Rewind to Win: Panta Rhei Turns Time Manipulation into an Accessible, Addictive Roguelike

Panta Rhei is a roguelike from Reignite Games that centers on manipulating time. It launched on Windows PC and puts players in control of Phi, a Guardian of Time who uses a sword alongside the ability to pause and rewind moments during exploration and combat.

- Developer and release: Reignite Games; platform: Windows PC.
- Core mechanics: pausing and rewinding time, plus melee combos.

Level design: fixed layouts with some optional paths.
Combat and enemies: damage via combos, rewind-specific shields, and traps.
Progression: skill tree, lifetime capsules (revives), and merchants that sell items or coin refills.

What Panta Rhei is

Panta Rhei is a debut title from Reignite Games. Players control Phi, a Guardian of Time, and face an enemy force named Chaos. The game combines melee combat with time-manipulation mechanics, and it is available on Windows PC.

How time works in combat

Phi has light and heavy attacks and can chain them into combos. One documented combo is two light attacks followed by a heavy, commonly called the whirlwind combo. After a combo finishes, players can rewind time to make the same attack sequence play in reverse, which deals extra damage when used correctly.

Rewinding also interacts with specific enemy defenses. Some foes are surrounded by an aqua blue barrier, and that barrier can only be broken by attacking while Phi is rewinding. Meanwhile, stronger enemies may become shielded partway through an encounter, requiring the rewind interaction to continue dealing damage.

Levels and encounters

Unlike many roguelikes, Panta Rhei uses largely static level layouts across runs, although there are a few off-the-beaten-path areas to discover. Encounters tend to be repeated in the same spaces, which can make tracking progress more consistent from run to run.

Traps are present in levels and can be used strategically. Players can lure enemies toward traps, then rewind time so that the traps hit foes during the reversed sequence. Time control can also be applied to certain objects to solve environmental puzzles, such as reconstructing a broken bridge.

Progression, revives, and merchants

Runs start with two lifetime capsules, which act as in-run revives. Players can add another capsule by investing in Phi’s skill tree, so some runs can begin with three revives available after early progression. After clearing an encounter, Phi is healed, which reduces the need to manage HP between fights.

Coins collected during runs can be spent at merchants, and merchants may sell coin refills when they have them in stock. The skill tree and currency systems are used for longer-term progression between runs.

Release and review details

Panta Rhei is out now on Windows PC. The game was reviewed on PC using a prerelease download code provided by Reignite Games. Valnet Inc. has affiliate partnerships; these do not influence editorial content.