Timekeepers
| Developer: Vulcan | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Vulcan | Sound: |
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| Year: 1995 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Puzzle | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
5/10 | |
It’s basically Lemmings from above. Little guys march straight ahead and turn around when they hit an obstacle. Using a selection of icons arranged in a strip at the bottom of the screen, you have the power to influence their movement by giving them simple instructions like turn, stop for a moment, jump, defuse a nuclear bomb… The small difference with Lemmings is that the commands are executed in a staggered fashion, by “placing” markers on the ground. As soon as they pass over them, your little creatures obey without questioning. This rewards anticipation more than reaction under pressure, in theory… Another difference: actions aren’t limited in number, and, pleasantly surprising, no time limit is imposed to complete a level.
The nice presentation sets a favourable first impression. Unfortunately, the lack of depth and imagination quickly chips away at our enthusiasm. Many levels require no thought, only quick clicking (when you have to react instantly right from the start, or risk losing half your herd). As for the others, they turn out to be long and tedious, as you have to guide the little guys one by one along the same path, repeating exactly the same actions up to fourteen times. I challenge anyone to slog through all the levels of the first world in one go without losing their mind. This explains why it’s so hard to find photos of the later worlds online. I didn’t have the motivation to go all the way either to take any…
An additional disk appeared in 1996, featuring 60 extra levels. Ten years later, the game was released again on PC, with little change.
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