No Time to Explain

Last updated

No Time to Explain
No Time To Explain.png
Developer(s) tinyBuild
Publisher(s) tinyBuild
Designer(s)
  • Tom Brien
  • Alex Nichiporchik
Composer(s) Edgar Plotnieks
Engine Unity (Remastered)
Platform(s)
ReleaseWindows, OS X, Linux
  • WW: August 15, 2011
Remastered:Windows, OS X, Linux
  • WW: July 17, 2015
Xbox One
  • WW: July 17, 2015
PlayStation 4
  • WW: March 29, 2016
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

No Time to Explain is a platform game developed and published by tinyBuild. [1] Designed by Tom Brien and Alex Nichiporchik, it is the successor to Brien's browser game, released on January 6, 2011. No Time to Explain has been released on Linux, Microsoft Windows, and OS X. A remastered version of the game, No Time to Explain Remastered, was released for Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A Wii U version was planned, but never released. [2]

Contents

Plot

The game follows an unnamed male protagonist as he chases his future self, who has been captured, through time for an unknown reason. Central to the game is a powerful laser gun received from the Future Protagonist that can be used as both a weapon and a means of propulsion. A running gag is that, just as a character is about to explain what's going on, they are interrupted, keeping the protagonist - and the player - in the dark.

The plot contains elements of time travel, the time paradox effect, and alternate time-lines. As the game continues, the characters and worlds get increasingly more absurd, including a world made entirely of desserts and a blank world that must be painted with "ink" (via the gun) to traverse. The player will also control several alternate versions of the protagonists, such as the football helmet wearing "Most Popular Guy in the World," who uses his shotgun to propel himself over large distances.

Eventually, the culprit behind the attacks is discovered: the protagonist's evil twin, who was released by accident while the protagonist was chasing his abducted selves. Once all the levels are completed, a round table of protagonists convenes to come up with a plan. The group misunderstands a brainstorm from the original protagonist and graft him and The Most Popular Guy in the World together into a composite being, giving the player the ability to use both types of guns. The plan somehow works, but moments before defeat, the evil twin goes back to the beginning of the game with Composite Guy in pursuit. The original protagonist is killed after the twin steals the laser gun, and the twin is then pushed into the attacking monster he released.

Gameplay

The game is a 2D side-scroller, with most of the levels involving various means of propulsion. The main method is a laser gun worn as a jetpack that shoots a laser beam with a time limit. Many variations on this, such as a shotgun that launches the player at a great distance, or a slingshot effect that flings the player from wall to wall, are used at different levels.

Development

No Time to Explain was a browser game created by Tom Brien and released on Newgrounds on January 6, 2011. After the success of No Time to Explain, Brien teamed up with Alex Nichiporchik to start work on a full version of the game.

Development on No Time to Explain began in February 2011. The game was initially announced for PC and Mac, and was released for Windows, Mac and Linux in August 2011, and on Steam in January 2013. The game differs from the original Flash game as the level design is not hand drawn but made out of digital textures. On April 11, 2011, tinyBuild announced that they opened a Kickstarter account to collect funds to help support the project. In less than 24 hours, the $7,000 goal was met. The Kickstarter page has helped raised over $26,000 for the project with a notable contribution of $2,000 from Minecraft creator Markus Persson.

Related Research Articles

<i>Wasteland</i> (video game) 1988 video game

Wasteland is a role-playing video game developed by Interplay Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1988. The first installment of the Wasteland series, it is set in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic America destroyed by a nuclear holocaust generations before. Developers originally made the game for the Apple II and it was ported to the Commodore 64 and MS-DOS. It was re-released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux in 2013 via Steam and GOG.com, and in 2014 via Desura. A remastered version titled Wasteland Remastered was released on February 25, 2020, in honor of the original game's 30th anniversary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revolution Software</span> British video game developer

Revolution Software Limited is a British video game developer based in York, founded in 1989 by Charles Cecil, Tony Warriner, David Sykes, and Noirin Carmody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Build (game engine)</span> First-person shooter engine

The Build Engine is a first-person shooter engine created by Ken Silverman, author of Ken's Labyrinth, for 3D Realms. Like the Doom engine, the Build Engine represents its world on a two-dimensional grid using closed 2D shapes called sectors, and uses simple flat objects called sprites to populate the world geometry with objects.

<i>Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective</i> 1991 video game

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective is a full-motion video game released in 1991. It is based on a tabletop game-gamebook hybrid of the same name first published in 1981, and features the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Software remastering</span>

Software remastering is software development that recreates system software and applications while incorporating customizations, with the intent that it is copied and run elsewhere for "off-label" usage. The term comes from remastering in media production, where it is similarly distinguished from mere copying.

<i>Dreamfall Chapters</i> 2017 episodic 3D adventure video game

Dreamfall Chapters is an episodic 3D adventure game with emphasis on character interaction, exploration of the game world, and puzzle solving. It is a sequel to the adventure games The Longest Journey and Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. The game was released for PC in five episodes between 21 October 2014 and 17 June 2016. The updated "Final Cut" version was released on physical media for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 5 May 2017, and the Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux versions on 21 July 2017.

<i>Defense Grid: The Awakening</i> Tower defense video game first released in 2008

Defense Grid: The Awakening is a tower defense video game developed by Hidden Path Entertainment for Windows and Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360. The game was one of the titles promoted by Microsoft during their Game Developers Conference keynote speech on February 20, 2008. The game was released for Microsoft Windows on December 8, 2008, and for Xbox 360 on September 2, 2009. The OS X version shipped from Virtual Programming on July 7, 2010.

<i>Shadowrun Returns</i> 2013 video game

Shadowrun Returns is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Harebrained Schemes. It takes place in the science fantasy setting of the Shadowrun tabletop role-playing game. The game was crowd funded through Kickstarter and released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS, and Android in 2013.

<i>Divinity: Original Sin</i> 2014 video game

Divinity: Original Sin is a role-playing video game developed and published by Larian Studios. The fourth main entry in the Divinity game series, it is a prequel to the original game Divine Divinity, and to the other main games in the series. It was first released on Microsoft Windows on 30 June 2014.

<i>Godus</i> 2013 video game

Godus or Godus Wars is a god video game developed by 22cans and published by DeNA. The company launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds and met their funding goal on 20 December 2012. Godus was designed by Peter Molyneux, who described it as the spiritual successor to his earlier creation, Populous. While the mobile versions of the game continues to be updated, the PC edition of the game never left Steam Early Access, and is no longer available for purchase on the Steam store.

<i>7 Days to Die</i> 2013 video game

7 Days to Die is a survival horror video game set in an open world developed by The Fun Pimps. It was released through Early Access on Steam for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X on December 13, 2013, and for Linux on November 22, 2014. Versions for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in 2016 through Telltale Publishing, but are no longer being developed. In late 2022, The Fun Pimps announced that the game will be re-released on consoles targeting Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. It is also available on Xbox One via Game Pass, but still unknown if it will return on PlayStation 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steam Machine (computer)</span> Line of gaming PCs operating SteamOS

Steam Machine was a series of small form factor gaming computers by Valve, designed to operate SteamOS to provide a game console-like experience. Several computer vendors were engaged with Valve to develop their own versions of Steam Machines for retail, offering additional options atop Valve's requirements such as dual-booting options with Microsoft Windows and the ability to upgrade the computer. Consumers could digitally purchase video games on their Steam Machine through Valve's namesake Steam storefront.

<i>Defense Grid 2</i> 2014 video game

Defense Grid 2 is a 2014 tower defense video game developed by Hidden Path Entertainment and published by 505 Games. As a sequel to the 2008 Defense Grid: The Awakening, the game was crowd-funded on Kickstarter in 2012 and released on Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on September 23, 2014. Linux and OS X versions were released on October 15, 2014, and the Nintendo Switch version was released on February 7, 2019.

tinyBuild American video game publisher

tinyBuild Inc. is an American publisher of indie games based in Bellevue, Washington. The company was established by Alex Nichiporchik and Tom Brien in 2011 to expand Brien's game No Time to Explain into a commercial release. Building from the success of the game's Steam release in 2013, tinyBuild partnered with DoubleDutch Games for the development and release of SpeedRunners, which landed tinyBuild further publishing deals. Since March 2020, the company has been founding or acquiring new studios to expand. It became a public company on the Alternative Investment Market in March 2021.

<i>Saurian</i> (video game) 2017 video game

Saurian is an upcoming survival simulation video game developed and published by American studio Urvogel Games for Microsoft Windows. It focuses upon accurately simulating the natural ecosystem of the Hell Creek Formation in an interactive format where players take control of a dinosaur. The game uses the Unity engine as its base. It was launched on Steam as an Early Access game on August 2, 2017. Versions were also planned for MacOS and Linux, but have yet to be released as of 2023.

<i>System Shock</i> (2023 video game) Video game remake

System Shock is a 2023 action-adventure game developed by Nightdive Studios and published by Prime Matter. It is a remake of the 1994 game System Shock by Looking Glass Studios. The game is set aboard a space station in a cyberpunk vision of the year 2072. Assuming the role of a nameless security hacker, the player attempts to hinder the plans of a malevolent artificial intelligence called SHODAN.

<i>Mr. Shifty</i> 2017 video game

Mr. Shifty is a 2.5D beat 'em up video game developed by Team Shifty and published by tinyBuild.

<i>Hello Neighbor</i> 2017 video game

Hello Neighbor is a survival horror stealth game developed by Russian studio Dynamic Pixels and published by tinyBuild. Initially released as public alphas from 2016 to 2017, it received a full release for Windows and Xbox One on December 8, 2017, and later for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android on July 26, 2018.

<i>The Final Station</i> 2016 video game

The Final Station is a side-scrolling shooter video game with a train simulator and exploration elements. It was developed by Do My Best Games and published by tinyBuild, and released on August 30, 2016 for Windows, MacOS, Linux, and Xbox One, and September 2, 2016 for PlayStation 4.

<i>Book of Travels</i> 2021 role-playing video game

Book of Travels is a role-playing video game under development by Might and Delight. Unlike massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), Book of Travels limits the number of players on each server to create memorable meetings with players. The early access version was released for Windows, Mac, and Linux on October 11, 2021.

References

  1. "tinyBuild - Indie Game Developer And Publisher". tinyBuild - Indie Game Developer And Publisher. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  2. "Search | Pegi Public Site". pegi.info. Retrieved August 10, 2020.