Outer Wilds is a first-person action-adventure game that follows the story of the protagonist, who awakens on the planet of Wayward, with no memory of how they got there. As they explore the mysterious world, they soon discover that time is not moving as it should – days repeat over and over in an infinite loop. With each iteration, the player must uncover the secrets behind the time anomaly and escape the planet before it succumbs to eternal repetition.
The gameplay of Outer Wilds revolves around exploration, puzzle-solving, and vehicle maintenance. The player controls the protagonist as they navigate through diverse environments, from lush forests to ancient ruins, while collecting data logs that hold the key to understanding the planet's anomaly. As the loop progresses, new areas become accessible, but time runs out quickly, forcing the player to manage resources and prioritize tasks to survive.