If one word can be used to describe the most common source of disappointment for gamers in 2020, it's delays. Countless titles have been pushed back this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The latest title to be delayed is indie developer Annapurna Interactive’s top-down time thriller 12 Minutes.
12 Minutes was first revealed back at E3 2019 with a trailer that showed off unique gameplay centering on a breaking a time loop during a home invasion. The game follows a couple attempting to share a romantic evening together in their small apartment, only to be interrupted by a violent intruder. It is then up to the player character to break the loop and stop the invasion from happening. 12 Minutes boasts star-studded talent, with Daisy Ridley, James McAvoy, and Willem Dafoe voicing the three main characters.
Annapurna is wrapping up a busy year. The company recently published The Pathless, an open world exclusive for the PS5 that has received generally positive reviews. Last month, Annapurna also announced the opening of a new internal development studio to increase its production of new titles. The studio is well-known for developing indie hits, including games such as Outer Wilds and What Remains of Edith Finch.
Annapurna never set a specific date for 12 Minutes’ release, but its website gave the game a release window of 2020. But now the developer is pushing the release date back to 2021, along with two of its other games, The Artful Escape and Last Stop. While Annapurna has yet to announce an exact release date for the game, fans will likely get to play it in the first half of 2021.
12 Minutes is scheduled to release in 2021 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.