Last updated on August 7th, 2025 at 02:48 pm
Where Time Stood Still is an isometric action-adventure game released by Ocean in 1988 for the Sinclair Spectrum 128K, MS-DOS, and Atari ST. The game was ported by fans to Amiga in July 2014, and on Amiga CD32 in December 2014, with some enhancements not present in other iterations. The game was produced by Denton Designs as a follow-up to The Great Escape from 1986.
Where the Time Stood Still is a remarkable and immersive action-adventure game that stands out as a classic gem in the Amiga gaming library. Released in the late 1980s, it masterfully combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and survival elements within a richly detailed prehistoric world.
One of the most striking features of Where the Time Stood Still is its atmospheric design. The game’s graphics, while limited by the era’s hardware, are beautifully crafted with a unique isometric perspective that brings the prehistoric environment to life. The expansive map, filled with diverse terrain, mysterious caves, and dangerous creatures, creates an engaging world that feels alive and ready to be explored.
Gameplay is both challenging and rewarding, requiring players to carefully balance resource management and strategic thinking. The game’s mechanics encourage exploration and experimentation, with a variety of tools and weapons to discover and use against dinosaurs and other threats. The attention to detail in creature behavior and environmental interaction adds depth and realism, making every encounter thrilling.
The sound design complements the visuals perfectly, utilizing the Amiga’s sound capabilities to deliver eerie ambient noises and exciting sound effects that heighten the tension and immersion. The control scheme is intuitive, allowing for smooth navigation and combat, which was impressive for a game of its time.
##############Curiosities
Well-received upon release and was praised for its graphics and gameplay
Ported to Amiga by fans in 2014, with enhancements not present in other iterations
A Commodore 64 version was considered but never started
Considered a classic of the isometric action-adventure genre
Where Time Stood Still is an isometric action-adventure game with a survival horror premise and science fiction theme. The game features puzzles and combat, with the player controlling two characters and needing to manage resources such as food and water.
Amiga Configuration Screen
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When the WTSS Title screen appears (where it comes up with a language choice), you can press F8 at any time to bring up the Amiga configuration screen.
F3 – Screen Redraw type
Type 1 = CPU redraw
Type 2 = Blitter redraw
This basically selects between pure CPU redraw conversion of the ST to Amiga screen or the use of blitter. Anything 020+ should use type 1, anything less should use type 2
F4 – Music
Self explanatory. Unlike the other options, changing the music can only be done when this Amiga Configuration screen is onscreen, because of the loading and depacking to memory, the other options are instant and can be accessed without the Amiga Configuration screen being visible.
F5 – Spectrum Mode
Its called me being a twat! The Spectrum version didn’t look quite that bad, but its not far off it 
F6 – Speed Throttle
Basically press to select whatever works best for you. The faster the processor you have, the higher Speed throttle rating you should be using to scale the speed down, otherwise health and strength meters will dwindle very quickly!
M – Toggle music on or off
Space Bar – Toggle Character/object menu
F1 on title screen – Toggles German or English text. Default is English.
To play Where the Time Stood Still well on an Amiga 500, having 1 MB total RAM (512 KB chip + 512 KB slow RAM) and ideally a hard drive installation is recommended for best experience and compatibility
