640 Most video games have a very strange sense[br]of time, if you really think about. 0:00:14.640,0:00:19.519 There are day and night cycles with sunsets[br]and sunrises. 0:00:19.519,0:00:23.390 And some characters go to bed when it’s[br]dark and get up when it’s light. 0:00:23.390,0:00:30.119 But in general, time stands still - with characters[br]stuck in a bizarre stasis until you make some 0:00:30.119,0:00:31.450 kind of action. 0:00:31.450,0:00:36.510 So the bad guys of Gotham City will dutifully[br]wait for Batman to finish up his side missions 0:00:36.510,0:00:42.120 before causing anymore carnage, and kidnapped[br]characters will sit tight until you get around 0:00:42.120,0:00:43.180 to rescuing them. 0:00:43.180,0:00:48.100 But there are a few games that decide to do[br]something different and actually simulate 0:00:48.100,0:00:53.940 events in real time - with characters moving[br]on schedules, and events playing out automatically 0:00:53.940,0:00:55.030 at set moments. 0:00:55.030,0:00:58.710 I want to call these “real-time games”,[br]but that’s a bit confusing. 0:00:58.710,0:01:01.410 So let’s call them clockwork games, instead. 0:01:01.410,0:01:06.780 And it turns out that there are some striking[br]benefits to this approach. 0:01:06.780,0:01:11.829 Over the summer, I played through Outer Wilds[br]which is an interstellar archeology game where 0:01:11.829,0:01:16.500 you bounce between planets in a rickety wooden[br]ship, seeking answers about your miniature 0:01:16.500,0:01:17.709 universe. 0:01:17.709,0:01:22.939 And what makes this game truly special is[br]the way the entire solar system is constantly 0:01:22.939,0:01:25.420 changing as time goes on. 0:01:25.420,0:01:30.200 Take this pair of planets, which is known[br]as the hourglass twins. 0:01:30.200,0:01:36.539 At the start of the game, the Ash Twin is[br]covered in a thick layer of impenetrable sand. 0:01:36.539,0:01:41.479 While on the Ember Twin, you can explore a[br]network of underground tunnels. 0:01:41.479,0:01:46.749 Over time, though, the sand shifts from one[br]planet to another, permanently closing off 0:01:46.749,0:01:52.099 the tunnels on Ember - but revealing a bunch[br]of towers on the surface of Ash. 0:01:52.099,0:01:58.389 Likewise, the planet of Brittle Hollow starts[br]off intact, but slowly disintegrates as it 0:01:58.389,0:02:00.850 gets sucked into a black hole. 0:02:00.850,0:02:04.959 And a wandering comet makes its merry way[br]around the solar system. 0:02:04.959,0:02:06.749 This has some fascinating ramifications. 0:02:06.749,0:02:13.790 For one, as the Outer Wilds devs have said,[br]this adds an extra dimension to exploration 0:02:13.790,0:02:18.469 by making “when” players explore just[br]as important as “where”. 0:02:18.469,0:02:22.989 You can’t only think about the world in[br]a spatial sense, but also have to consider 0:02:22.989,0:02:28.090 it in a temporal sense as areas you want to[br]explore might be blocked off by the time you 0:02:28.090,0:02:32.400 reach them, while others might not be accessible[br]until much later on. 0:02:32.400,0:02:37.500 The other advantage is that it makes the world[br]feel natural and dynamic, because the world 0:02:37.500,0:02:38.700 is always changing. 0:02:38.700,0:02:44.260 Of course, open world games do see changes[br]- Megaton can be wiped off the Capital Wasteland 0:02:44.260,0:02:49.109 in Fallout 3, and Tarrey Town can be built[br]from the ground up in Breath of the Wild. 0:02:49.109,0:02:54.610 But these things always happen in response[br]to choices and decisions that you make. 0:02:54.610,0:03:00.129 Instead, by having things follow a clock,[br]the world moves on regardless of your choices, 0:03:00.129,0:03:02.680 progress, or even your existence. 0:03:02.680,0:03:07.489 If Outer Wilds wanted to capture the cosmic[br]indifference of the universe, following a 0:03:07.489,0:03:11.150 clock was definitely the best way to do it. 0:03:11.150,0:03:14.620 Another series that works in real time is[br]Dead Rising. 0:03:14.620,0:03:18.680 In these games, or, at least, the good ones[br]- you’re constantly watching the clock, 0:03:18.680,0:03:23.530 as events happen at specific times - and will[br]go on without you if you’re not paying attention 0:03:23.530,0:03:24.989 to your watch. 0:03:24.989,0:03:29.670 Some events are missable - like survivors[br]who call out for help, but get eaten by zombies 0:03:29.670,0:03:31.450 if you’re not fast enough. 0:03:31.450,0:03:37.500 Others are more critical, like how you need[br]to give Stacey a top-up of Zombrex every 24 hours. 0:03:37.500,0:03:43.840 And so, despite being a game about brain-eating,[br]undead monsters, Dead Rising manages to make 0:03:43.849,0:03:47.260 the clock your most nightmarish monster. 0:03:47.260,0:03:51.519 Time pressures add a sense of urgency and[br]peril to proceedings because you can’t just 0:03:51.519,0:03:56.260 get around to saving survivors when you feel[br]like it - you’ve got to get to them now. 0:03:56.260,0:04:01.260 And choosing to save one person over another[br]actually has consequences, because there literally 0:04:01.260,0:04:03.790 isn’t enough time to save both. 0:04:03.790,0:04:08.069 This turns time into a valuable resource,[br]which must be carefully managed just like 0:04:08.069,0:04:09.400 ammo and health. 0:04:09.400,0:04:14.379 Darting into a shop to explore for resources[br]might be a smart move, or it might be a time-wasting 0:04:14.379,0:04:15.379 detour. 0:04:15.379,0:04:20.310 And learning routes, shortcuts, and memorising[br]fast-travel points can really help you maximise 0:04:20.310,0:04:21.750 your minutes. 0:04:21.750,0:04:29.930 Every decision you make matters because you’re[br]always spending your most precious currency: time. 0:04:29.930,0:04:35.860 The thing about making a clockwork game, though,[br]is that time can’t exactly go on forever. 0:04:35.860,0:04:39.680 Developers can’t just endlessly simulate[br]events and character schedules. 0:04:39.680,0:04:44.440 And certain events simply can’t be missed[br]if you want to create a coherent story. 0:04:44.440,0:04:48.520 And so most of these games have some kind[br]of fixed end point. 0:04:48.520,0:04:55.960 After playing Outer Wilds for 22 minutes, the sun goes [br]supernova, and destroys everything in sight. 0:04:55.960,0:05:02.920 In Dead Rising, Frank’s helicopter will[br]return after 72 hours - 6 hours in real world time. 0:05:02.920,0:05:07.180 And in Majora’s Mask - which is perhaps,[br]the quintessential clockwork game - the moon 0:05:07.180,0:05:12.160 will crash into the earth in three days time[br]- about an hour of real world time, on the 0:05:12.160,0:05:13.169 default speed. 0:05:13.169,0:05:19.070 And at that point, the most common thing to[br]do is to take inspiration from the movie Groundhog 0:05:19.070,0:05:26.320 Day and just make time loop back around to[br]the start. 0:05:26.320,0:05:31.340 Hi, I’m Mark Brown and this is Game Maker’s[br]Toolkit. 0:05:31.340,0:05:34.419 Time loops can be a very clever gameplay system. 0:05:34.419,0:05:39.669 Take The Sexy Brutale, which is a murder mystery[br]game that is set in a hotel that runs on predictable 0:05:39.669,0:05:41.449 clockwork schedules. 0:05:41.449,0:05:46.690 In the very first part of the game, Reginald[br]Sixpence is shot and killed with a rifle, 0:05:46.690,0:05:49.430 by a mysterious masked man. 0:05:49.430,0:05:55.509 But when time loops back around, you can plop[br]a blank cartridge into the gun - providing 0:05:55.509,0:06:01.080 the knock-on effect of saving Sixpence’s[br]life. 0:06:01.080,0:06:06.770 So the loop becomes a key part of the gameplay[br]structure, as you learn information over repeated 0:06:06.770,0:06:11.349 viewings of the murder, and then throw a spanner[br]in the works by manipulating the scene at 0:06:11.349,0:06:13.750 the exact right point in time. 0:06:13.750,0:06:18.280 The time loop presents a clockwork puzzle[br]to solve, which is all about learning a sequence 0:06:18.280,0:06:21.860 of events, and then using that information[br]to your advantage. 0:06:21.860,0:06:27.090 A similar system exists in the Shakespearean[br]clockwork adventure game, Elsinore. 0:06:27.090,0:06:32.350 Here, you play as Ophelia and over the space[br]of a few days, Hamlet kills your father, and 0:06:32.350,0:06:34.819 a mysterious assassin ends your life. 0:06:34.819,0:06:37.180 Luckily, time loops back around. 0:06:37.180,0:06:41.319 And this time, armed with foreknowledge of[br]what’s going to happen and a handy timeline 0:06:41.319,0:06:45.850 menu screen, you can convince and manipulate[br]characters to do different things. 0:06:45.850,0:06:50.870 In this loop, I gave Hamlet evidence of his[br]mother’s infidelity, and his uncle’s murderous 0:06:50.870,0:06:56.639 confession - which ended with Hamlet being[br]killed in a duel against the king - and my 0:06:56.639,0:06:58.020 father’s safety. 0:06:58.020,0:07:02.750 It’s not just the clockwork puzzle that[br]endeared me to the game, though: I realised 0:07:02.750,0:07:07.300 that the safety net of the time loop gave[br]me the freedom to experiment with all sorts 0:07:07.300,0:07:09.250 of approaches and ideas. 0:07:09.250,0:07:13.330 Because if they didn’t quite work, well,[br]I’ll just try again in a few minutes - and 0:07:13.330,0:07:17.800 maybe with some handy new knowledge to use[br]in future playthroughs. 0:07:17.800,0:07:21.629 In other games, the loop is something to be[br]mastered and maximised. 0:07:21.629,0:07:26.789 In Minit, the time loop is the shortest of[br]all: just sixty seconds, and definitely not 0:07:26.789,0:07:30.259 long enough to complete an entire Zelda-like[br]adventure game. 0:07:30.259,0:07:35.110 But by creating new start points, finding[br]new tools, opening up shortcuts, and speedrunning 0:07:35.110,0:07:38.919 across the map, you’ll eventually be able[br]to finish the game within that minute-long 0:07:38.919,0:07:39.919 loop. 0:07:39.919,0:07:45.500 Similarly, there’s the under-the-radar Metroidvania[br]Vision Soft Reset, where you’re given just 0:07:45.500,0:07:47.819 20 minutes to save a planet from destruction. 0:07:47.819,0:07:53.030 Here, checkpoints act like bookmarks on a[br]timeline: instead of fast travelling around 0:07:53.030,0:07:57.600 the map, you’re actually rewinding time[br]to earlier moments in your adventure. 0:07:57.600,0:08:00.920 Some stuff comes with you, like new abilities[br]and passwords. 0:08:00.930,0:08:05.449 Other stuff, like extra heart containers,[br]don’t survive the rewind, and must be picked 0:08:05.449,0:08:07.830 up anew if you want them. 0:08:07.830,0:08:12.199 Part of the thrill of the game is carefully[br]maximising the creation of new bookmarks. 0:08:12.199,0:08:17.509 For example, at one point in the game i ventured[br]deep within the planet to power up a machine, 0:08:17.509,0:08:20.039 and then worked my way back up to the surface. 0:08:20.039,0:08:24.759 All in all, the round trip left me with just[br]12 minutes to spare, which would make the 0:08:24.759,0:08:27.530 rest of the game a bit of a tight squeeze/ 0:08:27.530,0:08:32.930 So I did it again, this time racing my way[br]to the machine and back, now with experience 0:08:32.930,0:08:34.840 and a filled-in map to help me. 0:08:34.840,0:08:41.180 I got back with 16 minutes on the clock, and[br]saved a bookmark with plenty of time to spare. 0:08:41.180,0:08:44.000 That felt pretty good. 0:08:44.000,0:08:48.740 When it comes to designing one of these loops,[br]a key question is length. 0:08:48.750,0:08:53.640 Outer Wilds designer and producer Loan Verneau[br]has said “we wanted to keep things short 0:08:53.640,0:08:58.170 enough [that] failure and death did not feel[br]frustrating, but we also didn't want the player 0:08:58.170,0:09:01.000 to feel like they were constantly on a time[br]limit”. 0:09:01.000,0:09:07.710 Also, if players are expected to build a mental[br]model of the timeline, it needs to be relatively short. 0:09:07.710,0:09:12.280 A short timer should also be combined with[br]a compressed world size - so no matter where 0:09:12.280,0:09:15.980 you go, you’ll find something interesting[br]within the time limit. 0:09:15.980,0:09:20.220 Minit is carefully designed so that everything[br]is reachable within a few seconds, leading 0:09:20.220,0:09:25.810 to a densely packed world that spills off[br]in all directions. 0:09:25.810,0:09:28.710 The time loop is certainly a handy mechanic,[br]then. 0:09:28.710,0:09:33.840 It wraps a nasty design problem up with a[br]rather attractive bow, and creates cool new 0:09:33.840,0:09:38.950 consequences for the player with clockwork[br]puzzles, freedom to experiment, and temporal 0:09:38.950,0:09:40.420 mastery. 0:09:40.420,0:09:45.380 These are some fantastic games, and more are[br]on the way, such as the one-room mystery game 0:09:45.380,0:09:50.240 12 Minutes, and Deathloop - which comes from[br]the developers of Dishonored. 0:09:50.340,0:09:53.580 But a time loop is, ultimately, a contrivance. 0:09:53.580,0:09:58.920 It’s a gimmicky solution that calls attention[br]to itself in a very loud way. 0:09:58.930,0:10:04.000 And while I think that’s fine, it ultimately[br]won’t work in every type of game, or fit 0:10:04.000,0:10:05.900 every type of narrative. 0:10:05.900,0:10:11.390 And so, I’m left wondering if we can create[br]more clockwork games, but without the loop. 0:10:11.390,0:10:16.870 Well, one idea is to use smaller, less obvious[br]loops that don’t rip you out of the simulation 0:10:16.870,0:10:17.880 when they repeat. 0:10:17.880,0:10:22.850 Hitman levels are made up of lots of small[br]loops, with characters on repeated schedules 0:10:22.850,0:10:25.690 that might take five or ten minutes to repeat. 0:10:25.690,0:10:30.380 This gives a pretty convincing emulation of[br]reality, but without the messiness of a complete 0:10:30.380,0:10:32.690 level-wide time loop. 0:10:32.690,0:10:37.660 And another solution might be to investigate[br]systemic and randomised events that aren’t 0:10:37.660,0:10:41.620 handcrafted by the developer, and therefore[br]can go on forever. 0:10:41.620,0:10:46.480 Things like the weather effects in Zelda and[br]MGS 5 provide that feeling of time moving 0:10:46.480,0:10:48.610 on, outside of your control. 0:10:48.610,0:10:53.720 Likewise, traffic patterns in open world games[br]and characters in simulations all use simple 0:10:53.720,0:10:58.160 rules and interconnectivity to create the[br]illusion of reality, without the need for 0:10:58.160,0:11:00.520 absolute clockwork choreography. 0:11:00.520,0:11:02.930 See this video for more on that. 0:11:02.930,0:11:08.740 But for something more radical, let me tell[br]you about a section in Deus Ex: Human Revolution. 0:11:08.740,0:11:12.580 At the beginning of the game, you’re told[br]that you need to hop on a helicopter and whizz 0:11:12.580,0:11:15.150 off to an office block to save some hostages. 0:11:15.150,0:11:19.890 Now, you’d be remiss for thinking that those[br]terrorists will happily wait around forever 0:11:19.890,0:11:21.930 and won’t do a thing until you get there. 0:11:21.930,0:11:24.930 That is how time works in most games, after[br]all. 0:11:24.930,0:11:26.760 But, actually, no. 0:11:26.760,0:11:33.480 If Jensen is a bit, uhm, busy and waits around[br]for too long, most of the hostages will be lost 0:11:33.520,0:11:35.560 SARIF: "Eight people Adam. 0:11:35.560,0:11:40.030 Eight good men and women whose only crime[br]was to come to work today. 0:11:40.030,0:11:44.480 And those so-called pro-human purists slaughtered[br]them.” 0:11:44.480,0:11:48.210 Letting the hostages get killed doesn’t[br]lead to a game over of any sorts. 0:11:48.210,0:11:53.340 But your inaction does change the story and[br]your relationship with other characters - if 0:11:53.340,0:11:55.080 only a tiny bit. 0:11:55.080,0:11:59.271 And so maybe this proves that it’s okay[br]for games to be serious when they say that 0:11:59.271,0:12:03.370 you only have a certain amount of time to[br]do certain tasks - provided that the punishment 0:12:03.370,0:12:07.640 for not getting there in time is simply a[br]change in the story to reflect your inaction, 0:12:07.640,0:12:11.120 or perhaps just leads to you missing some[br]content altogether. 0:12:11.120,0:12:14.890 And here’s the thing: modern games already[br]have so much filler content, that I don’t 0:12:14.890,0:12:18.070 think it would matter much if some players[br]completely missed it because they were too 0:12:18.070,0:12:20.540 busy doing other things. 0:12:20.540,0:12:25.690 So imagine a Batman or Spider-Man game where[br]crimes are taking place in real-time, and 0:12:25.690,0:12:29.760 as a superhero you’ve got to make the call[br]of which criminals to chase down - and which 0:12:29.760,0:12:32.250 ones you’re going to have to miss. 0:12:32.250,0:12:35.880 Of course, such a system can’t be implemented[br]lightly. 0:12:35.880,0:12:40.430 Time limits are understandably controversial[br]among players, for the way they put pressure 0:12:40.430,0:12:42.200 and stress on your shoulders. 0:12:42.200,0:12:47.500 And for many, the idea that game content can[br]be missed goes against the completionist nature 0:12:47.500,0:12:50.990 of slowly and methodically completing every[br]task on a map. 0:12:50.990,0:12:54.310 So I understand if this sounds like the worst[br]idea imaginable. 0:12:54.310,0:13:01.000 But still, given the unique advantages of[br]clockwork games, perhaps time could be the 0:13:01.000,0:13:07.530 missing ingredient needed to spice up these[br]samey and static open world games we keep seeing. 0:13:07.530,0:13:10.800 Lemme know your thoughts in the comments below. 0:13:11.880,0:13:17.160 Hey, thanks for watching. Tell me about your[br]favourite clockwork games in the comments. 0:13:17.160,0:13:22.770 Did you know that you can support GMTK when[br]you buy games on the Epic Game Store by using 0:13:22.770,0:13:25.610 the creator tag GMTOOLKIT? 0:13:25.610,0:13:31.130 You don’t pay a penny extra, but Epic gives[br]me some cash, for some reason. 0:13:31.130,0:13:33.980 Everybody wins! But, like, you know, mostly me.