TimeMelters Preview for Steam Early Access

TimeMelters, by developer and publisher Autoexec Games, is a strategy game set to release on the 12th of October. In this game, you play as a Witch able to cast powerful spells in a world plagued by monsters. You have to utilize these unique magical powers to take down those enemies and save the world. Another large aspect of this game is the use of time rifts and time travel to succeed where in previous versions of you have failed. Will you be able to fix this world by strategically using the powers you have at your disposal?

When you start the game, you can choose between three different difficulties, with Balanced being the normal game mode, that balance the strategy aspects with the overall story experience. Story is a more forgiving game mode that emphasizes the story over the combat and puzzles for a more relaxed experience, and Strategist is much more challenging and not suitable for newer players but good for an extra challenge. After picking the difficulty, which you can change anytime even while playing, you are taken through a tutorial where you learn all of the powers you possess and how to use them.

There are quite a few mechanics in TimeMelters that give it interest and intrigue while playing. The first mechanics you learn are basic magic attacks including a burst of energy that you shoot and damage enemies, a teleport spell that allows you to mark a place to teleport back to for safety, and an attack that flings enemies away from you and knocks them prone for a time. The next array of magical spells is more complex and involves using a reserve of mana orbs that you can find throughout the map or in some enemies. These spells include animating trees and conjuring elementals that will aid you. Other mechanics involve being able to go into a spirit form and a strategy map that you can use to plan out levels that are particularly difficult. One particular mechanic that stands out, though, is a mechanic that involves time traveling back in time when you die to fight alongside yourself and finish the job correctly. This game features a mix of puzzle solving strategy and interesting combat that pair well with the story. Overall, this is a fun and interesting game that features many unique game mechanics.

There aren’t many issues I have found with TimeMelters that aren’t just some small things here and there. I think the biggest issue I found is that there are so many game mechanics and it can be overwhelming at first. That being said, the creators have said that in the full release the game mechanics are more spread out and introduced gradually in the story. Even with that, though, I am a little worried because even if introduced gradually, in the end, it’s still a lot of things to learn and keep track of. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how it turns out. Other than that, there are some graphical errors mostly with the grass and branches, things that are layered. There are also some input lag issues as well with spells firing awkwardly or off time. All these early access issues are minor problems that can easily be fixed and balanced out in the full release. TimeMelters is very interesting and well-made especially considering it was made by a very small group of people.

TimeMelters is an adventure game created by a small group of indie developers that is set to release fully on October 12th. The game features many mechanics that can be overwhelming but also very interesting. The most interesting mechanic in the game is the time traveling that allows you to go back in time to help yourself out in finishing the levels. This game will feature a solo story mode as well a co-op experience so you can share the chaos with friends. Overall, this is a very interesting and well-made game and I can’t wait to see what the full release has in store.

TimeMelters is available to wishlist via Steam Early Access with a free demo available right now.

Related: Reviews by Brianna Keller