I didn't enjoy my first play. What did I miss?

[DrStrangelove]

After exploring the planet at the beginning, you take the rocket and begin to explore more stuff. That was my first play (~2 hrs). Next day, I reload the game and ...nothing had been saved, I was back at the beginning. I "rage uninstall" the game.

This game is supposed to be excellent. So what did I missed? How should I approach this game?

[Aachen]

By “nothing has been saved” do you mean you have no entries in your log, or that nothing you’ve done in the system has stayed done?

[Cephei]

Did you play for at least 20 minutes after getting the launch codes? Or did you just explore the starting area and never talk to Hornfels and get the launch codes?

The starting area is just the tutorial. Nothing particularly amazing about that part of the game, it just allows you to try out controls you'll need further on.

If you haven't done that and been able to start exploring the other planets, reinstall and follow the path really quickly until you get to the observatory. Get the codes, get to your ship, and get to exploring.

If you have managed to start exploring the other planets, I'll say maybe the game just isn't for you.

[Sammun Mak]

If you played for over 20 minutes then the game would have saved, assuming no kind of bug. Are you sure you played for 2 hours? I don't know why you're asking about what you missed or why the game isn't excellent after you only played a tiny bit. I mean you don't have to enjoy the game, a lot of people won't because it's unapologetic in the fact that it's about self-direction exploration and problem/puzzle solving and that's about it, but it's a weird question to ask after just cracking it open.

[asciss0rs]

your experiences are saved when you die or after 20ish minutes, and you'll start from the same spot every time. You'll figure out why if you keep playing.

[lieutenantkirtar]

Originally posted by Sammun Mak:

If you played for over 20 minutes then the game would have saved, assuming no kind of bug. Are you sure you played for 2 hours?

The timer doesn't start right away on your first loop. If you spend a lot of time exploring before going to the museum your first loop can easily be a few hours long. I'm not sure if getting the launch codes or encountering the statue starts the timer.

[xr ඞ]

All progress is made in your head, so there's nothing that needs saving outside of log updates.

[Maldo Straken [FR]]

Originally posted by XR:

All progress is made in your head, so there's nothing that needs saving outside of log updates.

Dialogues option sometimes ?

[DrStrangelove]

Thx for all the answers. I will give it another go. I understand that I didn't understand some peculiarities that define this game.

[Munkey]

Updates to your ship log autosave and persist, everything else resets when you die or exit the game. Use the rumor mode in your ship log to piece together the clues and decide where to explore next.

[Alfadorfox]

There's also a somewhat-hidden dialogue option only available on your first loop that hints at the in-universe reason why your ship's computer can persist data through loop resets...

[Sammun Mak]

Originally posted by lieutenantkirtar:

Originally posted by Sammun Mak:

If you played for over 20 minutes then the game would have saved, assuming no kind of bug. Are you sure you played for 2 hours?

The timer doesn't start right away on your first loop. If you spend a lot of time exploring before going to the museum your first loop can easily be a few hours long. I'm not sure if getting the launch codes or encountering the statue starts the timer.

Wow I had no idea, thanks for the info.

[Kimchi]

Originally posted by Miyuki:

How should I approach this game?

With heightened curiosity. :)

[Jellybean]

The game is in a time loop, except for the opening, they give you bit of leeway there. You don't unlock or progress anything, the only thing that updates is your ship log. The rest is all your own knowledge you discover as you play. You can actually beat the game immediately if you know what to. But that beats the point, the game is about being curious and adventurous, explore those weird planets and uncover their secrets.

[Fear Ghoul]

Originally posted by Alfadorfox:

There's also a somewhat-hidden dialogue option only available on your first loop that hints at the in-universe reason why your ship's computer can persist data through loop resets...

Really? I was thinking that little detail in the game didn't make much sense except for just the sake of helping the player. I'd like to know what the reason is.

[Quillithe]

Originally posted by Fear Ghoul:

Originally posted by Alfadorfox:

There's also a somewhat-hidden dialogue option only available on your first loop that hints at the in-universe reason why your ship's computer can persist data through loop resets...

Really? I was thinking that little detail in the game didn't make much sense except for just the sake of helping the player. I'd like to know what the reason is.

You can learn that the ship's computer is made of parts of a broken Nomai statue - that's why it has glowing cables or whatever with a similar texture to the statues. It maybe doesn't entirely make sense, I don't recall a receiving mask being activated for it, but it's at least an attempt