12 Minutes is a game with an incredibly apt title. In this time loop puzzle drama, the player acts as a husband, repeatedly trying to save his wife from a killer cop. He doesn't have a week, a day, or an hour, just the titular 12 Minutes.
It's a title that's gaining acclaim, as 12 Minutes has even caught the interest of Hideo Kojima. But 12 minutes isn't a lot of time, and some players find the game's strict time limit frustrating.
In any time loop story, one of the hardest parts is convincing others that the loop is happening, and it's no different in 12 Minutes. If the player directly tells the wife about the loop, she is understandably skeptical, and there's little time to convince her. But thankfully, the tools to convince her are close at hand.
Evidence of The Repeating Day
Players should note that this is a time-sensitive puzzle, and the player should start this at the very beginning of the loop. Before starting the conversation, players should immediately head to the bedroom, open the drawer, and pick up the present. It's important that they do not open the present, and instead leave it in its wrapping.
After grabbing the present, talk to the wife and tell her that the day is repeating. When she responds skeptically, click the "prove the day is repeating" option and choose the present. The protagonist will say that he knows the present has baby clothes in it.
She will be unsettled, but still not fully believe him. She needs a second piece of proof. The player then should click a window, either in the kitchen, bedroom, or bathroom, and the protagonist will predict the oncoming thunderstorm. Once thunder strikes, she'll be convinced.
What to Do Next
After she's convinced that the day is repeating, she will be more open up about her past. If the player presents 12 Minutes' pocket watch, she'll be less defensive and explain more about her past.
Since 12 Minutes' protagonist has a good memory, he'll remember this information. In future loops, if the player wants to convince her again, they don't have to go through the evidence rigamarole, and he'll just explain the information he learned --that will convince her.
That being said, players shouldn't convince her every loop. Some puzzles require her to be ignorant, and knowledge alone won't protect either of them from 12 Minutes' bloodthirsty cop. The player still has plenty to figure out from here.
12 Minutes is available now on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Game Pass.