PROJECT 05 / Playable browser game
Between the Boughs
Change the past. Find a way through the present.
- Problem
- A time-switching puzzle needs clear cause and effect and comfortable touch controls.
- My contribution
- Directed the game concept, mobile presentation, interactions, and accessibility settings with AI-assisted development.
- Working today
- A playable browser game with 20 puzzles, progressive hints, chapter replay, local saves, and offline support.
- Evidence
- Authored solution routes have automated coverage. Try the playable game; physical-phone playtesting is still needed.
A touch-first puzzle adventure where changes in one age reshape the world in another.
Challenge & context
Make cause and effect something the player can feel.
The central idea is simple: change something in the Past, then use its consequence in the Present. The design challenge is to make that relationship readable, satisfying, and comfortable on a phone.
- Teach the time-switching mechanic through the environment.
- Support touch movement and interactions without crowding the scene.
- Let players recover from mistakes and ask for progressive hints.
My role & approach
Use the world itself to explain the puzzle.
I directed the game concept, mobile presentation, and experience through AI-assisted development. The setting draws on Japanese mountain temples and gardens, with environmental changes that show the passage of time.
- Connect rooms through persistent objects, water, growth, light, and machinery.
- Refine the desktop preview into a landscape phone presentation.
- Keep the mobile game full-screen with saved progress and adjustable accessibility settings.
Solution & key workflows
Two ages. One connected world.
Players move, jump, interact, and switch ages to solve 20 authored puzzles. A moved stone, a planted tree, or a redirected river can create the route forward. Optional memories and progressive hints support different ways to explore.
- Past and Present share coordinates; unsafe switches into solid geometry are refused.
- Physics and persistent state connect object interactions across ages.
- Offline caching and browser saves support returning to the journey.
Outcome & next steps
A playable adventure with room to grow.
The current game includes 20 puzzles, 20 optional memories, chapter replay, local saves, and an installable offline experience. Authored solution routes have automated coverage; browser testing does not replace physical-phone testing.
- Current state: a playable, touch-first browser game with no in-game accounts or purchases.
- Demonstrated outcome: time-switching, progression, hints, and saves work together in one experience.
- Next: physical-device playtests, difficulty balancing, and further refinement based on player feedback.
