Every area in Hell is Us contains at least one Time Loop, which is an anomaly caused by immense trauma that has caused Lymbic Energy to coalesce and create a pocket dimension in which horrific incidents endlessly loop. They often hide secret routes, useful items, or even story progression.
Once you unlock Warden’s Nest, you’ll meet Gildas, an old Vigil who will reward you for closing Time Loops and even give you an item to help you do so. You’ll notice when you first find them that you cannot enter them as they are “too dangerous”.
Hell is Us: Time loops explained
To allow entry, you’ll need to find and slay all the Time Loop Guardians in the area. They look no different to standard enemies, so you could spend time simply clearing out every enemy, but it’s slightly quicker to use the Guardian Detector that Gildas (the man you meet in the Warden’s Nest) gives you.
If you’re struggling with the Warden’s Nest puzzles, you won’t be able to get this item, so use our guide for that first.
I say “slightly quicker” because it’s not great. Using it will emit a puff of black vapour that will float vaguely in the direction of a Guardian. It doesn’t really highlight whether they are above or below, or give any indication of distance. It just gives you a rough direction to travel in. You’ll know when you’ve found them all because the Time Loop will emit an almighty roar. Now you can enter.
Inside the Time Loop you’ll find ghostly apparitions repeating the same few moments ad infinitum. There are no enemies to fight, and you can watch the scene play out forever, but they’re often pretty horrifying to observe. You’ll need to send your drone in with a special Amine Prism to close the Time Loop. These Prisms come in three types: Sigma, Theta, and Rho, with Sigma being incredibly rare. You’ll find them sparsely around the world, as pick ups or as rewards given by Gildas for completing other Time Loops and Good Deeds.
And now you know how to find Time Loop Guardians and close Time Loops in Hell is Us.
More guides
- How to find and unlock the Blacksmith
- Warden’s Nest puzzle guide
- Lake Cynon complete guide
- How long to beat Hell is Us
- Read our review
Hell is Us is released on PC, Xbox, and PS5 on September 5th.
