Oxenfree

The time loops begin after Alex activates the dimensional rift in the cave. The rift was created by the experimental nuclear reactor aboard the USS Kanaloa submarine, which pulled the crew into another dimension. When the rift is opened, it destabilizes time on Edwards Island, causing moments to repeat. The loops reset whenever Alex plays a reel-to-reel tape, suggesting that memory and rhythm anchor the island's reality.

Earlier in the caves, Alex twists the radio toward a floating shape and activates the rift, which triggers the first loop.

The USS Kanaloa was a military submarine that was presumed lost at sea. The ghosts haunting Edwards Island are actually the crew of this submarine. They were not killed by enemy fire but were pulled into another dimension because of the submarine's experimental nuclear reactor. The crew has been trapped in this other dimension and now attempts to communicate with the living through the rifts, eventually wanting to possess the bodies of visitors to slip back into their world.

When Alex reaches the military fort, a ghost briefly possesses Jonas and reveals they are the Kanaloa crew.

The reflection that appears to Alex in mirrors and water throughout the game is actually her future self. This future version of Alex has already lived through the time loops and is guiding her past self to make the right choices. The reflection provides crucial guidance during key moments, helping Alex navigate the increasingly dangerous situation on the island.

At the military fort, Alex's reflection appears in a mirror and begins offering guidance before the revelation of its true identity.

Clarissa becomes possessed by the ghosts of the Kanaloa crew after they enter the island. During one of the time loops, Clarissa leaps from a ledge and vanishes, with the loop then resetting. The ghosts later explain that if Alex closes the rift, Clarissa will die or remain held by the ghosts. If Alex leaves through the rift, Clarissa will disappear entirely. The possession stems from the crew's desire to use the teens' bodies to return to their world.

After a time loop, Clarissa's behavior becomes increasingly erratic before she ultimately leaps from the ledge.

The letters left by Maggie Adler reveal the island's hidden history. Adler and her confidant Anna had attempted to communicate with the Kanaloa crew via radio, but Anna was dragged into the rift and never returned. The letters confirm that the Kanaloa crew were pulled into another dimension due to the submarine's experimental nuclear reactor, not enemy fire. They also imply that the crew intends to seize the bodies of visitors like Alex and her friends to slip back into their world from the other side.

Ren proposes searching Adler's estate for a boat, leading the group to discover the letters.

To fix the rift and save Clarissa, Alex must collect the letters from Maggie Adler that name the Kanaloa crew members. With these names, she can directly appeal to the ghosts and secure Clarissa's freedom. At the final confrontation in the caves, Alex tunes the radio toward the rift, driving her into a void where she faces the possessed Clarissa. By using the crew members' names, Alex can negotiate their release rather than simply closing the rift (which would kill Clarissa) or leaving through it (which would make Clarissa disappear).

The story loops back to moments Alex shared with Michael as she searches for a way to fix what happened.

The Kanaloa crew ghosts want to possess the teens because they have been trapped in another dimension since their submarine's experimental nuclear reactor created the rift. They cannot return to their world in their spectral form, so they seek to prolong their stay on Edwards Island by seizing the bodies of living visitors. This possession would allow them to slip back into the physical world. The ghosts' ultimate goal is to escape their dimensional imprisonment using the teens' physical forms.

Letters from Maggie Adler hint that the crew intends to seize bodies to slip back into their world.

Michael was Alex's late brother, and his death is the source of Alex's emotional burden throughout the game. Clarissa was Michael's ex-girlfriend, which explains her complicated presence on the island and her connection to Alex. In the final loop, Alex revisits memories of Michael, who confides that he and Clarissa planned to leave town together and asks for Alex's counsel. This memory reveals the emotional stakes behind Alex's journey and her motivation to save Clarissa.

The story loops back into time as Alex repeatedly returns to moments she shared with Michael.

Ren gets possessed by a spectral ghost during one of the time loops while searching in the woods. The possession is part of the ghosts' escalating attempts to interact with and eventually possess the living visitors on the island. Alex is able to reverse Ren's possession by using the radio to open another rift, which returns Ren to normal and allows the group to retreat to safety.

After locating Ren, a later loop reveals him acting strangely before the possession is confirmed.

At the ending of Oxenfree, Alex successfully navigates the final choice at the rift, securing Clarissa's freedom and mending the dimensional tear. The group wakes up on the ferry heading home, with Jonas confirming the rift has been repaired and the world seems normal again. However, the ending is bittersweet, the friends have glimpsed altered versions of their memories and truths during the loops. They vow to keep what happened a secret, sealed by a final group photo. The implication is that while the immediate threat is resolved, the emotional consequences and the secret they now share will linger.

The friends return to Harden Tower realizing they cannot simply broadcast a signal off the island, setting up the final choice.