I was sent Timemelters for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions of the game. If you enjoy these reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee. 

What is Timemelters?

Timemelters is a first-person tower defense game with puzzle elements available now on Steam.

Demons have invaded the realm and have killed everyone you loved. Fate is on your side. You have been granted the power to jump between timelines and save the universe. With the magic of the spirits around you, set traps, bend time, and stop the demons from breaking the flow of time. Do you have what it takes?

Gameplay

Players wield the power of the spirits, but this power is limited to charges. Players can use these charges to set traps. What makes this game unique is the time travel mechanic.

Players have the ability to create echos. These echos are recorded moves and actions that a player makes before they are overwhelmed by an enemy. Players act alongside these echoes to solve puzzles and clear stages. You only have access to two echos, so use them wisely. These limitations create the complexity of the game. Misusing charges and echoes means you’ll have to start over.

Thoughts

As far as first-person tower defense games, I’d rather be playing Orcs Must Die. Don’t get me wrong, Timemelters is a neat concept, but it didn’t do enough to capture my attention. Combat feels like a slog, the story didn’t hook me, and the puzzles were boring. 

Combat was a big issue for me because it was much too slow. There are all these moving parts that make it more complex than your traditional walking simulator, but it often felt like I was waiting around or moving too slowly through the puzzle. I love puzzles, but the ones presented in Timemelters don’t do it for me. They were challenging, but they weren’t fun. 

The story is fine, but after the first cut scene, I stopped caring. The voice acting is solid, and the writing is okay, but once I lost interest in the gameplay, I had no reason to stay invested.

Aesthetically, the game is fine. I like its quirky vibe, the music is good, but the performance can be shaky in places. The game never crashed or broke, but I did enough issues that I felt the need to mention it. 

This isn’t a bad game, but I just couldn’t get into it. My biggest issue with Timemeleters is that when you take into account the space it is trying to fill, you simply have better options. If you’re looking for a puzzle game, you have better options. If you’re looking for a first-person tower defense, go play Orcs Must Die instead.

If you’re thinking of getting this game, play the demo first! You’re either going to enjoy the slow combat and puzzles and stick with it through most of the story, or lose interest in a couple of hours and forget you ever owned it. 

You can pick up Timemelters on sale now for $14.99 (normally $19.99) until March 11.