# Field notes from a breaking timeline
Source: https://thelockoftime.world/blog
Guides to the Time Keys, the lore behind the broken oath, and where KUTO: The Lock of Time sits among time-bending action adventures.

## All articles
- [Best Soulslike Metroidvania Games: Blasphemous & More](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/best-soulslike-metroidvania-games): The best soulslike Metroidvania games — Blasphemous, Hollow Knight, Nine Sols, Grime — fused difficulty and dense maps, plus one to watch.
- [Blasphemous vs Dead Cells: Which Should You Buy?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/blasphemous-vs-dead-cells): Blasphemous vs Dead Cells — handcrafted soulslike metroidvania against procgen roguelite. Combat, difficulty, replay value, and a verdict.
- [Games Like Blasphemous on Mobile (Android & iOS)](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-blasphemous-mobile): Games like Blasphemous on mobile — plus Blasphemous itself runs on phones via Netflix Games. Dark soulslikes and metroidvanias for Android & iOS.
- [Is Blasphemous a Soulslike? Yes, With Nuance](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/is-blasphemous-a-soulslike): Is Blasphemous a soulslike? Yes — checkpoint death penalty, punishing bosses, a connected world. But it's a 2D metroidvania first, with no stamina bar.
- [The Best Slow-Motion Games (Beyond Bullet Time)](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/best-slow-motion-games): The best slow-motion games outside pure shooters — Burnout's crash cam, GTA V's Driving Focus, Sniper Elite's X-ray kills, Dishonored, and Ghostrunner.
- [Games Like Metroid: Isolation, Sequence-Breaking & More](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-metroid): Games like Metroid that get the isolation and sequence-breaking right — Hollow Knight, Axiom Verge, Environmental Station Alpha, The Lost Crown, and more.
- [How Long to Beat Silksong: 20–30 Hours + 100%](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-hollow-knight-silksong): Silksong takes 20–25 hours if you push through the main path, 27–32 with real exploration, and 50–60 for 100%. Every completion time, sourced.
- [How Long to Beat Nine Sols: 20-25 Hours + 100%](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-nine-sols): Nine Sols runs 20-25 hours for the main story, closer to 30 with side content, and 30-40 for full completion. Every completion time, broken down.
- [Best Time Loop Puzzle Games (2026)](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/time-loop-puzzle-games): The best time loop puzzle games — Outer Wilds, 12 Minutes, The Forgotten City, The Sexy Brutale, Minit, Lemnis Gate — where the reset is the puzzle.
- [Best Time Loop Metroidvania Games to Play in 2026](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/best-time-loop-metroidvania-games): The best time loop metroidvania games — Timespinner, Outer Wilds, The Lost Crown, The Messenger, Dead Cells — plus an upcoming time-bending pick.
- [Games Like Deathloop: 8 Loops, Heists, and Immersive Sims](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-deathloop): 8 games like Deathloop — Dishonored, Hitman, Outer Wilds, Returnal, Prey and more. Time loops, immersive sims, and one upcoming time-bending pick.
- [Is Nine Sols Worth It? An Honest 2026 Verdict](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/is-nine-sols-worth-it): Is Nine Sols worth it? Honest take on the deflection combat, taopunk story, length, difficulty, and who should buy or skip it in 2026.
- [Game Manuals Had Better Lore Than Most Cutscenes](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/game-manuals-had-better-lore-than-cutscenes): Why 90s and 2000s game manuals — the maps, the bios, the car-ride-home read — did more worldbuilding than most modern intro cutscenes do.
- [Games Like Ori and the Will of the Wisps](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps): 8 games like Ori and the Will of the Wisps — Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, and more Metroidvanias built on movement and feel.
- [Is Rogue Legacy 2 Worth It?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/is-rogue-legacy-2-worth-it): Is Rogue Legacy 2 worth it? Honest take on the meta-progression, class variety, difficulty, and whether it beats the original.
- [Why KUTO Only Lets You Carry Two Time Keys](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/why-kuto-only-lets-you-carry-two-time-keys): KUTO's Product Owner on the two-Time-Key limit: why not one, why not five, and what we tried before landing on two.
- [Best Time Travel Games: 8 That Bend the Past](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/best-time-travel-games): The best time travel games — Chrono Trigger, Life is Strange, Braid and more — where changing the past or future is the whole point, not a cutscene.
- [How Long to Beat Blasphemous 2: 14–18 Hours](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/blasphemous-2-how-long-to-beat): Blasphemous 2 runs 14–18 hours for the story, ~22 with side content, and 30–35 for 100%. Every completion time, plus how the weapons change the route.
- [Blasphemous Story Explained: the Miracle & Endings](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/blasphemous-story-explained): Blasphemous story explained — what the Miracle is, who the Penitent One is, why you climb toward Escribar, and how the true ending sets up Blasphemous 2.
- [Games Like Braid: 8 Time-Bending Puzzle Picks](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-braid): Games like Braid — from Fez and The Witness to The Pedestrian and Katana Zero. Arty puzzle-platformers and time-manipulation games in the same spirit.
- [Games Like Katana Zero: 8 Fast, Lethal Picks](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-katana-zero): Games like Katana Zero — Hotline Miami, Ghostrunner, Furi, Superhot and more. One-hit-kill action, slow-motion combat, and retry-until-perfect flow.
- [Greek Mythology Games: 8 Myths Worth Playing](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/greek-mythology-games): The best Greek mythology games — God of War, Hades, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Apotheon and more — where the gods, Titans, and monsters are the whole world.
- [How Long to Beat Animal Well: 6–15 Hours](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-animal-well): Animal Well takes about 6 hours for the main story and 11–15 hours for the secret eggs and true ending. Every completion time, broken down.
- [Is Animal Well Worth It in 2026?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/is-animal-well-worth-it): Is Animal Well worth it? An honest look at the puzzle-first design, the secrets, the combat-light structure, and who should buy this Metroidvania.
- [Is Blasphemous 2 Worth It in 2026?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/is-blasphemous-2-worth-it): Is Blasphemous 2 worth it? An honest look at the smoother combat, the three weapons, how it fixes the first game's cryptic design, and who should buy it.
- [Is Blasphemous Worth It in 2026?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/is-blasphemous-worth-it): Is Blasphemous worth it? An honest look at the combat, cryptic quests, the free true-ending update, and who should buy this dark metroidvania in 2026.
- [MECCHA CHAMELEON: Why the Hiding Game Blew Up](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/meccha-chameleon-explained): MECCHA CHAMELEON explained — the camouflage hide-and-seek game that sold 10M+ copies. What it is, why streamers made it explode, and what's new.
- [If You Heard This Sound, You're at Least 30](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/computer-club-nostalgia): The CS 1.6 buy-menu beep, the LAN café, 'rush B' — the 2000s computer-club rituals that still give us away, with three videos that prove it.
- [Games Like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown): Games like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown — Nine Sols, Hollow Knight, Metroid Dread, Touhou Luna Nights, and more time-bending Metroidvanias.
- [Games Like Superhot](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-superhot): Games like Superhot: Severed Steel, My Friend Pedro, Katana Zero, John Wick Hex — stylish, think-then-shoot action, plus an upcoming time-bender.
- [Games Like Blasphemous: Hollow Knight, Nine Sols & More](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-blasphemous): Games like Blasphemous — punishing soulslike metroidvanias with brutal bosses and dense maps: Hollow Knight, Nine Sols, The Last Faith, and more.
- [Collapsing World Games: When the Setting Falls Apart](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/collapsing-world-games): Games where the world isn't a stable backdrop but an unstable, breaking thing — and why a world mid-collapse changes how it feels to play.
- [Dead Cells Lore Explained](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/dead-cells-lore-explained): Dead Cells lore explained — who is the Beheaded, what is the malaise, and what the story actually means across all endings.
- [Destructible level mechanics: when breaking pays off](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/destructible-level-mechanics): How games turn destructible environments into real tradeoffs — and why breaking something stable can be the smartest move in the room.
- [Games Like Hollow Knight: Silksong — 10 to Play Next](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-hollow-knight-silksong): 10 games like Hollow Knight: Silksong — Nine Sols, Dead Cells, Ori, Animal Well, and more. Plus one upcoming Metroidvania built around time powers.
- [Games Like Nine Sols — 8 Metroidvanias Worth the Punishment](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-nine-sols): 8 games like Nine Sols — Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and more. Precision Metroidvanias with hard bosses and dense worlds.
- [Games Like Outer Wilds — Time Loops and Exploration](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-outer-wilds): 8 games like Outer Wilds — from Return of the Obra Dinn and Tunic to In Stars and Time. Mystery-driven, loop-based, and exploration-first games for PC.
- [Games Like Returnal: 9 Alternatives (All on PC)](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-returnal-pc): Explore 9 games like Returnal on PC — bullet-hell roguelikes, death loops, and one upcoming game with time powers.
- [Games Like Saros: 8 Roguelikes After the Housemarque Hit](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-saros): 8 games like Saros — from Returnal and Hades to Dead Cells and Risk of Rain 2. Bullet-hell roguelikes and fast-paced death loops for PS5 and PC.
- [Hades Story Explained](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/hades-story-explained): Hades story explained — why Zagreus keeps escaping, what he's really after, and how the family drama resolves across dozens of runs.
- [Hollow Knight True Ending Explained](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/hollow-knight-true-ending-explained): Hollow Knight true ending explained — how to unlock Dream No More, what it means, and how it differs from the other endings.
- [How Long to Beat Blasphemous: 12–18 Hours + True Ending](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-blasphemous): Blasphemous runs 12–18 hours for the story, 16–22 for the missable true ending, and 25–35 for 100% + DLC. Every completion time, broken down.
- [How Long to Beat Celeste](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-celeste): How long to beat Celeste — main story, all strawberries, and the brutal B-sides and C-sides breakdown.
- [How Long to Beat Curse of the Dead Gods](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-curse-of-the-dead-gods): How long to beat Curse of the Dead Gods — first run clear, full temple unlock, and everything in the endgame.
- [How Long to Beat Dead Cells](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-dead-cells): How long to beat Dead Cells — main story, completionist, and 100% runs explained, with what actually affects your time.
- [How Long to Beat Hades 2](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-hades-2): How long to beat Hades 2 in Early Access — first clear, current story content, and what's expected at full release.
- [How Long to Beat Hades: 8–20 Hours to Escape](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-hades): Hades takes 8–20 hours for your first escape — but the full story ending needs roughly 50 runs. Here's what drives the run count.
- [How Long to Beat Hollow Knight](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-hollow-knight): How long to beat Hollow Knight — main story, true ending, and 112% completion times, plus what makes runs shorter or longer.
- [How Long to Beat Ori and the Will of the Wisps](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps): Ori and the Will of the Wisps takes 8–12 hours for the main story and 15–20 for 100% — plus the Spirit Trials breakdown.
- [How Long to Beat Returnal (Story + Tower of Sisyphus)](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-returnal): Returnal takes 15–25 hours for the first clear — the full story roughly doubles that. First clear, story, and Tower of Sisyphus, on PC and PS5.
- [How Long to Beat Rogue Legacy 2](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/how-long-to-beat-rogue-legacy-2): How long to beat Rogue Legacy 2 — main story, true ending, Ascension Mode, and full completion breakdown.
- [Is Dead Cells Worth It in 2026?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/is-dead-cells-worth-it): Is Dead Cells worth it? Honest take on the gameplay, DLC, value at full price vs sale, and who should buy it in 2026.
- [Is Hades 2 Worth It in Early Access?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/is-hades-2-worth-it): Is Hades 2 worth it in Early Access? What's in the game now, how complete it feels, and whether to buy or wait for 1.0.
- [Is Hollow Knight Worth It?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/is-hollow-knight-worth-it): Is Hollow Knight worth it? Honest take on the exploration, difficulty, length, and whether it's worth full price in 2026.
- [Is Returnal Worth It on PC?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/is-returnal-worth-it): Is Returnal worth it on PC? Honest take on the difficulty, PC port quality, story, and whether the roguelike loop justifies the price.
- [Is Slay the Spire 2 Worth It?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/is-slay-the-spire-2-worth-it): Slay the Spire 2 review: is MegaCrit's 2026 sequel worth buying? What's new vs the original, who should get it, and who should stick with STS1.
- [Limited loadout games: why carrying less works better](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/limited-loadout-games): Why games with hard loadout limits produce sharper decisions than ones that give you everything. The design logic behind carrying less.
- [Returnal Story Explained](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/returnal-story-explained): Returnal story explained — who Selene is, what the cycle on Atropos really means, and what the ending reveals about the house and the car crash.
- [Roguelike death mechanic: why dying is part of the design](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/roguelike-death-mechanic): How roguelikes turn death from a setback into a core mechanic — and why the best ones make you feel like losing was your idea.
- [The Best Metroidvania Games: 14 Essential Picks](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/best-metroidvania-games): The best Metroidvania games, from Super Metroid and Hollow Knight to modern picks like Nine Sols, Silksong, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
- [The Best Roguelike Games to Play](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/best-roguelike-games): The best roguelike games — Hades, Dead Cells, Slay the Spire, Risk of Rain 2, Returnal — across action, card, and shooter takes on the genre.
- [Best Roguelike Metroidvania Games](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/best-roguelike-metroidvania-games): The best roguelike Metroidvania games — Dead Cells, Rogue Legacy 2, Skul, Have a Nice Death — plus an upcoming time-bending one.
- [Best Time Loop Games (2026): Outer Wilds to Deathloop](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/best-time-loop-games): The best time loop games where dying or resetting is the point — Outer Wilds, Returnal, Deathloop, 12 Minutes, plus a roguelike newcomer to watch.
- [The Best Time-Manipulation Games (2026)](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/best-time-manipulation-games): The best time-manipulation games — Braid, Superhot, Quantum Break, and more — plus an upcoming Metroidvania that turns rewinding time into a weapon.
- [The Best Bullet Time Games (Slow-Motion)](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/bullet-time-games): The best bullet time games — Max Payne, Superhot, F.E.A.R., Quantum Break — slow-motion combat done right, plus an upcoming time-bending newcomer.
- [Game Feel: What Makes Combat Feel Good](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/game-feel-what-makes-combat-good): What game feel is and why it makes or breaks action combat — hit feedback, weight, responsiveness, and the small details that make a hit land.
- [Games Like Dead Cells: Best Roguelike Action](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-dead-cells): Games like Dead Cells — Hades, Skul, Rogue Legacy 2, Have a Nice Death — fast roguelike action with tight combat, plus a time-bending newcomer.
- [Games Like Hades: 11 Roguelikes to Play Next](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-like-hades): 11 action roguelikes like Hades — Dead Cells, Returnal, Hades II and more, plus which are on mobile and the closest Hades alternative.
- [Games Where You Can Stop Time: Superhot to Katana Zero](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/games-where-you-stop-time): Games where you can stop time and move while the world freezes — Superhot, Quantum Break, TimeShift, Katana Zero, plus a time-bending newcomer.
- [Roguelikes Built on Myth: Gods and Titans](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/mythology-roguelikes-gods-and-titans): Why mythology and roguelikes fit so well together — from Hades to games built on Greek and Roman gods, fate, death, and the titans of time.
- [Permadeath in Games: Why It Works](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/permadeath-in-games): What permadeath means, why losing everything makes games more tense and meaningful, and where the mechanic shows up — from roguelikes to XCOM.
- [Procedural Generation in Games: How It Works](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/procedural-generation-in-games): What procedural generation is, the types and algorithms games use to build levels and worlds, and how it differs from plain random generation.
- [Roguelike vs Roguelite vs Metroidvania, Explained](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/roguelike-vs-metroidvania): Roguelike vs roguelite vs Metroidvania — what each term actually means, how they differ, and how modern games blend all three into one loop.
- [Roguelike vs Roguelite: What's the Difference?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/roguelike-vs-roguelite): Roguelike vs roguelite explained — permadeath, meta-progression, and why most modern hits like Hades are technically roguelites.
- [The Five Time Keys in KUTO: The Lock of Time](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/the-five-time-keys-explained): A guide to the five Time Keys in KUTO: The Lock of Time — Recall, Dilation, Leap, Fracture, and Stillness — and how to pair them.
- [KUTO: The Lock of Time — Everything We Know](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/the-lock-of-time-everything-we-know): What KUTO: The Lock of Time is — the story, the Scythe of Kronos, the time powers, and the run-based loop. The full rundown on the time-bending game.
- [The Lore of KUTO: Kronos and the Gods](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/the-lock-of-time-lore): The story behind KUTO: The Lock of Time — an outcast time guardian, betrayed by the gods, bound to the titan Kronos, and the Scythe he carries.
- [Games Where You Rewind Time — 9 Worth Playing](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/time-rewind-games): 9 games where you rewind time — Prince of Persia, Braid, Life is Strange, Titanfall 2, Quantum Break, and more. How each uses rewind differently.
- [Upcoming Metroidvania Games in 2026](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/upcoming-metroidvania-games-2026): The most anticipated upcoming Metroidvania games of 2026 — Silksong, indie standouts, and a time-bending Metroidvania newcomer.
- [The Most Anticipated Indie Roguelikes of 2026](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/upcoming-roguelikes-2026): The indie roguelikes to wishlist in 2026 — Hades II and more — plus a myth-soaked time-bender where you fight the gods with the titan Kronos.
- [What Is a Metroidvania?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/what-is-a-metroidvania): What a Metroidvania is, where the name comes from, how ability-gating and backtracking work, and the games that define the genre.
- [What Is a Roguelike? A Beginner's Guide](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/what-is-a-roguelike): What a roguelike is, how it differs from a roguelite, why permadeath and procedural levels define the genre, and the games that made it popular.
- [What Is an Action-Roguelike Metroidvania?](https://thelockoftime.world/blog/what-is-action-roguelike-metroidvania): What an action-roguelike Metroidvania is — the hybrid genre behind games like Dead Cells, where fast combat, run-based death, and exploration meet.