Crushed in Time

Point-and-click adventures in recent years live somewhere between nostalgia and a stubborn fight for survival. While most of the industry chases open worlds, live service models, and hundreds of hours of content, the French studio Draw Me A Pixel decided to create something completely different. After the excellent and unconventional There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension, they bring us Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in an adventure that not only breaks the fourth wall but stretches it like rubber until it snaps.

Crushed In Time at first glance looks like a classic point-and-click adventure. You have a mystery, clues, conversations, and the familiar detective duo. However, just a few minutes in, it becomes clear that nothing here is normal. The plot revolves around the mysterious disappearance of a character from the very video game, and the investigation quickly turns into a journey through different stages of game development, versions of builds, bugs, and time anomalies that threaten to tear apart the entire virtual world.

The game's biggest asset is undoubtedly its main mechanic. Instead of the classic clicking on the screen, you can literally grab, stretch, pull, and release the world like a rubber band. This "point-and-stretch" idea seems like a cute trick until you realize how creatively the authors have built puzzles around it. You open doors by pulling the entire space, move objects by deforming the environment, and some solutions are so absurd that you'll first laugh and then realize how logical they actually are.

Humor is another element that carries the game almost from start to finish. Draw Me A Pixel once again shows talent for meta-commentary and mocking the video game industry itself. Some jokes hit the mark, especially if you've ever followed game development or encountered legendary bugs that appear five minutes before the product's release. However, it must be acknowledged that Crushed In Time does not quite reach the level of madness and genius that the studio showcased in There Is No Game. Here, the authors played it a bit safer.

Visually, the game looks very charming. Stylized characters, colorful locations, and constant deformations of the world give it a recognizable identity. The animations are fluid, and the voice acting further enhances the comedic atmosphere. From a technical standpoint, there are no major issues during gameplay, which is especially important for a title that relies so much on interaction with the environment.

However, not all elements are equally successful. The pace of the story occasionally slows down, and several puzzles rely more on experimentation than pure deduction. Fans of classic adventures may also wish for a more serious detective component, as the emphasis here is primarily on humor, meta-narration, and creative puzzles.

Crushed In Time is not a revolutionary adventure that will redefine the genre, but it is extremely entertaining, charming, and original enough to stand out in a sea of similar titles. If you enjoyed There Is No Game or are simply looking for an adventure that isn't afraid to be weird, this is a game that is definitely worth a chance. It may not reach the creative peak of the studio's previous hit, but with its intelligent humor, original mechanics, and charming story, it offers an adventure that point-and-click genre lovers will remember long after the final credits.

A copy of the PC version of the game for review purposes was provided by the development studio Draw Me A Pixel