Survive the apocalypse in this strategy game

60 Seconds! is a darkly comedic survival-strategy video game that lets you live out the suburban horror story of having to deal with the nuclear apocalypse. Developed by Robot Gentleman, 60 Seconds! is all about preparing your family for the incoming disaster with only 60 seconds to spare. It’s half panic-stricken scavenging and half careful point-and-click strategy as you struggle to survive through the apocalypse with the supplies and the family members you have.

Sirens are wailing

60 Seconds! employs a nice transition of gameplay throughout its playthroughs. First is the scavenging part, which happens in a third-person 3D sequence. You play as Ted, the father of the family, who has to quickly gather necessary supplies and items that will be of great help to his family while they’re stuck down in their underground fallout shelter. You need to run around the house and its rooms—which its layout is always random and procedurally-generated for every run—in order to scavenge. 

Ted can only carry four items, as indicated by four hand symbols on the bottom of the screen, but he can dump the stuff he collected on the ladder leading to the shelter to clear his hands and collect some more. Some items are heavier than most, however. Plus, his family takes more than one space on his “inventory”—wife Dolores and son Timmy both need two hands while daughter Mary Jane takes up three. 

You can leave a family member behind and save rations that way, but having allies means more chances of survival when you need to venture out of the shelter. Thus, you need to take advantage of all the spaces you have to maximize your sparse 60 seconds. Food and water isn’t the only thing you need to survive, after all. Certain items like the gas mask, the radio, and weapons are also pretty important since there will be random events that will require them.

The sheltered life

After the 60 seconds is up, the game moves on to the survival part. This time, everything’s in 2D, and most of your controls are limited to the mouse. You can click around and check out the items you’ve collected during the first phase. To progress the game, however, you need to check the journal on the bottom right of the screen. Every day, there are different entries regarding the state of your family and their situation. 

It also notes if your family is hungry or thirsty, helping you decide on whether to give them food and water on the next page. It’s important to ration your supplies, no matter how well-stocked you are. Various events can suddenly take some of them away and ruin your plans—plus, the characters can survive a few days without eating or drinking. During events, you can choose some items to help you deal with the situation. 

They’ll usually be used up and can longer be used again, though. You’ll also be prompted to explore the radioactive wasteland if you want. But, take note that you don’t have the necessary gear. The radiation is still too dangerous, or your chosen character isn’t feeling their best. This lowers your chances of getting good loot when they come back. They might not even return. Your end goal is to survive for as long as you can or until you’re rescued.

Be prepared

60 Seconds! is not bad for a strategy game and gives out several possible endings. Much of its issues that you may find fault with is in the scavenging part. The controls for running around can be a bit wonky and make you waste a precious second or so. Plus, while its replayability is high, you’re bound to find some events repetitive.  It can also be annoying to have no control over the people going out to explore. Overall, though, this is a nice enough recommendation for strategy fans who want a casual Fallout game.