Let’s assume the growing block view; in other words, the universe is an ever growing stack of instants, with the topmost one being the present. Let’s also assume that we have a time machine that, when activated, will take itself and its contents to an earlier layer on the stack, removing all the layers above it. Now the universe is back to an earlier state, with the addition of a time traveler from the future. In other words, each travel creates a new timeline, and in-universe characters are allowed to alter history without the threat of paradox.
I might be biased by calling this the “Standard” model, but it seems like the most natural option and the one I see most in fiction. Weirdly, there are very few games that truly fit into this category without adding some extra restriction: we get Glorified Undo by forcing the time machine to not carry any objects back, and Record Clones by removing the old character’s free will in the new timeline.
Games with a “New Game+” that allow you to restart the game with your final inventory fit into this category, but aren’t listed since that mechanic isn’t their focus. Excluding those, here are some games with this model of time travel:
Vision Soft Reset by Mark Radocy
This tight metroidvania takes time travel as the key foundation. Charming graphics & story, and a great mix of puzzles, platforming, and combat (the last two being quite forgiving, thanks to the Glorified Undo mechanic). You’re given a very limited time to prevent a disaster; the key is to obtain powerups and send them back in time, allowing you to open new paths and reach new areas. The game features a wonderful timeline tree that allows you to travel between checkpoints. Extremely recommended.
Too Many Daves by pancelor
Short sokoban puzzler about travelling back in time. Unlike the games in the Record Clones model, seeing your future self will alter the actions of a past self. The game also has some Spicy Undo mechanics. Would love to see this jam entry explored as a more complete game. Highly recommended.
Variants & future work
I started this article with the idea of compiling all the games where in each level you play through once to obtain some key object, send it back in time, and play through again with that key object providing a new route through the level. I haven’t been able to find a single game like this; this might be a signal that the premise is flawed and would lead to a boring, repetitive gameplay, or that I’m pretty bad at searching stuff, or that no one has gotten around to making it. If you find any games on this genre, please contact me!