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The Time Machine

Review · Adventure · PC

The Time Machine

Reviewed: 09 Jun 2026

PC

Lionel Marsden · 2025

Ludograph rating

D

Caution

35 /100

Automated review
06010030Benefit →Low risk →B 22 · R 12
The Ludograph reading, plotted from the published benefit and risk sub-scores.

Growth (BDS)

22

Risk (RIS)

12

Daily limit

120min

Age guidance

10+

Developmental benefits

B1Cognitive
0.24
B2Social-emotional
0.03
B3Motor
0.45

The Time Machine offers a unique and immersive VR experience focused on exploration and discovery. Players can engage their spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination while experiencing diverse historical or fantastical settings. The random nature of time travel encourages curiosity and adaptability.

Design risks

R1Compulsion-loop pressure
0.27
R2Monetization
0.00
R3Social risk
0.00

While generally low-risk, the game's random nature means players might encounter unsettling or mildly frightening scenes, as hinted by the description 'you might not want to stick your head out'. The variable reward of random destinations could also encourage prolonged play, though without explicit manipulative mechanics.

Content (not in risk score)

R4.1Violence Level
0.33
R4.2Sexual Content
0.00
R4.3Language
0.00
R4.4Substance References
0.00
R4.5Fear / Horror
0.67

Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.

Regulatory design checks · DSA — Assessed: meets criteria·GDPR-K — Assessed: meets criteria·ODDS — Assessed: meets criteria

  • DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
  • GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.: Estimated from review data. No privacy or child-targeting concerns found.
  • ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.

These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.

ReviewedJun 2026Report a data error →How scores are calculated →

Parents ask…

Is The Time Machine safe for kids?

Ludograph gives The Time Machine a rating of 35/100, recommended for ages 10 and up. There are notable risks worth knowing before letting kids play.

What age is The Time Machine appropriate for?

Ludograph's rubric recommends a minimum age of 10+ for The Time Machine, based on benefits, risks, and content review.

How long should kids play The Time Machine?

Our session recommendation for The Time Machine is up to 120 minutes per day. It is derived from the game's own structure (natural stopping points, compulsion-loop design, monetization pressure, and social dynamics), not from a universal screen-time dose.

Session recommendations are design-based heuristics. Evidence linking specific daily durations to child outcomes is limited, and context matters as much as time; treat this as a starting point for household rules, not a clinical threshold.

What are the main risks of The Time Machine?

While generally low-risk, the game's random nature means players might encounter unsettling or mildly frightening scenes, as hinted by the description 'you might not want to stick your head out'. The variable reward of random destinations could also encourage prolonged play, though without explicit manipulative mechanics.