“Be curious on your journey,” advises Bells, an ancient Nomai in the 2019 exploration game Outer Wilds. While this phrase might initially seem like a simple closing remark, for those familiar with the game, it serves as an explicit encouragement to experiment. Upon starting Outer Wilds, players are dropped into a narrative with minimal context, nudged gently to uncover the unfolding story.
However, the developers of Outer Wilds appear more interested in players engaging with the game's central time-loop mechanic. Without an immediate overarching mission, players are free to become immersed in the wonders of space and discover ways to manipulate the game's systems. The prompt to be curious is particularly resonant in a time-loop format. Unlike the single, fragile human life that defines our reality, Outer Wilds offers a unique freedom.
Consequences are effectively erased with each 22-minute loop reset. Players retain their memories but are returned to the campfire, regardless of how they met their end. This allows for reckless exploration—dying in a black hole, plummeting from a cliff, or even deliberately encountering the game's anglerfish—all without lasting penalty. The Nomai's quote, therefore, functions less as gentle advice and more as a dare disguised as guidance.
This is further evidenced by Outer Wilds' achievement list. Many awards are earned by attempting actions no sensible astronaut would undertake. These include "Mmmm, carcinogens!" for consuming a specific amount of burnt marshmallows, "It was worth a shot" for piloting a ship to the edge of the solar system in a single loop, and "Well, that settles that" for investigating mundane equipment at ordinary campfires. Though a compelling narrative lies at Outer Wilds' core, the game prioritizes player experimentation, frequently reminding players to test the limits of its environment.
In the real world, such unbridled curiosity can carry significant risks. However, in Outer Wilds, and other games that employ time-loop mechanics, recklessness is not only permitted but rewarded. The absence of true failure—where any mistake simply leads to another attempt after 22 minutes—creates a space where curiosity comes at no cost. This fundamental design allows players to embrace the dare and continue their journey, one burnt marshmallow at a time, for as long as the loop allows.