Timelie

What Timelie is and who it suits

Timelie is a story-driven puzzle game in which time works like the controls of a media player. You pause, rewind and fast-forward the events around you to get through each level. It is built around planning a sequence of moves, so players who like working out timing before they act are the ones it is aimed at.

Stealth runs through the puzzles as well. Enemies have to be avoided, and the environment is part of how you get out.

Rewinding and previewing time to solve puzzles

The Timeline is the main tool. You use it to undo a mistake, look ahead at what is about to happen, and change your actions based on what you saw. Each puzzle is set up so that timing and the order of moves decide whether it works.

Because you can rewind, a failed attempt does not end the level. You go back to the point where things went wrong and try again with the timeline adjusted.

Sneaking past guards and planning an escape

Much of the stealth play is about staying out of sight of enemies while you work toward an exit. Environmental objects are used to get past them. The developer describes stealth and puzzle-solving as one combined system, so a route through a level is usually both a timing problem and a hiding problem.

Switching between the girl and her cat

You control two characters: the girl and her cat companion. Each has abilities of their own, and the puzzles are designed for using both. The listing names three uses: solving puzzles, distracting enemies and getting through obstacles.

Combining the two is the core of the level design, since one character's ability often sets up what the other needs to do.

A surreal world and a story told through play

The game takes place in an abstract, surreal setting with varied environments, puzzles and hazards. The story follows a girl and her cat through a journey about companionship and survival, and it is told through gameplay and exploration rather than long stretches of dialogue.

The listing describes Act 1 as free to play, which works as a try before buying. The rest of the game is the part that requires a purchase.