‘Time Flies’ makes a housefly’s life into a fun game about existential dread
I never thought I’d find myself chuckling while playing Time Flies, but there I was, laughing out loud on the show floor of the Summer Game Fest. This game is anything but ordinary, with its monochromatic MS Paint-style graphics and a simple premise: you’re a fly with a limited time to experience life in a random house.
Unexpected Surprises in Time Flies
As the fly in Time Flies, you have a bucket list with tasks like “learn an instrument,” “read a book,” “make a friend,” and even “get drunk.” Each task is completed in a uniquely delightful way, adding layers of fun and surprise to the game. For example, getting drunk involves sipping from a martini glass and experiencing a distorted screen, while making a friend means joining a trail of ants on a friendly adventure.
The Inevitable End of Every Round
No matter how much fun you’re having as the fly, each round ends with the fly’s inevitable death. Whether it’s due to the passage of time or the player’s actions, like getting too close to fly paper or drowning in a martini glass, the timer in the corner ticks down to zero, marking the end of the fly’s short but eventful life.
A Grounded Reality Check
At the start of each round, players choose a location from a dropdown menu of countries, determining the length of the round based on life expectancies. This unique mechanic grounds the game in reality, adding a touch of existential dread to the otherwise silly and pixelated gameplay.
More to Explore in Time Flies
Despite all the fun I had with Time Flies, there’s still so much more to discover in that quirky house. I only scratched the surface of the fly’s bucket list and the hidden secrets within the game. I can’t wait to dive back in and explore more when Time Flies launches on PlayStation, Switch, and Steam in 2023, developed by Michael Frei and Raphaël Munoz.
