Time travel video games explore something that you have wished or even tried at some point – to go back in time. You’ve probably had times you wished you could change something in the past: a bad word, a lame comeback or the moment you threw your phone against the wall in anger.

While you may not yet be able to go back in time to save face or save your phone, time travel video games help you do better and save the world.

1.  Steins; Gate

It is a visual novel and the second game in a science adventure series created by 5pb and Nitroplus.

The game is the story of a group of students led by Rintaro Okabe as they develop and discover the ability to travel in time. The player takes on the role of Rintaro Okabe, or “Okarin” as his friends call him, an 18-year-old student. With the help of other members of the “Future Gadget Laboratory,” he travels back and forth in time to save the lives of his friends and stop World War III.

The gameplay has non-linear plot lines. These branch into different scenarios based on interaction with the player. Although there is a true end, there are several other endings depending on what choices the player makes.

The game was first released for Xbox 360 in 2009. It is now available on Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation, iOS, and Android.

2.  Life Is Strange

It is a graphic adventure game about Max Caulfield, a photography student who discovers she has the ability to travel in time.

The game plot follows Max Caufield as she goes back and forth in time to save her friends from murder and suicide and to expose a paedophilic teacher. Max’s time travels cause a problem: a storm that is about to hit her town. She has a choice: go back in time and allow her friend die or save her friend and bring the storm to her town.

The game was developed by Dontnod Entertainment and was published by Square Enix. The game was then released in five episodes in 2015. It’s available on all major platforms: Android, Linux, Windows, iOS, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Life Is Strange received great critical reviews. It also won the award for the best story at the BAFTA Games Award.

Dontnod released a prequel Before the Storm on 31 August 2017.

3. Chrono Trigger

In this role-playing video game where the player controls the protagonist and his companions in their two-dimensional fictional world, players navigate with the use of an overworld map which shows the landscape from a zoomed-out overhead view.

Chrono Trigger is set in an Earth-like world featuring the prehistoric era, the middle ages, and a post-apocalyptic world. The game features a lot of time traveling, saving lives and preventing the ending of the world. The game has six playable characters and an optional character with which you battle dragons, knights, and monsters.

The game has thirteen different endings, depending on the choices the player makes.

Chrono Trigger is regarded as one of the best time travel video games and was even described by Nintendo Magazine as revolutionary.

The game is available for Nintendo, PlayStation, iOS, and Android.

4. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

This game is a reboot of the Prince of Persia series and is an action-adventure video game, a product Ubisoft released in November 2003.

The main character of the game is a prince who has to fight sand monsters to prevent the world from getting covered by sand. He has an ally, Farah, the daughter of his enemy, the Vizier of a Maharaja, and together they fight until they are about to destroy the hourglass which is causing the destruction.

Game-play involves solving puzzles, several acrobatic moves and stabbing enemies with the dagger of time. The player also has the ability to go back in time to fix mistakes.

The game was well received all over the world, selling 14 million copies worldwide. The game is available on Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, iOS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

5. Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock

This video game is based on the BBC television program “Doctor Who.”

In this game the player uses characters: Doctor Who and River Song. The characters travel across space and time to save the earth by gathering pieces of the eternity clock. The eternity clock has a record of all events that have ever happened and that will ever happen. The presence of cyber-men hinders their quest.

Players will have to make several decisions and solve puzzles which lead to different possibilities. The game is available on Playstation 3.

Wrapping Up Time Travel Video Games

These five time travel video games explore this very exciting theme while providing great action and adventure. Looking at the games you’ve played, which of them did you enjoy the most and why. Leave your comments at the end of this article.

Nicholas Godwin is a technology researcher who helps businesses tell profitable brand stories that their audiences love. He’s worked on projects for Fortune 500 companies, global tech corporations and top consulting firms, from Bloomberg Beta, Accenture, PwC, and Deloitte to HP, Shell, and AT&T. You may follow his work on Twitter or simply say hello. His website is Tech Write Researcher.

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