The Labyrinth of Time

Terra Nova Development
Company type	Private
Industry	Video game development
Founder	Bradley W. Schenck, Michal Todorovic
Products	The Labyrinth of Time

The Labyrinth of Time is a graphic adventure title created by Terra Nova Development, a duo headed by Bradley W. Schenck and Michal Todorovic. Although planned as the inaugural entry of a series, it did not achieve the commercial success enjoyed by peers such as The 7th Guest and Myst. To date, it stands as Terra Nova's only published game. Subsequently, The Wyrmkeep Entertainment Co. collaborated with the original creators to reissue the game on contemporary platforms.

Plot

The storyline is heavily influenced by Greek mythology. While commuting on a subway, the player is transported to an alternate realm where Daedalus reveals that King Minos is constructing a labyrinth that transcends time and space with the aim of dominating all eras and dimensions. The player's mission is to dismantle this labyrinth before Minos finalizes his conquest.

Information accessed through in-game terminals and journals discloses Minos's extraordinary abilities: he can simultaneously appear before all military powers worldwide and erase historical records. These powers hint at a supernatural form of resurrection.

The labyrinth spans various historical periods, interconnected through Martin Garret's journey to locate the tomb of an unnamed Sorcerer-King near Uxmal. Mad Dog Maddigan, who once knew the tomb’s position, was interred in Revolver Springs, California—a town destroyed by fire in 1882. Garret’s expedition encounters setbacks after losing his lucky shirt.

Players must recover this shirt at the ziggurat and then return to Revolver Springs to find a newspaper indicating that graves were relocated due to railroad construction. Providing these items to Garret alters historical events, allowing him to locate Maddigan’s grave and continue his quest. Eventually, Garret discovers a talisman believed capable of destroying structures.

To reach the heart of the labyrinth, players operate three levers within the ziggurat and use the talisman to shatter its keystone. After overcoming an illusory Minotaur guarding the Maze Center, destroying the keystone causes the labyrinth’s collapse. Daedalus expresses gratitude before departing to prevent further damage from Minos, leaving the player stranded outside conventional time and space.

The game ends with a preview for The Labyrinth II: Lost in the Land of Dreams, which was never developed.

Re-release

In December 2004, The Wyrmkeep Entertainment Co. reissued The Labyrinth of Time for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, AmigaOS, and Linux. These updated editions featured enhanced audio quality, introduced a breadcrumbs system for easier maze navigation, and ported the original codebase to Simple DirectMedia Layer. The Amiga version was made available as freeware, downloadable via Aminet or as an .iso image from the official website.

The game was further adapted for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch in November 2009. It continues to be accessible for purchase or download through digital distribution services such as Steam and GOG.com.

Reception

In December 1993, Charles Ardai of Computer Gaming World criticized The Labyrinth of Time for its extensive use of maze navigation, describing its graphics as "eye-candy and boring eye-candy" with minimal differentiation between interactive elements and background visuals. He suggested that Electronic Arts might consider selling it cheaply as clip art. By April 1994, the publication noted that despite its cohesive mythology and time-travel concept, the game’s "depressingly empty world" combined with outdated gameplay mechanics rendered it "less than timeless."

In 1996, Computer Gaming World ranked it as the 43rd worst computer game ever released.

On the other hand, in January 1994, PC Gamer UK awarded it a "Recommended" accolade with a score of 91%. Reviewer Phil South commended its immediate engagement, polished presentation, and challenging puzzles suitable for both beginners and seasoned players.

In February 1994, PC Zone gave it an 89 out of 100 rating, praising its audiovisual elements for crafting an atmosphere unmatched since The 7th Guest, though criticizing an interface that required excessive mouse clicks.

The One rated the Amiga edition at 81%, applauding its graphics and soundtrack but pointing out gameplay flaws. The magazine noted that the auto-map feature diminished maze challenges into tedious tasks and found the user interface outdated and restrictive.

James V. Trunzo reviewed it in White Wolf #42 (April 1994), assigning a "Poor" rating and advising avoidance except for those deeply fascinated by maze navigation.

References

External links