In Hourglass you can create a time-clone of yourself to solve challenging puzzles. You will play as Aywa, a young adventurer who is traveling to Egypt to find her missing father - an archeologist, who never returned from his latest expedition.
At the heart of the gameplay, players can record their actions for a limited 10-second window and then "clone" themselves, allowing the recorded actions to play out while the player takes different steps. This creates a clever dynamic where players must carefully plan their movements and timing to solve the game's puzzles. Reviewers praised this mechanic as an engaging and innovative way to approach the puzzle-solving challenges.
The puzzles start relatively simple but gradually increase in complexity as the game progresses. While the later puzzles, especially in the final areas, can become quite challenging, reviewers noted that the difficulty curve feels well-paced, never crossing the line into unfair territory. Players reported experiencing satisfying "aha!" moments when finally deducing the solution to a tricky puzzle. The puzzle design also received praise for its creativity and variety. Each new area introduces new twists on the time clone mechanic or additional elements like teleportation pads, ensuring that the gameplay feels fresh and the puzzles never become repetitive.
Beyond the core puzzle gameplay, reviewers highlighted the joy of exploring the game's atmospheric ancient Egyptian setting. The stylized, low-poly visuals and ambient sound design effectively transport players to this mythical world. The non-linear level design, which allows players to tackle puzzles in different orders and even skip some, further enhances the sense of adventure and discovery.