Killing Time

About

Killing Time casts you as an ex-Egyptology student chasing a vanished artifact tied to an ancient water-clock. This 1996 shooter swaps mindless gunplay for puzzles and tactical thinking, tasking you with navigating a Maine island transformed by a mad heiress’s occult experiments. Combat is balanced with environmental challenges as you figure out how Tess Conway turned her estate into a nest of ghosts and demons. The game’s dark humor and eerie atmosphere linger more than its mechanics. Its blend of action and problem-solving feels ahead of its time, though polished execution is uneven. A small but dedicated group of retro gamers still praise its clever writing and haunting use of Boldt Castle as a backdrop. The 3DO Company’s catalog lists it as a cult curiosity rather than a classic, but its mix of academia and horror remains distinct.

Storyline

In Killing Time, the main character is an ex-Egyptology student out to discover the mystery behind a missing Egyptian artifact. The ancient "Water-Clock of Thoth" had been discovered by his professor of Egyptology, Dr. Hargrove, but the artifact went missing soon after a visit by the expedition's patron, Tess Conway. Tess is the rich inheritor of her family's estate on Matinicus Isle, where she keeps her friends, and pawns close by so that she might gain the true power of the Water-Clock. As the game progresses, the player finds out that Tess, has used a number of people to gain what she desires, but at a price. Something went horribly wrong, transforming everyone on the entire isle into either restless ghosts, demons or the undead. In the opening cinematic on all versions of the game, Boldt Castle located on Heart Island in the Thousand Islands region of the Saint Lawrence River is used as the visual representation of the Conway Estate.