Forgotten 23: Indie Puzzle Thriller in 23-Minute Loops

Few things excite me more than a solo indie tackling a time-loop sci-fi thriller—with a Polish perspective and a cerebral twist. KovalGames’ upcoming Forgotten 23 drops you into a failing orbital station, gives you exactly 23 minutes to avert disaster, and then throws you right back to the start if you fail. It’s a bold undertaking for a one-person team, and if the execution matches the ambition, this could be one of 2025’s most intriguing indie releases.

Gameplay Mechanics and the Shifting Loop

At its core, Forgotten 23 is a puzzle adventure built around a constantly mutating environment. Each 23-minute cycle, station corridors reconfigure, engineering modules develop new faults, and key systems respond differently to your interventions. For example, rerouting power to stabilize the life-support grid in one loop might trigger an unexpected coolant leak in the next. This forces players to think beyond a single solution: you’re not just memorizing a path, you’re learning how systems interconnect under pressure.

• Dynamic systems: Oxygen vents, pressure doors, robotic assistants and communication relays behave unpredictably from loop to loop.
• Resourceful toolkit: You’ll assemble makeshift gadgets—like a jury-rigged signal amplifier crafted from scrap wiring—to override security locks.
• Environmental puzzles: Access codes change location, maintenance drones develop new routines, and hidden conduits open up once certain failures occur.
• Unreliable AI: Luna, the station’s central intelligence, provides hints that sometimes mislead. Trust is as much a resource as any circuit board or medical kit.

These mechanics combine to create a feeling of discovery rather than rote repetition. Each discovery nudges you toward a smarter approach, and while trial-and-error is inevitable, the loop’s shifting nature ensures you never fall into a simple rinse-repeat pattern.

Developer Background and Creative Vision

KovalGames is the solo studio of Lucas S. Kowal, a Polish designer who’s been honing his craft in graphics and interactive media since 2010. He first experimented with time-based mechanics in small prototypes showcased at local game jams, then expanded into narrative puzzles and environmental storytelling. According to his dev blog, Kowal tackled every aspect of Forgotten 23 himself—from writing and programming to 3D modeling—only enlisting his daughter for additional concept art.

Drawing inspiration from classic Eastern European futurism and his own experiences in software engineering, Kowal aims to strip away combat and focus on emergent gameplay. “I want players to feel like they’re unraveling a mystery from within the machine,” he explains on the Steam page. While he’s confident in the core loop, Kowal also acknowledges the risks: tight budgets can lead to rough edges in UI polish or voice-over work, and balancing the puzzle difficulty across loops is an ongoing challenge in early playtests.

Potential Challenges and Rewards

Any time-loop game lives or dies by its pacing and the satisfy​ing evolution of its systems. If loops feel too punitive or too similar, the novelty can quickly wear thin. Based on preview builds, Forgotten 23 strikes a careful balance: early loops focus on small fixes, like patching a conduit to restore power, while later cycles layer in multi-step objectives—reprogramming a drone swarm, stabilizing a failing reactor core, and deciphering Luna’s true purpose. Success doesn’t just pause the clock; it unlocks new narrative branches and environmental shifts that keep you guessing.

That said, some testers report occasional UI confusion when modules swap positions mid-loop. Kowal has noted these issues and plans further tuning before launch. If the final build nails the loop progression and system feedback, players who enjoy methodical puzzle-solving under pressure will find a deeply rewarding experience.

Who Should Watch This Space Station Thriller?

Forgotten 23 isn’t for speed-run fans or traditional shooters. It’s designed for players who relish logical deduction, adaptive strategies, and atmospheric storytelling. If you’ve ever paused to map out a circuit diagram on paper, or felt a thrill when a puzzle’s pieces finally click together, this could be your next obsession. And for anyone curious about the indie spirit—where tight resources can lead to fresh ideas—this solo project is a prime example of creative risk-taking.

Wishlisting Forgotten 23 on Steam is an easy way to support genuine indie ambition. If the polished loops and mysterious logs land as promised, you’ll not only enjoy a tense puzzle thriller but also witness how a single developer can push the boundaries of the time-loop genre.

TL;DR

Forgotten 23 is a solo-developed sci-fi puzzle adventure on Steam (July 18, 2025) that challenges you to navigate ever-changing station systems in 23-minute loops. Expect dynamic environmental puzzles, an unreliable AI guide, and no combat—just tense problem-solving and atmospheric intrigue. Risky, but potentially a standout indie experience.