Different chapters in our game have different settings, but levels generally have the same flow. The player has to control the Lamplighter to avoid obstacles, collect light orbs, light up the sconce and get a kind of collectibles. Then, the player will play as Flit, the companion animal to light up all the lamps in a labyrinth to open up the next level. This may repeat as many times as needed. Throughout the level, the player will trigger dialogue with other characters and will be asked to make decisions at different points of the gameplay. The major differences between levels are the environmental elements and obstacles, as well as the contents of the dialogue.
At the beginning of the level, the Lamplighter should search for a light plant and interact with it to release light orbs. The Lamplighter must then make use of the environmental elements to overcome all the obstacles in between and walk over each light orb to absorb their lights, which can later be used to light up the sconce. The Lamplighter can jump as high as [3.8] units in this game. The player will receive a collectable (e.g., a Lamplighter relic or soul crystal), described in depth in the Objects section, as a reward when they light up the sconce successfully.
The player controls Flit to finish a labyrinth in this section. Flit needs to avoid obstacles and find a way to find out all the lamps to light them up.
When the player plays as Flit, the inner flame of Flit will decrease by [3.3] units per second, represented by the time fuel on the right-hand side of the screen. The screen turns darker by [2.8]% every second as Flit’s inner flame decreases, increasing the difficulty for the player. When fully fuelled, the player can summon Flit for [30] seconds.
When Flit runs out of fuel, they will automatically return to the lantern, so the player will play as the Lamplighter again. The Lamplighter can go to the sconce to refuel Flit and continue lighting up lamps in the labyrinth afterwards. When all lamps are lit, the player will automatically return to the Lamplighter mode and have access to a bridge leading them to the next level.
Branching narrative is one of the key features of this game. Through the dialogue and options provided at each level, the player understands the story and makes a major decision at the end of each loop. The player interacts with other characters, such as having a dialogue or choosing a dialogue option, at specific points in the level, such as the beginning, after they obtain the collectible in the Lamplighter section and/or after the Flit section.
There are 46 levels in our game, which can be divided into six chapters. Unless specified, a new chapter includes all features introduced in the previous levels and chapters.
The player can play level 1-15, which happens in the Forest of the Forgotten in loop 1. Level 1-15 are relatively shorter stages with a simpler design.
In this chapter, the player will encounter the following features:
Environmental Elements
Platforms
References
Final Design
The Lamplighter can jump onto platforms to reach the light plant and light orbs that were out of reach. This chapter has three kinds of platforms, which have fully configurable speed and distance, and each is independent of the others. Details are as follows:
Other Obstacles