CONTINUUM

The start scene.
A ghost replaying the player’s previous movement.
Choose a memory.
Work together with your past selves to climb higher.
Reach the moon.

Inspiration

CONTINUUM is a 2D platformer about memory, exploration, and the connection between who we were and who we are becoming. The theme of the moon and space made us think about human curiosity and our desire to explore what seems distant and unreachable. The discoveries that brought us closer to the unknown were never made from nothing—they were built on previous attempts, ideas, and even failures. We realized that personal growth is similar: every attempt leaves us with something that shapes who we are in the present and who we may become in the future.

What it does

Each attempt lasts 60 seconds. When time runs out, the player dies, or they choose to end the current attempt, their movements are preserved as a ghost that replays in the next one. The player can stand and jump on these past selves, literally building a path forward from what came before.

Only three ghosts can exist at a time, encouraging players to think about which past attempts they want to carry forward. Failure is not erased; every attempt becomes part of the journey.

How we built it

We used Rosebud AI as an AI-assisted development tool to build and iterate on both the code and visual elements of the game. We started by defining the core mechanic—a system that records each attempt and replays it as a ghost—and then continuously tested and refined the generated code to make the movement, collisions, and ghost interactions work as intended.

For the visual direction, we developed a consistent pixel-art style around a deep blue night sky, clouds, stars, and the moon. We used AI-generated visual assets as a starting point, then selected, adjusted, and combined them to create the atmosphere we wanted. Throughout the process, we focused on making the mechanics and visuals support the same ideas of distance, memory, and exploration.

Challenges we ran into

One of our biggest challenges was turning our idea into a ghost system that worked consistently. AI helped us prototype quickly, but getting the generated code to match our intended behavior required repeated testing, prompting, and refinement. We also wanted the ghosts to feel like memories of the player rather than simply moving platforms. We experimented with their appearance and interactions, eventually limiting them to three so that each past self remains recognizable and meaningful without making the game visually or mechanically overwhelming.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

While building CONTINUUM, we started to see progress as something that grows from everything that came before it. Whether in exploration or in our own lives, our memories, choices, successes, and failures all become part of who we are and where we go next.

We also learned that bringing an idea to life takes a lot of experimenting and adjusting. Small changes to the ghost system, level design, and visuals helped us gradually turn our original idea into a game that feels connected to the story we wanted to tell.

What we learned

Through CONTINUUM, we explored the idea that progress—whether in scientific discovery or personal growth—is rarely a single leap forward. Our memories, choices, successes, and failures accumulate over time, shaping who we are and what we are capable of becoming.

We also learned how much iteration goes into turning a simple concept into a mechanic that feels intuitive, meaningful, and enjoyable to play.

What's next for CONTINUUM

We would like to expand CONTINUUM with more levels that explore different ways of interacting with past selves. We are especially interested in developing the three-ghost limit further, making the choice of which memories to keep or let go an increasingly important part of the game.

Ultimately, we want the journey toward the moon to become a journey through the player's own past—one where moving forward depends not only on what we remember, but also on what we eventually choose to leave behind.