If there's one thing that Ludum Dare 27 has taught us, it's that you can do a lot in ten seconds. The Value of Time, however, is all about the things you can't do in that time. At least, not all by yourself. The object of the game is simple: click the End button. You have ten seconds from when you click Start. The first several levels are easy, and the most challenge you'll have is figuring out how to interact with the various buttons to remove obstacles. And then come the levels that are impossible to complete in ten seconds. What are you to do? Cooperate with yourself, of course! When time runs out and you click Start again, your old cursor will repeat all its previous actions, leaving you free to take care of whatever else in the level needs attention. Some of the levels even place limits on the number of past selves you can use, ramping up the challenge.

It's fitting that Infernet89 used a 48-hour challenge to create a game with this specific message. Even the one major missing feature — the lack of a save-game function — underscores the point that in the real world, you only have one life, so use it well. The Value of Time is a simple, deep puzzle that manages to pack a lot into a seemingly small package. Kind of like a certain time machine. (Huh, maybe that's where the idea came from...)

Play The Value of Time