Rewind

Ludic Temporal Structure persistence_reversibility · rewind

The process can be rewound continuously or in fine steps along its own timeline – not via discrete save states but as a taking-back of the process time itself. Rewind is the most radical form of reversibility: the arrow of process time becomes reversible.

Design question – Can players turn back process time itself – and is this turning-back a tool or a core mechanism?

Reference example – Forza Horizon: after a crash, turn time back a few seconds and take the bend again. At the table, rewind exists at most as a house rule – “Can I take that move back?” – otherwise time only runs forward.

Compatible with

• Rupture (DU-12) – The rewinding deliberately breaks the course.
• Spiral (DU-05) – Iterative approximation of the solution through turning back.
• Wave (DU-02) – Attempt, rewind, attempt again.
• Iterative Narrative (NA-12) – Time-loop motifs; turning back becomes the theme.