People often wonder what life would be like if they could go back in time, right before a big decision, and make a different choice. This sentiment is the driving force of Eternal Threads, as it offers players the chance to influence the choices of others in order to avoid catastrophe - but it becomes something even more complex than that. Eternal Threads shines a light on the things that lurk beneath the surface of every decision and how it takes a lot more than a butterfly flapping its wings to change time - it also takes a rabbit hole.

Eternal Threads is where visual novel meets interactive drama, as players have to autonomy to explore both the house and the time-stream but are primarily watching things play out until a changeable decision arises. It's not too far off from games like Until Dawn and The Quarry; however, Eternal Threads forgoes the stress and quick time events for something more somber and intriguing. This approach to gameplay and tone can be a risky one, but developer Cosmonaut Studios created a world in which any other approach would simply feel wrong.

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As a time operative for the Second Chance Project, players are tasked with preventing a 2015 house-fire by re-writing the events leading up to it. To prevent further issues in the timeline, no direct contact or intervention can be made. Instead, players are sent back to 2015 days after the fire, where they set up special equipment that taps into the timeline and allows the user's handheld device to project important moments and watch them unfold. Unlike most games with time travel mechanicsEternal Threads allows players to jump across the timeline however they want and change any decision at any time.

projection of tom and raquel interacting

This flexibility is thanks to not actually changing the timeline permanently as players explore. By tapping into the timestream via projection technology, players are exploring possible timelines rather than making a permanent change and hoping for the best. It isn't until a timeline is reached in which all six tenants survive that the new timeline is codified. To reach this point, players not only need to watch events play out, but they must also explore the house. Each room holds secrets such as diaries, letters, and text messages that provide deeper insight into each character's private life - but some rooms reveal a more sinister mystery.

Players will come across the "Hidden Room" area early on and, upon doing so, reveal a moment in which a character enters the basement and goes through a wooden door that now has a combination lock on it. This is the first look at what becomes a more sinister rabbit hole that makes navigating a complicated situation just that much more difficult. Ultimately, Eternal Threads is a slow-burner that tells an endlessly intriguing story through a unique take on time travel. While this isn't everyone's cup of tea, it's something special.

combination lock to the hidden room

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Eternal Threads is available for PC on May 19. Console versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have been delayed until late 2022. Screen Rant was provided with a Steam download code for the purpose of this review.