Time Fenix Review: The Solo Puzzle Game That Completely Hooked Me
Review by Lincoln Hoppe: The Game Bard
Introduction
Do you have what it takes to jump back in time and prevent a reactor breach that could destroy the world? Time Fenix answered that question for me in the most addictive way possible.
(Review text here is a quick Summary of the video)
“There’s a feeling of growth and progression designed into the game that’s very satisfying to me. Finishing levels and gaining crystals – even failing levels – made me want to dive in again.“
Game Overview
Time Fenix is a solo-only puzzle solving dungeon crawler where you play as a warrior sage guided by a sentient AI.
Your mission? Prevent a catastrophic reactor breach by looping back in time and diving deeper into an underground facility.
Each of the 16 levels presents a dry erase map filled with monsters, obstacles, and opportunities where you choose your path every step of the way.
The game combines dry erase mechanics with deck building, character progression, and campaign elements.
You’re literally drawing your way through each maze, but it’s far more strategic than simple point A to Z navigation.
Awesome Resource containers by Box to Board
Core Mechanism Deep Dive
The dry erase puzzle system is where Time Fenix truly shines. You can’t just rush to the end crystal – you need to unlock specific keys and abilities to access deeper areas of each facility level.
This creates a brilliant puzzle where you might need to go from point A to B, C, or D to get power-ups that unlock access to points F or G, ultimately leading you to your goal at point Z.
Using your dry erase marker to cross off defeated creatures, used power-ups, opened doors, and cleared obstacles creates an incredibly satisfying tactile experience.
You’re free to travel anywhere on the map you’ve unlocked, allowing you to solve one area first and double back when you’re ready for bigger challenges.
Gameplay & Scoring
Each level begins with a conversation between you and Sensei (your sentient AI guide) in the storybook. This serves as both tutorial and story progression, introducing new mechanics in bite-sized, engaging chunks. The writing is clean and moves things along without unnecessary fluff.
Combat is streamlined through oversized monster cards with attack and defense charts that make encounters quick and strategic rather than drawn-out affairs. Monsters become obstacles in your puzzle rather than lengthy combat sequences.
Your player board tracks stats and inventory while your growing card deck provides keys and materials to solve each level. The campaign sheet records permanent upgrades, abilities, and completed levels as you progress.
Components & Emotional ImpactÂ
The prototype components are exceptional – dual layer player boards, chunky tracker cubes, thick cardboard tokens, and my absolute favorite: the key cards. These look and feel amazing, with different shapes that help colorblind players like me while adding to the tactile experience.
But here’s what really got me: the progression system creates genuine excitement. Phoenix starts simple and weak, but each level buffs your hit points, shield upgrades, attack power, and deck composition. I love progress in games, and Time Fenix delivers that “getting more powerful” feeling in a fantastic way.
What makes this special is how levels tease you with elements that would kill you initially or areas you can’t access without better tools. You might see 3-4 crystals on a map but only need one to progress. As you get stronger, you can revisit previous levels to unlock those previously inaccessible goodies. This makes the 16 levels feel much deeper than their face value.
The mental health benefits here are real too. There’s something deeply satisfying about the problem-solving process, the visual progress of crossing things off, and the steady character growth that builds genuine confidence and accomplishment.
Final Verdict
Time Fenix completely surprised me. I brought it on our recent family trip and found myself playing it more than any other game for two reasons: first, when schedules didn’t align for group games, I could enjoy this solo experience. Second, because I genuinely found it fun and addictive.
The campaign feels less like a massive commitment and more like simple progression with great story beats. Each puzzle unlocks the next, and finishing levels made me want to dive right back in – even failing levels created that “just one more try” feeling.
If you can’t stand dry erase games, Time Fenix may not be for you since it’s central to the experience. But there’s so much more happening here that elevates it above a simple puzzle solver.
I’m not a fan of the cover art (it almost prevented me from trying the game), but I’m glad I looked past it. The maps, iconography, monsters, and card art are much more to my taste, and this is still a prototype – final art may change.
Time Fenix became one of my favorite solo-only board game experiences this year. If you like playing solo, solving puzzles, character progression, and want to save the world, you should absolutely check out the Kickstarter.
by Lincoln Hoppe
Original Music by Lincoln Hoppe: The Game Bard
A Prototype Review Copy was provided by Caravel Games
Publisher: Caravel Games
Designed by: Michael & Olga Rimer
Board Game Geek Page: Time Fenix
My Board Game Geek Page: Lincoln Hoppe
Lincoln Hoppe
Lincoln a professional film & Television actor based in Los Angeles, California.
He has a family with 5 kids, and one of his joys in life is playing games together as a family.
He's on a mission to spread the love and mental health benefits of play and board gaming to the world.
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