Time Gamers: Guardians of the Marble Man

As a Time Gamer, you have been selected to journey back to 1864 in search of a mysterious relic believed to have inspired the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Armed with a period map and a list of historic locations, you must explore the past, uncover clues, and collect keys that lead to the lost artifact.

This is a relaxed exploration and discovery game. It is best described as a 3D historical orienteering simulator, combining exploration, navigation, and historical discovery. There are no enemies, combat sequences, or time limits. Your objective is simply to search, investigate, and find. To keep every adventure unique, each playthrough features a different randomized set of clues, locations, and targets to discover.

Features:

Immersive World:
Step into a meticulously reconstructed version of one of the Confederacy’s most prosperous cities, Columbia, South Carolina, during the Civil War. Explore streets, landmarks, and neighborhoods recreated from extensive historical research.

3D Anaglyph Mode:
Experience the world in immersive 3D at the press of a key. Simply put on a pair of red/cyan 3D glasses to see Columbia come to life in a whole new dimension.

Original Soundtrack:
Locations in the game are accompanied by original musical scores, carefully composed to capture the mood and character of the setting. The music enhances the atmosphere, enriches the storytelling, and creates a memorable journey through history.

Historical Narration:
As you explore, narrated commentary reveals the authentic history of each location. Meet and interact with people from the era while discovering buildings and environments reconstructed from historical records, maps, photographs, and archaeological research.

Investigation and Discovery:
Success depends on careful observation. Search for clues, uncover hidden connections, and find creative ways to overcome obstacles as you work toward solving the mystery.

Achievements and Exploration: 
While your primary mission is to locate the lost Calhoun statue, the world is filled with additional secrets, challenges, and historical discoveries. Venture off the main path to unlock achievements and uncover more of Columbia’s rich past.

Steam Deck Support

Fully playable from start to finish on Steam Deck! No keyboard or mouse required. While we’re currently awaiting official Steam Deck Verification, you can jump in and play the entire game today.

Background:

Behind this game is more than a decade of historical research and reconstruction. Over 170 city blocks have been painstakingly recreated using 1850 and 1872 maps, early Columbia city directories, archaeological findings, and records documenting the buildings destroyed in 1865. The result is a detailed recreation of Columbia, South Carolina, as it stood in 1864, on the eve of its destruction by fire.

The Old South Carolina State House has been reconstructed from original architectural plans and extensive archival materials preserved by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Alongside documented history, the game incorporates some of Columbia’s most enduring legends, including stories of the city’s underground tunnels and the mysterious USC Third-Eye Man.

Yet the Roman statue of John C. Calhoun is not a legend.

It is the relic you seek.

It is the Marble Man.

In 1850, shortly before his death, Calhoun took a personal interest in the design of the statue. A student of history and particularly fascinated by the decline of the Roman Republic and Empire, he believed the United States faced deep sectional divisions that could eventually lead to conflict. His warnings about the nation’s future helped make him a powerful symbol for the secession movement that emerged a decade later.

When Union forces occupied Columbia in 1865, the statue disappeared. Historical accounts suggest it may have been concealed beneath the Old State House to prevent its destruction. What became of it remains one of Columbia’s enduring mysteries. Some stories even claim that its final guardian was buried alongside it.

Now, more than a century later, the mystery remains unsolved.

As a Time Gamer, you have been chosen to travel back to 1864 and uncover the statue’s fate. Following clues hidden throughout the city, you must locate the Marble Man before history closes around it forever.

The past is waiting.

Will you find the Marble Man?