Staying Warm

Emberfall is freezing. The Great Hearth at the top of Mount Hollow has gone out, the lanterns along the path are dark, and you are the last apprentice lamplighter.

Staying Warm is a short story-driven platformer in three chapters and a final mini game (about 12 to 17 minutes) built around one idea: you are always cold.

• Your warmth drains as you walk, and drains fast in the cold wind.
• Lit lanterns warm you back up and save your place.
• Carry sparks up the mountain and light every lantern to open each chapter's door.
• Squash the slugs, hop the spikers, wait for the bats to pass, and bounce on the red mushrooms.
• At the summit, catch the drifting light in a short mini game to relight the Great Hearth.
• Meet the people on the road. A few have a story to tell, and something warm to give you.
• Seven hidden star shards sit above the route if you want a harder run.

Controls

• Move: A / D or arrow keys
• Jump: Space, W or Z (hold for a higher jump)
• Talk / continue: Space, Enter, Z or click
• Pause: Esc or P (or the II button)
• Mute: M
• Your progress is saved in the browser: use Continue on the title screen.
• Phones and tablets: on-screen buttons. Landscape works best.

About this game Made for Mini Jam 221 (Autumn, limitation "Staying Warm"), but I wasn't able to submit it in time, so it is released here as a regular free game. Warmth is the whole game: a resource that drains, a reason to keep moving, and the thing you give to every lantern and neighbour on the way up.

Credits

• Art: "Pixel Platformer" by Kenney (CC0), kenney.nl
• Fonts: "Kenney Pixel" and "Kenney Pixel Square" by Kenney (CC0)
• Music: "Snow Theme" by CleytonKauffman (CC0), opengameart.org
• Wind ambience: "Winter Wind" by gerardogc2378 (CC0), opengameart.org
• Sound effects: "Digital Audio" and "Impact Sounds" by Kenney (CC0)