The time-loop genre creates a huge number of storytelling possibilities, ranging from the small-scale, as seen in Groundhog Day, to earth-ending affairs such as in Edge of Tomorrow. The way the loop interacts with the characters is often varied, and it can be used to discover new information, or as a trap to escape from. Generally speaking, two common storytelling paths for time loop stories are for the loop to either be a curse that the protagonist must escape from, as in the case of Groundhog Day, where Phil does everything he can to free himself from the loop, or a blessing, like in Edge of Tomorrow, where the loop saves Tom Cruise’s character from certain death and gives him the ability to save the planet.
While these two extremes are traditional tropes of the genre, the gray area between them is often where time-loop stories do their greatest exploration. Twelve Minutes is an example of a story exploring the in-between of these extremes. Starting with the worst run through, filled with sudden death and chaos, the loop initially serves as an opportunity to stop this from happening and discover the mystery of who killed the woman’s father. At the same time, the man feels trapped in this endless loop, reliving the terrible day over and over again. Ultimately, the time-loop serves as a form of escapism imagined by the man, and the game leaves them to be interpreted both positively and negatively.
Breaking down the divide between the loop being a blessing or a curse leaves for more storytelling possibilities, allowing the game to explore its own structure in different ways without being bound to a single perspective. Even in stories where the time-loop is put forth as clearly something to escape, such as in Groundhog Day, the lessons Phil learns over the course of the film change his perspective on life and make him a better person. Thus, even Groundhog Day explores the positive side of the loop, even if only through the prism of character development. Just like a time-loop, the concept itself gives infinite possibilities, taking the same idea into radically different directions.
I liked reading both sides of this argument. Being involved in a time loop is something that would be pretty scary, but I don’t know personally if I would view it as a blessing or a curse.