The Invisible Hours

An amazing game that I'm shocked more people don't know about. The main mechanic of the game is so interesting to play around with and the many perspectives and stories of each character are well played out. I would recommend this game to anyone who loves a good mystery.

Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 343:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (7/10):
I was surprised by how much I liked The Invisible Hours! I don't think I could bump it up to an 8/10, which to me is a recommend to everyone, but for players who like walking simulators, story-heavy games, and character-driven games, this is a hidden gem. The Invisible Hours is a game (I use the term loosely) where you play as an invisible narrator investigating Nikola Tesla's murder and his rather colorful associates. You can’t touch anything, can’t change anything, can’t “solve” anything. You just float around Tesla’s mansion watching these characters unravel a murder mystery in real time. The hook is that you can rewind, fast-forward, and follow whichever character you like. Miss one scene? Rewind and stalk someone else.
When it works, it’s brilliant: layered storytelling, strong acting, and the joy of piecing together how everyone’s timelines intersect. But if you’re coming in expecting puzzles, branching choices, or an ending you can change, you’ll leave disappointed. This is pure narrative voyeurism.
📹 Pros:
First, I have to shout out the VAs. This sort of game lives and dies by its voice acting, and I was impressed by the quality of the VAs. It's hard to explain, but the acting is way above average game standard. Everyone talks like an actual person; accents are (to me) easily identifiable and well ... nice sounding. Anger, sadness, confusion, joy, etc. is clear in each voice. Fuck Hollywood; I don't need no actors.
Rewind/fast-forward mechanic. It’s liberating to just scrub through events at your own pace and it's super good for people who zone out easily, like me. It's also available from the first second of the game, so you don't have to unlock it or anything.
Unique structure. There have been games where you play as an invisible observer and games where you have power over time, but I struggle to recall a game that blends both. Usually, players need player agency, but in this game, you have none. Still, it adds to the building tragedy of the game—I personally adore when a character is "trapped in the narrative" or cause their own deaths. Even more, the real-time overlapping stories give you that satisfying “a-ha” moment when you catch one scene from two angles.
Replayability. Replaying the game is almost needed tbh. My first playthrough got me the answer to the big murder mystery but also left me with a lot of questions.
Collectibles. The collectibles are usually easy-to-find and relevant to the story. It also gives you insight to the characters' background and motivations. I wished for more, honestly. The house was rather empty when I found them all.
Strong atmosphere. The game takes place on an island with all the mystery clichés: rain and thunder, boat leaving the characters alone, rich eccentric, etc. But the well-known background only serves to create both a cozy and uneasy feeling! Even the inside of the mansion is a sort of Gothic mystery: hidden passages, crackling fireplaces, and looming ceilings.
Cool map. The map includes a record of where you walked and at what time, along with where all the other characters are. So you could find out you followed one of the characters at 7 p.m. before breaking away to follow another character at 8 p.m.
📽️ Cons:
Zero interactivity. You cannot control the characters; you do not make choices. You merely just watch sadly.
Slow pacing. While there are some action-esque chase scenes, most of the game is listening to characters talk. There will be a lot of walking and monologuing, which can test your patience if you’re expecting a more traditional mystery game.
Short. A single playthrough is about 2 hours, and though replayability is encouraged, a full playthrough is about 8-9 hours. While all my questions were ultimately answered, The Invisible Hours is definitely a short game.
Ending might be unpopular. I liked the ending! And I thought it was rather surprising, but other players might not like the rather tragic end.
If you enjoyed this review, please check out my curator page to find more: Verdict: Play or Pass. Also, please leave a like and visit IndieGems and our YouTube channel for more reviews like this one.

In 2025 in VR this is still totally worth a play. I had it in my list since release. Very nice story.

The Invisible Hours is a captivating game that blends mystery with an immersive theater style. Rather than following a linear narrative, players are free to explore a complex web of intertwined stories at their own pace, observing different characters and events unfold simultaneously. The game’s theatrical presentation, combined with strong voice acting and atmospheric design, creates a deeply engaging and cinematic experience. A must-try for fans of narrative-driven experiences.

About 9 hours of fun on this game. The graphics are great on UWS 3440x1440. Sound is great too. The voice acting is very good. Its like watching a movie, but you can navigate to just about anywhere you want. You have controls to pause, fast forward and rewind. I played on a regular desktop and not VR. Youre able to freely move everywhere like youre walking with the character. There is a map screen too and it has all of the characters below it. The controls work well and dont take too long to figure out.

Its a murder mystery and a lot of fun because there will be several scenes occuring all at the same time.Youll need to pick on to watch and then rewind to go back to the others. The story is really great. It has lots of depth for each character. its very well written. I was very impressed by this game. Its unique. I have never played anything like this before.

I was skeptical about this game for at least two reasons. 1) I was tired of Tesla’s mythological reputation. 2) For years, story based 3D adventure games (e.g. Agatha Christie, Blacksad, The Council, State of Mind, Frogwares games) have largely failed to deliver on their promises, with the exception of Telltale Games.
But wow, was I wrong. I haven’t finished the game yet, but I’m about halfway through, and it’s been a blast so far. I’m not particularly drawn to gameplay-focused games unless they have psychologically fleshed out characters, interesting relationships, and good voice acting. This game ticks all those boxes, and it has managed to pull me in so thoroughly that I’ve found myself playing for hours on end.
Sadly, as is often the case with a specific type of games I enjoy, it hasn’t sold well. It seems to me that story based games (except the pseudo-deep ones like Disco Elysium, Talos Principle, Undertale, A Plague Tale, Oxenfree, This War of Mine, Bioshock Infinite, and for some reason Doki Doki), have been struggling for years to find an audience, as evidenced by the downfall of Telltale Games, unless they’re paired well with good gameplay or interesting atmosphere (e.g. SOMA, Outer Wilds, NieR Automata, Hellblade, Pathologic, Stanley Parable, Enderal, Firewatch, original Bioshock, Mass Effect, and lots of point-and-click games). So I think Tequila Works needs to sugar their upcoming pills with unique settings if they want people to give them a chance. Spec Ops The Line had the same problem, a nice story with not-so-interesting gameplay and setting. I mean, make Tesla a cyber-cat or something, I don’t know..
Oh and it's not a one hour game unless you're rushing to the end, which is basically skipping the game.

If you like mystery games this one is for you! I absolutely loved it. Played it multiple times.