The best record-and-replay games

Record-and-replay games are puzzle games in which players interact with in-game recordings of previous actions, movement or situations. Record-and-replay puzzles are all about identifying what should be recorded so it can be reused conveniently at a later time.

A common setup involves working with copies of the player character that reproduce past actions. For instance, you may have to record yourself pulling down on a lever in order to keep a door unlocked, and then replay this recording so you can pass through the door while your copy keeps it opened.

Players usually decide when and what to record, as well as when the recording should be replayed, though these levels of freedom may vary depending on the game. While some recordings play out like the right help at the right time, others can act as a constraint that players have to work around in order to clear the puzzles.

Record-and-replay mechanics were notably featured in specific levels of 2008's Braid and 2014's The Talos Principle. Several games later made it their main focus. Although these mechanics are sometimes interpreted as a product of time manipulation, they are not to be confused with the “time loop” mechanic, where players get repeatedly sent back at the beginning of a game cycle in order to identify and pursue branching events.

The games listed below are the most favorited record-and-replay games in the Thinky Games database.