Zelda: Sands Of Time Will Keep You Busy Ahead Of The Ocarina Remake

Published Oct 11, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT Ewan is Deputy Editor for ScreenRant's gaming section. He still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase, and knows more about The Legend of Zelda and Doctor Who than is probably healthy. Ewan oversees the content operation of ScreenRant's gaming output, working with a talented team of writers and editors to cover everything from the latest GTA 6 news to the indie games you need on your radar. Former Editor of GAMINGbible, Ewan also has words at Kotaku, Den of Geek, NME, and UNILAD. He's appeared on various podcasts, including VGC's and BBC's Let's Talk About Tech. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Before we get into this, let's be clear: I know The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time already has a sequel. It's called Majora's Mask, and it's one of the greatest games of all time. I'm not trying to erase Majora's Mask, and I'm certainly not trying to disrespect Link's adventures in Termina. With that out of the way, let's talk about a little game called The Legend of Zelda: Sands of Time. If that doesn't sound familiar to you, I'm not surprised. While this is a sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed video games ever, it's also completely unofficial. Which, in many ways, actually makes it more impressive. If you're looking for something to play ahead of the Ocarina of Time remake on November 5, you should definitely consider checking this project out.The Legend Of Zelda: Sands Of Time Is A Secret Sequel You can download and play it now The Legend of Zelda: Sands of Time is a ROM hack of Ocarina of Time that throws in so many new ideas and mechanics that it's a completely new game. As is typical for most fan games, this one has a pretty dark plot. It appears to take place in the Downfall Timeline, which is the reality in which Ganon kills Link in Ocarina of Time and takes over Hyrule completely. Yes, The Legend of Zelda timeline is incredibly complicated, and it's best not to think about it too much. The synopsis reads: "Long after the events of the dark age, when the evil King Ganon ruled over the Kingdom of Hyrule who died of old age, a young adventurer and fairy rose up in the hope of gaining wealth and the power that Ganon once held to live a life that suited their own interests." As far as ROM hacks go, this one is pretty packed with features, including: A completely new story. A brand-new world to explore, with its own unique dungeons. A new set of items and bosses to defeat. A new soundtrack. A much greater challenge than Ocarina of Time. You Get What You Pay For Which is to say, remember this isn't official Obviously, because this isn't an official Nintendo game and is the passion project of a few dedicated fans, it's a little rough around the edges in places. I don't say this to slam the people who worked on it, to be clear. They should be very proud of what they made! Certainly, most of the reviews for the hack are glowing, as well they should be. "Amazing hack, absolutely worth playing," writes one fan. "The effort that went into this is astounding. The music is great, the setting is awesome, the dungeon design is mind-bogglingly complex. The writing is witty and fun. This is the true Downfall Timeline's sequel." If you're a hardcore fan of The Legend of Zelda looking for something new to play, however, you could do a lot worse than The Legend of Zelda: Sands of Time. Released November 5, 2026 ESRB Everyone 10+ / Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence Developer(s) Nintendo Publisher(s) Nintendo Franchise The Legend of Zelda Number of Players Single-player Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date November 5, 2026