Fading Phantom

A 2D atmospheric puzzle platformer built for GMTK Game Jam 2026, themed Count-Down.

About the Game

You are a glimmering blob of soul goo, trapped in the formless rift between life and death. Every path beneath you is dissolving, every second ticks toward total annihilation. The only way forward is to split off a fragment of your own soul — a Phantom — to trigger mechanisms, bridge gaps, and carry your will through the collapsing world.

Every choice comes with a countdown: the global timer of your fading life, the limited duration of your phantom recording, and the cohesion of your soul itself. Nothing lasts forever in this void. All you can do is move forward, before everything fades to silence.

Story

Your body lies dormant in the waking world, heartbeat and brainwaves counting down to the final stillness. Your soul drifts in this borderland, stripped of memory, shape, and name.

Scattered across the rift are shards of your lost memories. Each fragment holds a flicker of who you once were — a quiet word from your mother, a laugh at the altar, a promise made to a friend. The deeper you venture, the closer you get to the truth of how you ended up here. And the clearer the memories become, the faster the void pulls you in.

In the heart of the rift rests the Warden, an ancient soul long bound to this place. It does not speak, does not judge. Offer it your collected soul shards, and it will temper your essence, granting you greater stability and longer moments before the fade.

Core Mechanics

• Phantom Recording: Hold to record your movement, then release to spawn a solid Phantom that replays your actions. It can stand on pressure plates, hold switches, and act as a platform for you to jump on.
• Global Countdown: Every level runs on a strict timer. Collect time crystals to extend your limit and push deeper into the rift.
• Soul Cohesion: Sustaining phantoms drains your inner cohesion. Run out, and your soul disperses back to the start of the level.
• Grapple Hooks: Use hook points to climb vertical paths and reach hidden memory shards.