The sun is about to explode, as players will become all-too familiar with in galactic mystery game Outer Wilds, a game that traps players in a mysterious time loop where they must relive that lethal day over and over again, taking the information they find on each loop and applying it to the next in order to stop this disaster.
Players control a member of Outer Wilds Ventures, a group of alien beings who take part in a space program to find answers among the stars. However, the aliens don’t go easy on their new recruit, forcing them to collect launch codes and talk to the other creatures before they can launch. This information, like much else of what the player finds as they explore, is retained by their character, allowing them to keep all that they’ve learned even when the sun’s explosion claims their life.
Players are free to head out into the local solar system and look at the various planets out there, finding strange ruins and other signs of life on other planets. These locations and items all give players tiny hints on what is going to happen in the galaxy, so players must look for clues in various places all through each planet and star, steadily building up information on why the sun is on the verge of exploding. Each of these planets changes over time, though, so players will need to figure out the best time to visit each of them during their excursions.
Should players land their starship on a planet, they’ll be free to explore it, using probes to check for unseen dangers or a universal translator to see what messages have been left behind. Using these, as well as a handy jet pack that will let players get around, they will slowly collect the bits of information they need to understand what is happening in the galaxy.
Outer Wilds is projected to release this year.
