I really love how time loops work in ISAT. (and it's annoying... on purpose)
Of course, time loops play a major role in the story. But the design of time loops as a game mechanic together with the pacing of the story make it so the player actually feels the impact of time loops themselves!
Okay, maybe that sounded a bit convoluted, let me elaborate: In Stars And Time is not a short game. It took ~40 hours for me to see the end credits for the first time. And, frankly, it did not need to be this long at all. But it is! Because of this, you - the player - actually feel how the middle part of the game (i'd say acts 3-4) tires you. It feels annoying, boring, exhausting... exactly how one would feel trapped in a time loop.
I'm sure this is generally the least liked part of the game: you grind, die/win, repeat... But, in retrospect, i think it is a crucial game design feature that truly makes this game stand out (as have been said countless times at this point. but it's true! and it's neat!)
vaguely related picture rant: i've spent like another 10 hours grinding remaining achievements after completing the game and of course i've had to miss some stupid dialogue with loop hence making me unable to get a certain achievement without replaying the game for like another 30 hours ;-;