12 Minutes is a mind-bending puzzle game where every decision shapes a new reality. Trapped in a repeating 12-minute loop, you must carefully navigate each cycle to uncover the truth and break free.
This walkthrough will guide you through this intricate time loop, offering step-by-step instructions and explanations that lead to different outcomes in 12 minutes. We’ll reveal the location of hidden objects, the significance of specific actions, and the paths that unlock all the achievements and endings.
Intro
When you step outside the elevator, your first task is to unlock the door to your apartment. To do so, click on the plant to interact with it and pick up the fake rock.
Once the key is in your inventory, click and drag it toward the door to open it. This will not be the last time you enter through that door.
Every time you die, leave the apartment, or the clock strikes 12 minutes, you’ll find yourself at the entrance again, as the time loop resets.
Loop 1: Meet the Wife
In this first loop, you’ll meet your wife and have a candlelight dinner while she tells you she’s pregnant.
Your dialogue choices will be irrelevant here. After dinner, you’ll find yourself dancing with your wife, but not for long.
Things will pace up as a police officer bombards in and puts handcuffs on both of you. The police officer will then strangle you to death, making the loop repeat itself.
Loop 2: Leave the Apartment
In the second loop, you get to tell your wife that you’re living the same day repeatedly. You’ll get to leave the apartment after that, only to find yourself in yet another loop.
You will get the same results even if you try to attack the murderer with the kitchen knife or confront your wife about the pocket watch.
Loop 3: Hide in the Closet
When the third loop begins, try something new. As soon as you walk into the apartment, close the door and hide in the closet so your wife doesn’t notice you. This way, when the murderer shows up, he doesn’t get to kill you.
Your wife’s phone is also inside the closet; you’ll find it when you hover your mouse across the screen. Collect it as it’ll be useful later on.
During this loop, you’ll know about the location of the precious watch that has been the problem since loop 1.
The police will kill your wife on the way out. There’s no point in continuing further without your significant other.
Exit the apartment to enter the fourth loop.
Loop 4: Confront Your Wife
After hearing about the dessert three times, you’ll finally know the story behind the mysterious watch. This time, you must get the pocket watch from the bathroom vent and confront your wife.
The Pocket watch is located underneath the medicine cabinet. Later in the game, you will also find some useful medicines there. But for now, collect the watch and confront your wife.
Ask her about her past, and then show her the watch. This will get her to open up, and you’ll finally know the trouble. While explaining everything, she’ll point you to a Polaroid image on the fridge. This, too, will be useful later on in our 12 minutes walkthrough.
Take the knife from the kitchen counter as soon enough, the police will break in, and you need to attack him with it. But note that the police officer is stronger than you, and the fight will end up with you being knocked out.
Loop 5: Playing Innocent (Coward Ending)
When your evening restarts, head straight to the bathroom and grab all the items you collected in the last loop. However, this time, collect the pills, too.
Add the pills to the glass of water and go give it to your wife. The wife will then leave you and enter the bedroom for a nap. Next, dispose of the remaining water into the flower pot to unlock the Fluidity Achievement.
Follow her and try turning on the lights; you’ll know the light switch is faulty. This light switch will later dig the police officer’s grave for him.
Next, hide in the closet and wait till the police officer enters the apartment. He’ll head into the bedroom straight away and turn on the lights.
The faulty light switch will leave him unconscious for the time being. Handcuff him and wait for him to gain consciousness.
When he’s back in his senses, play safe. Tell him you’re innocent and hand over the watch when he asks. Before he wakes up, make sure you’ve handcuffed him. You’ll find the handcuffs in his inventory.
For all the future dialogue choices, opt for whatever he asks you to do. He’ll kill your wife eventually but spare you your life.
This will unlock the Coward achievement and is the first ending to achieve in our 12 minutes walkthrough. You can leave the apartment or flick the faulty light switch to restart the evening.
Loop 6: Confronting the Police Officer
For this loop, carry out everything the same as the earlier loop. Put your wife to sleep and wait for the police officer to show up.
When he does, he’ll fall victim to the faulty light switch again. Handcuff him, and this time interrogate him instead of giving your wife away.
Also, look for his phone. You’ll find his daughter’s contact number on his phone, which will be useful during the later loops. You’ll find out about his side of the story during this loop. You’ll know why he is after the watch and your wife.
You’ll also have to shoot him during the conversation to get him to open up. He’ll eventually fall to his wounds, and the loop will restart.
Loop 7: Another Quick Loop
While confronting the police officer in one of the previous loops, you’ll know how the cop learned about your wife through the pawnshop.
You can ask her about her side of the story as to why she decided to sell the watch, and she’ll leave the apartment.
Leave the apartment after her to restart the loop.
Loop 8: Finding Common Ground with the Police Officer
There’s a way out where there’s no violence, and no one gets killed. This is where the cop’s daughter comes in. Head to the bathroom, open the phone, and you’ll find her on your contact list under “Bumblebee.” Call her and tell her about her father’s intentions towards your wife.
After the call, grab the watch and talk with your wife. Keep the conversation going until the cop shows up.
Keep your dialogue choices restricted to her past. When the cop shows up, your wife will continue the conversation with him.
She’ll show here the photograph from the refrigerator as proof that she didn’t kill her father. The cop will leave after you give him the watch.
Loop 9: Surprise Surprise!
Of all the loops, this one is going to take a major turn. Use the pills and water in the bathroom to put your wife to sleep again. Then, grab the present from the bedroom drawer.
Then, wait in the closet for the cop to show up. When the cop falls for the faulty light switch again, tell him that it was your wife’s brother who committed the murder.
Later on, ask him about the nanny with whom your wife’s father had an affair. When he fails to recall her name, show him the gift.
Your mother’s name is on the gift, and you’ll soon realize the nanny was your mother. A cutscene would follow where you learn the ugly truth of killing the old man.
Once the cutscene ends, you’ll be in another loop in the apartment, but this time, you’ll cry and regret it. Soon, you’ll fall unconscious, triggering a new loop.
Loop 10: Finishing the Dance (Groundhog Ending)
Now that you know the ugly truth, head straight to the bathroom and call Bumblebee when you enter the apartment. Let her know that her dad is after your wife’s watch for her treatment. Then, head out and have a pleasant dinner with your wife before continuing with the dance.
Do not talk about the cop, her past, the day repeating itself, or the watch. You’ll be led into the bedroom if you play your cards right. This loop will unlock the Groundhog achievement and the second ending in our 12 minutes walkthrough.
Loop 11: Confess (Confessed Ending)
During this loop, tell your wife that you killed her father. Then you call Bumblebee and tell her the same.
The cop will then show up, tell him the truth as well, and he’ll ask for the watch. Hand over the watch to him, and he’ll leave.
However, he won’t be the only one leaving the apartment tonight. Leave the apartment once your wife asks you to do so. This would unlock the Confessed achievement and the third ending in our 12 minutes walkthrough.
Loop 12: The Final Loop (Alone Ending)
Head into the bathroom and collect the watch. A cutscene will follow, during which you’ll have to make one final decision.
Choose to leave your wife to unlock the Alone achievement and the fourth ending in our 12 minutes waltkthrough.
Continue Ending
After the Post Credits end, choose the continue option and enter the apartment for the last time only to see it empty. Get the watch from the vent and drag the time 12 minutes back to trigger a cutscene with your father.
Have a conversation with your father, and this will unlock the Continue Achievement and the fifth ending in our 12 Minutes Walkthrough.
Mindfulness Ending
Return to the apartment and initiate cutscene with your father again with the pocket watch. This is when you choose the I have changed my mind option and it will trigger the Mindfulness ending in our 12 Minutes Walkthrough.
