The hook to Minit is it is reminiscent of old 2D Zelda but can only be played 60 seconds at a time. Your little goofy-looking playable character finds a cursed sword that causes its wielder to die every minute. Some of your progress is always saved each death and the overall goal is to stop the Sword Factory from making these instruments of impending doom. Minit is a weird game that can be beaten in about an hour, but its endearing design, quirky but approachable puzzles, and bizarre style work in tandem with the minute-long runs to make it something well worth checking out that is ideal for the Switch’s portable form factor.

For the most part, Minit is a straightforward game. Explore the areas you have access to until you solve puzzles that give you an item to move into new areas. Rinse and repeat until you get to the finale and save the day. The puzzles are teased out by characters, imploring you find hotel residents to gain access to a roof or find a long-range attack to take out enemies from across a river. The solutions to some are on the simpler side, but a lot require you to rethink conventions of this classic style. That’s what makes Minit so novel is that it breaks down borderline tropey gameplay concepts that are 30 years old and puts a fresh spin on them. A lot of my interactions and solutions reminded me of similar games I’ve played, but the hook of the minute-at-a-time design made it all feel so crisp.

If you’re quick, the game can be blazed through but the better way to experience this is by idly exploring. The amount of runs and deaths you have ultimately doesn’t matter, but it helps give a lackadaisical journey purpose while also constantly reminding you of the fact that if you figure out what to do, you can totally complete this puzzle in less than a minute.

Finding extraneous items is mostly for the reward of solving a puzzle, but if you get sucked into the simple setup, more mileage is in Minit than just a one-time play. 100% completion can be a fun challenge and a New Game+ adds another layer of difficulty. Its very nature is also perfect for speedruns.

Minit might not last that long, but it is a memorable experience that cuts out fluff and just delivers clever puzzles and concepts. You might not spend a lot of time with it, but playing through it once is as insightful a meditation on 2D Zelda-style gameplay as any game multiple times its length.