---
key: mechanic/detective--family-29
type: mechanic
id: detective--family-29
lang: en
title: 'Time, schedules and repetition'
summary: >-
  A changing world sets conditions for obtaining information. Observation and
  reading can have different costs in game time.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/detective--family-29/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-29.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-29.md
aliases: []
tags:
  - Detective games
  - Investigation structure
sourceIds:
  - source-ce786c639336367e
  - source-20507e7aa4895c2c
  - source-89e82de58b603dcb
sources:
  - id: source-ce786c639336367e
    title: Shadows of Doubt
    url: 'https://fireshinegames.co.uk/games/shadows-of-doubt/'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-20507e7aa4895c2c
    title: Outer Wilds
    url: 'https://www.mobiusdigitalgames.com/outer-wilds.html'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-89e82de58b603dcb
    title: Unheard - Voices of Crime
    url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: detective
    id: family-29
    title: Detective games
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/detective/#family-29'
    categoryIds:
      - structure
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: 'Time, schedules and repetition'
    description: >-
      A changing world sets conditions for obtaining information. Observation
      and reading can have different costs in game time.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/narrative-unheard-05.webp
      width: 1440
      height: 811
      game: Unheard - Voices of Crime
      sourceUrl: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/'
      originalUrl: >-
        https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/942970/ss_c790252692cd5dc81e7ffdc2850264b25f54fc29.1920x1080.jpg?t=1728551840
      credit: NEXT Studios / NEXT Studios / 505 Games
      rights: © NEXT Studios / NEXT Studios / 505 Games. All rights reserved.
      caption: 'Voices are linked to people, rooms and time'
      alt: 'Voices are linked to people, rooms and time'
      markers:
        - x: 49
          'y': 61
          label: The Mac sound source occupies a specific room
        - x: 22
          'y': 90
          label: The recording can be played from a chosen point
    tips:
      - 'Distinguish world time, recording time and time spent studying it.'
    examples:
      - title: Unheard - Voices of Crime
        url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original editorial taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-19.
  Primary developer and publisher sources support specific released-game
  examples, not the whole classification; design examples are hypothetical.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/detective
---
# Time, schedules and repetition

id: detective--family-29
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/detective--family-29
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/detective--family-29/

A changing world sets conditions for obtaining information. Observation and reading can have different costs in game time.

## At a glance

![Voices are linked to people, rooms and time](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/narrative-unheard-05.webp)

[Unheard - Voices of Crime](https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/) · © NEXT Studios / NEXT Studios / 505 Games. All rights reserved.

1. The Mac sound source occupies a specific room
2. The recording can be played from a chosen point

- Distinguish world time, recording time and time spent studying it.

- [Unheard - Voices of Crime](https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/)

## How it works

A changing world sets conditions for obtaining information. Observation and reading can have different costs in game time.

## Variants

### Variants

<a id="family-29-branch-1"></a>

- Event window: choose a visit time while a person or required location state is available. <a id="family-29-variant-1"></a>
- Case deadline: allocate actions before a deadline while knowing which actions advance game time. <a id="family-29-variant-2"></a>
- Time loop: investigate events again while retaining knowledge from earlier observations. <a id="family-29-variant-3"></a>

## Design example

In one loop the player learns a meeting time; in the next they choose another vantage point and check a participant.

## Context and limits

A working map of detective design: 32 families and 96 variants. The core loop is to find information, form a hypothesis, test it and explain a conclusion. Answer formats, hints and investigation structure are treated separately. Families overlap, design examples are hypothetical, and released-game examples cite primary sources without revealing case solutions.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original editorial taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-19. Primary developer and publisher sources support specific released-game examples, not the whole classification; design examples are hypothetical.

- [Shadows of Doubt](https://fireshinegames.co.uk/games/shadows-of-doubt/) (id: source-ce786c639336367e)
- [Outer Wilds](https://www.mobiusdigitalgames.com/outer-wilds.html) (id: source-20507e7aa4895c2c)
- [Unheard - Voices of Crime](https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/) (id: source-89e82de58b603dcb)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors