Best Games Where You Can Stop Time

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Games often let players stop, slow, or rewind time, which makes gameplay more interesting and complex. However, reversing time is a very powerful ability that needs to be carefully balanced so it doesn’t make the game too easy or unfair.

This list focuses on games where the player character can actually stop time as a power they have, rather than it being a feature of the game’s rules. We’ve left out turn-based games and role-playing games with pause features because those work differently.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

Lets You Rewrite Every Mistake With the Power of a Dagger

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was a groundbreaking game for its innovative use of time manipulation. The entire game revolves around the Dagger of Time, a magical item that lets the player control time. The Prince can use the dagger to rewind time – up to 10 seconds, depending on how much ‘sand’ it contains – effectively giving players a ‘second chance’ to avoid mistakes and overcome challenges.

Throughout the game, the Dagger of Time grows in power, unlocking new abilities. It can slow down time around the Prince, completely freeze enemies, or even stop time for everyone except the Prince, allowing him to move freely through a frozen world.

Iron Danger

Turns Every Battle Into a Puzzle You Can Perfect Over Time

Iron Danger is a hidden treasure among action RPGs, built around the innovative idea of time control. You’ll face enemies in dynamic, interactive environments using real-time combat. What makes it special is the ability to rewind time up to five seconds, instantly resetting everything – even your own mistakes or an enemy’s defeat.

The battles are incredibly hard – it feels like facing a huge army alone! Without the power to rewind time, winning seems impossible. However, with that ability, the game transforms into a clever and engaging challenge where you need to figure out the best strategy for each fight to succeed.

Transistor

Freezes Time To Let You Plan Every Perfect Strike

Transistor, created by Supergiant Games, is a sci-fi action RPG played from an overhead perspective. Players control Red, a singer who has lost her voice and fights robotic enemies with a large sword known as the Transistor. Throughout the game, Red gains special abilities called Functions, with the first one being Turn(), which lets her temporarily stop time.

Red’s Turn() ability temporarily stops time for both her and her enemies, giving the player a chance to carefully plan her next moves. Once time restarts, Red will perform those planned actions one after another. While not essential – skilled players can win without it – Turn() is a powerful tool for overcoming difficult situations and ensuring victory.

Fallout Series

V.A.T.S. Lets You Freeze Time To Target Enemies With Surgical Accuracy

V.A.T.S., which stands for Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, first appeared in Fallout 3 and has since become a signature feature of the series. It lets players temporarily pause the action and carefully aim at different body parts. This system is presented as an automatic targeting feature that’s built into the game’s story and works through the player’s Pip-Boy.

The V.A.T.S. system has changed significantly across the Fallout series. In Fallout 3 and New Vegas, it completely paused time, allowing for precise targeting. Fallout 4 shifted to a ‘Bullet Time’ effect, dramatically slowing time instead of stopping it. Because Fallout 76 is an online game, completely stopping time wasn’t possible, so V.A.T.S. became a tool that helps you aim in real-time.

Dishonored Series

Turns Stealth Into an Art Form With Time-Bending Powers

I’m a huge fan of the Dishonored games! They’re stealth action titles where you get to play with some really cool supernatural powers – things like teleporting, taking control of enemies, moving objects with your mind, and even summoning creatures to help you out. But honestly, one of the powers I rely on the most is being able to slow down or even stop time. It’s a game-changer because it lets me carefully plan my moves and get into the perfect position before things get crazy.

The first Dishonored game featured a power called Bend Time. The first level of this power slowed down time considerably, like a “bullet time” effect, while the second level completely paused time for eight seconds. In Dishonored 2, these two effects were separated into distinct abilities: Bend Time now simply slows the world, and Stop Time completely freezes it.

Life is Strange

Mixes Heartfelt Storytelling With the Ability To Alter Time

Life is Strange is a story-focused adventure game played in episodes. You play as Max Caulfield, an 18-year-old student who discovers she can control time. Max can rewind time, letting her revisit moments and change her actions, which is a key part of how the game works.

Max has the ability to travel to the past, where she can pick up and carry objects, interact with her surroundings, and speak to anyone she meets. If she brings something back with her to the present, it stays with her. More importantly, her actions in the past can change both the past and present, allowing her to save lives that would otherwise be lost.

Braid

Blends Puzzle-Solving and Time Reversal Into a Beautiful Journey

Braid is a highly praised puzzle platformer where you play as Tim, who can rewind time as much as he wants. This lets you easily correct mistakes and avoid dying. The game is divided into six distinct worlds, and each one introduces a unique gameplay mechanic to make things more challenging.

As a huge fan of Braid, I can tell you that the jumping and fighting are totally built around Tim’s time-reversing power – you really can’t get through the game without using it! What’s really clever is how each new world introduces fresh ideas that build on the already tricky gameplay. It means once you get the basics, there’s always something new and more challenging to master, which I absolutely loved.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

Slows Down Time So You Can Dominate Every Battle

In Skyrim, you can temporarily slow down time using a dragon shout called “Slow Time.” You learn this shout by finding special locations called Word Walls and collecting the Words of Power found there. Once fully learned, it slows time to 90% for 16 seconds. You can make this effect even stronger by gaining perks and using enchantments that boost alteration magic.

Slow Time is one of the most effective shouts in Skyrim, particularly for archers. When used skillfully and fully upgraded, it allows them to fire a huge number of arrows in a very short time – almost as if time has stopped. While it doesn’t completely freeze everything, the effect is similar when mastered.

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2025-11-18 06:07