History Main / EventDrivenClock

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_Adventure ''Sonic Adventure'']] Has a strict one. The time you wander around between action stages will be either night, day or evening and will not change until you've completed the next stage. Ex: It will always be night when you enter the ''Casinopolis'' stage, and daytime after you complete it.

* ''DarkSeed''. There's a game clock that runs independently of the player. You need to sleep at nights and be on certain appointments on time. If you miss one, you're screwed. If you miss an action in a day, you're screwed. Thanks to this, the game was almost impossible to complete without a guide.

** Whereas predecessor ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' has certain parts of the world where you can TakeYourTime and others where TimeKeepsOnSlipping.

[[AC:First-Person Shooter]]

[[AC:Platformers]]

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', an early mission saw you setting up the bomb with a timer set up to go off in five minutes. You have to get out within those minutes, and the timer keeps ticking even in combat, ''even during the cutscenes''!
** It is played straight often enough, though-- when you supposedly have maybe seven days before [[spoiler: a meteor screws up any plans you had for being alive]], you can stay at the inn millions of times and it won't get any closer.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' pulled it twice, once in an exploding castle and once in an underwater dive. In the former, the challenge was less getting out in time and more fighting some minibosses for bonus items ''while'' getting out. In the latter, one had to stall out a PuzzleBoss.

* ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'' makes this about as explicit as you can get- in the main navigation menu, options that take up time have a clock symbol next to them. You can run around Tokyo to your heart's content, and it still won't take any time, but stop to chat with someone along the way, and you lose another half-hour.
* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou''[='=]s days only end when the player has completed whatever quest they had to complete that day, despite the real time of day being displayed in the corner of the screen.
** Even in-universe, the quest clock stops mattering [[spoiler:after the first week]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' is a partial aversion; it isn't completely real-time, but day and night come and go every few minutes, and the world (i.e. characters, quests, and conversations) changes accordingly. Once you learn the brushstrokes, though, you can force day or night to occur or continue and [[TakeYourTime keep the world in perpetual day/night as well]].
** The only time you can't TakeYourTime is when [[spoiler:you must make it to Oni Island before sunset, or else the island will disappear. And it ''will'' disappear if you take too long, making you start the whole sequence over.]]
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' factors in this. Some RandomEncounters will be set at night, but almost all the game will be set during the day... ''except'' for camp, which is set at night. This actually raises some eyebrows regarding Redcliffe: [[spoiler:when first entering the city, you are informed that the town will undoubtedly be attacked at nightfall, and the townspeople need your help (though it is optional whether you give it).]] However, you can go to camp and back again multiple times, simulating multiple days, and [[spoiler:the attack]] will not occur until you inform in-game characters you are 'ready', and 'wait' until sundown - or until you actually travel to another location, [[spoiler:triggering the attack without you]].
** It's a staple of practically all Bioware games that time essentially stands still until you reach plot-critical events which bring you further in the timeline.
* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' the main questline is called "Race Against Time." You can take as long as you damn well please.
** Which they then avert in ''Mass Effect 2'' [[spoiler: after the Collectors abduct the crew of your ship. You can still ignore the main plotline, but all your crew members apart from Dr Chakwas ''will'' die.]]
* Nothing happens in UltimaUnderworld II unless you make it happen, even though Castle British is meant to be gradually running low on supplies.

* In the world of ''AnimalCrossing'', real time *is* game time. If it's 10pm on the clock on your wall, it's 10pm in the game. It's a central gimmick of the game, in fact.

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' averts this trope, time and weather changes and marches on regardless of progress. You can have the same mission twice, once at night in heavy fog, and another at noon in full sunlight. This can even make missions harder: try flying a plane (San Andreas) in a sand storm. At night.

** In MassEffect the main questline is called "Race Against Time." You can take as long as you damn well please.
*** Which they then avert in Mass Effect 2 [[spoiler: after the Collectors abduct the crew of your ship. You can still ignore the main plotline, but all your crew members apart from Dr Chakwas ''will'' die.]]

* ''DragonAge'' factors in this. Some RandomEncounters will be set at night, but almost all the game will be set during the day... ''except'' for camp, which is set at night. This actually raises some eyebrows regarding Redcliffe: [[spoiler:when first entering the city, you are informed that the town will undoubtedly be attacked at nightfall, and the townspeople need your help (though it is optional whether you give it).]] However, you can go to camp and back again multiple times, simulating multiple days, and [[spoiler:the attack]] will not occur until you inform in-game characters you are 'ready', and 'wait' until sundown - or until you actually travel to another location, [[spoiler:triggering the attack without you]].

----

* In ''FinalFantasyVII'', an early mission saw you setting up the bomb with a timer set up to go off in five minutes. You have to get out within those minutes, and the timer keeps ticking even in combat, ''even during the cutscenes''!

** ''FinalFantasyV'' pulled it twice, once in an exploding castle and once in an underwater dive. In the former, the challenge was less getting out in time and more fighting some minibosses for bonus items ''while'' getting out. In the latter, one had to stall out a PuzzleBoss.

*** Which they then avert quite nastily in Mass Effect 2 [[spoiler: after the Collectors abduct the crew of your ship. You can still ignore the main plotline, but all your crew members apart from Dr Chakwas ''will'' die.]]

*** Which they then avert in Mass Effect 2 [[spoiler: after the Collectors abduct the crew of your ship. You can still ignore the main plotline, but all your crew members apart from Dr Chakwas ''will'' die.]]

*** Which they then avert ''brutally'' in Mass Effect 2 [[spoiler: after the Collectors abduct the crew of your ship. You can still ignore the main plotline, but all your crew members apart from Dr Chakwas ''will'' die.]]

** ''EVEOnline'' has a term alarm clock op. Since everything in EVE is real time, sometimes that tower comes out of reinforced at 3am local time, Tuesday. Also Eve time is GMT. So Daylight saving time changes can really screw things up.

* ''{{Dragon Age}}'' factors in this. Some [[RandomEncounters random encounters]] will be set at night, but almost all the game will be set during the day... ''except'' for camp, which is set at night. This actually raises some eyebrows regarding Redcliffe: [[spoiler:when first entering the city, you are informed that the town will undoubtedly be attacked at nightfall, and the townspeople need your help (though it is optional whether you give it).]] However, you can go to camp and back again multiple times, simulating multiple days, and [[spoiler:the attack]] will not occur until you inform in-game characters you are 'ready', and 'wait' until sundown - or until you actually travel to another location, [[spoiler:triggering the attack without you]].

** In MassEffect the main questline is called "Race Against Time." You can take as long as you damn well please.

* Nothing happens in {{Ultima Underworld}} II unless you make it happen, even though Castle British is meant to be gradually running low on supplies.

* ''GrandTheftAuto'' averts this trope, time and weather changes and marches on regardless of progress. You can have the same mission twice, once at night in heavy fog, and another at noon in full sunlight. This can even make missions harder: try flying a plane (San Andreas) in a sand storm. At night.

<<|AcceptableBreaksFromReality|>>
<<|VideoGameTropes|>>

* ''DevilSurvivor'' makes this about as explicit as you can get- in the main navigation menu, options that take up time have a clock symbol next to them. You can run around Tokyo to your heart's content, and it still won't take any time, but stop to chat with someone along the way, and you lose another half-hour.
* ''TheWorldEndsWithYou''[='=]s days only end when the player has completed whatever quest they had to complete that day, despite the real time of day being displayed in the corner of the screen.

* ''{{Okami}}'' is a partial aversion; it isn't completely real-time, but day and night come and go every few minutes, and the world (i.e. characters, quests, and conversations) changes accordingly. Once you learn the brushstrokes, though, you can force day or night to occur or continue and [[TakeYourTime keep the world in perpetual day/night as well]].

<<|VideoGameTropes|>>

* ''TheLegendOfZelda: MajorasMask'' runs in real time regardless of your progress. You have three days' worth of game time (around 72 real-world minutes, [[spoiler:unless you use the spell which slows time down...]]) before the moon crashes and destroys the world; it's virtually impossible to accomplish everything that needs to be done during such a short timeframe ([[SelfImposedChallenge but it has been done]]), so the crux of the game is a GroundhogDayLoop where you have to complete several specific tasks (which ''don't'' reset) before time runs out.
** Whereas predecessor ''OcarinaOfTime'' has certain parts of the world where you can TakeYourTime and others where TimeKeepsOnSlipping.

* ''{{Pokemon}} Gold'' and ''Silver'', then again in ''Black'' and ''White''. Like in ''AnimalCrossing'', real time is game time; the time of day has a factor on what Mons you can capture as well as some other game-related events, as does the day of the week.

** It's a staple of practically all Bioware games that time essentially stands still until you reach plot-critical events which bring you further in the timeline.

[[AC:MMORPGs]]

* ''{{Pokemon}} Gold'' and ''Silver''. Like in ''AnimalCrossing'', real time is game time; the time of day has a factor on what Mons you can capture as well as some other game-related events, as does the day of the week.

* ''{{Dragon Age}}'' factors in this. Some [[RandomEncounters random encounters]] will be set at night, but almost all the game will be set during the day... ''except'' for camp, which is set at night. This actually raises some eyebrows regarding Redcliffe: [[spoiler:when first entering the city, you are informed that the town will undoubtedly be attacked at nightfall, and the townspeople need your help (though it is optional whether you give it).]] However, you can go to camp and back again multiple times, simulating multiple days, and [[spoiler:the attack]] will not occur until you inform in-game characters you are 'ready', and 'wait' until sundown - or until you actually travel to another location, [[spoiler:triggering the attack without you]].

* ''{{Psychonauts}}''. You either race through the first bit of the game when it's daylight as fast as possible, or wander around [[GottaCatchThemAll gathering all the psicards and scavenger hunt items]] and talking to campers. The day can seem ridiculously short or long depending on which option you choose.

* ''{{Half-Life}} 2'' occurs over three days and two nights, but the transition doesn't continue until Gordon reaches specific points in the game, no matter how [[AlwaysClose expedient]] or [[TakeYourTime lingering]] the player is in reaching those locations.

* ''{{Dragon Age}}'' factors in this. Some [[RandomEncounters random encounters]] will be set at night, but almost all the game will be set during the day... ''except'' for camp, which is set at night. This actually raises some eyebrows regarding Redcliffe: [[spoiler:when first entering the city, you are informed that the town will undoubtedly be attacked at nightfall, and the townspeople need your help (though it is optional whether you give it).]] However, you can go to camp and back again multiple times, simulating multiple days, and [[spoiler:the attack]] will not occur until you inform in-game characters you are 'ready', and 'wait' until sundown - or until you actually travel to another location, [[spoiler:triggering the attack without you]]. It [[Understatement doesn't trun out well]].

* ''{{Dragon Age}}'' factors in this. Some [[RandomEncounters random encounters]] will be set at night, but almost all the game will be set during the day... ''except'' for camp, which is set at night. This actually raises some eyebrows regarding Redcliffe: [[spoiler:when first entering the city, you are informed that the town will undoubtedly be attacked at nightfall, and the townspeople need your help (though it is optional whether you give it).]] However, you can go to camp and back again multiple times, simulating multiple days, and [[spoiler:the attack]] will not occur until you inform in-game characters you are 'ready', and 'wait' until sundown - or until you actually travel to another location, [[spoiler:triggering the attack without you]]. It [[Understatement does not turn out well]].

* ''{{Dragon Age}}'' factors in this. Some [[RandomEncounters random encounters]] will be set at night, but almost all the game will be set during the day... ''except'' for camp, which is set at night. This actually raises some eyebrows regarding Redcliffe: [[spoiler:when first entering the city, you are informed that the town will undoubtedly be attacked at nightfall, and the townspeople need your help (though it is optional whether you give it).]] However, you can go to camp and back again multiple times, simulating multiple days, and [[spoiler:the attack]] will not occur until you inform in-game characters you are 'ready', and 'wait' until sundown - or until you actually travel to another location, [[spoiler:triggering the attack without you]]. [[Understatement It does not turn out well]].

* ''{{Dragon Age}}'' factors in this. Some [[RandomEncounters random encounters]] will be set at night, but almost all the game will be set during the day... ''except'' for camp, which is set at night. This actually raises some eyebrows regarding Redcliffe: [[spoiler:when first entering the city, you are informed that the town will undoubtedly be attacked at nightfall, and the townspeople need your help (though it is optional whether you give it).]] However, you can go to camp and back again multiple times, simulating multiple days, and [[spoiler:the attack]] will not occur until you inform in-game characters you are 'ready', and 'wait' until sundown - or until you actually travel to another location, [[spoiler:triggering the attack without you]].[[spoiler: [[Understatement It does not turn out well]].]]

* ''{{Dragon Age}}'' factors in this. Some [[RandomEncounters random encounters]] will be set at night, but almost all the game will be set during the day... ''except'' for camp, which is set at night. This actually raises some eyebrows regarding Redcliffe: [[spoiler:when first entering the city, you are informed that the town will undoubtedly be attacked at nightfall, and the townspeople need your help (though it is optional whether you give it).]] However, you can go to camp and back again multiple times, simulating multiple days, and [[spoiler:the attack]] will not occur until you inform in-game characters you are 'ready', and 'wait' until sundown - or until you actually travel to another location, [[spoiler:triggering the attack without you]]. [[spoiler:[[Understatement It does not turn out well]].]]

* ''{{Dragon Age}}'' factors in this. Some [[RandomEncounters random encounters]] will be set at night, but almost all the game will be set during the day... ''except'' for camp, which is set at night. This actually raises some eyebrows regarding Redcliffe: [[spoiler:when first entering the city, you are informed that the town will undoubtedly be attacked at nightfall, and the townspeople need your help (though it is optional whether you give it).]] However, you can go to camp and back again multiple times, simulating multiple days, and [[spoiler:the attack]] will not occur until you inform in-game characters you are 'ready', and 'wait' until sundown - or until you actually travel to another location, [[spoiler:triggering the attack without you]]. [[spoiler:Everyone dies.]]

* ''TheLegendOfZelda: Majora's Mask'' runs in real time regardless of your progress. You have three days' worth of game time (around 72 real-world minutes, [[spoiler:unless you use the spell which slows time down...]]) before the moon crashes and destroys the world; it's virtually impossible to accomplish everything that needs to be done during such a short timeframe ([[SelfImposedChallenge but it has been done]]), so the crux of the game is a GroundhogDayLoop where you have to complete several specific tasks (which ''don't'' reset) before time runs out.
** Whereas predecessor ''Ocarina Of Time'' has certain parts of the world where you can TakeYourTime and others where TimeKeepsOnSlipping.

* ''TheLastExpress'' is (in)famous for being one of the few {{Adventure Game}}s that take place entirely in real time. From the moment you get onto that express and until you either get off or die, the time keeps ticking. If you aren't on the right spot at the right time, it's over, your train is gone.

* A central gimmick of the ''HarvestMoon'' series is that a day's passage happens in a set amount of real time, regardless of the player's actions, significantly limiting what you can do in one day, even with healing items.
* In the world of ''AnimalCrossing'', real time *is* game time. If it's 10pm on the clock on your wall, it's 10pm in the game. It's a central gimmick of the game, in fact.
* ''DeadRising''. The game is going to end in 3 days. Your actions affect what [[MultipleEndings ending]] you get but not when it comes. Other game events also happen on time regardless of player action, though on a sliding window of opportunity rather than an exact time. As long as you arrive within that timeframe the event happens and it's AlwaysClose.

* ''{{Half-Life}} 2'' occurs over three days and two nights, but the transition doesn't continue until Gordon reaches specific points in the game, no matter how [[AlwaysClose expedient]] or [[TakeYourTime lingering]] the player is in reaching those locations.
* ''{{Psychonauts}}''. You either race through the first bit of the game when it's daylight as fast as possible, or wander around [[GottaCatchThemAll gathering all the psicards and scavenger hunt items]] and talking to campers. The day can seem ridiculously short or long depending on which option you choose.
* Grand Theft Auto averts this trope, time and weather changes and marches on regardless of progress. You can have the same mission twice, once at night in heavy fog, and another at noon in full sunlight. This can even make missions harder: try flying a plane (San Andreas) in a sand storm. At night.