Design Statement
Hush, Swell, Home interprets the supplied theme's quiet opening, growing intensity and release as a relationship between two useful kinds of strength. Hush is small enough to cross fragile roots. Swell is strong enough to hold golden wells. Neither can reach home alone. The player controls one light at a time, leaving the other on a matching well to grow a bridge, then finding a route back for the companion who stayed.

Three handcrafted gardens move from discovery to combination to reciprocity. Both lights must reach the tree before a chapter ends; the final crossing therefore rewards bringing someone home rather than simply reaching an exit. Water reflections, a restrained blue-and-gold palette and a flowering dawn give the mechanical reunion a visible release. There are no timers, lives, combat or falling penalties, so the player can think without punishment. The official recording is included unmodified within the game, while the walkthrough is silent to respect its limited license.

Game Instructions (launch steps, controls, and gameplay overview)
Play free in a desktop browser. Click Run game, then begin. Alternatively download the Windows WebView2 x64 ZIP, extract all files and run Hush-Swell-Home.exe. Requires Windows 10/11 x64, .NET Framework 4.6.2+ and Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime; install a missing runtime from https://developer.microsoft.com/microsoft-edge/webview2/ . No game engine or account required.
WASD/arrows move; Space/Tab switches between Hush and Swell; Esc opens help/pause; R restarts the current chapter; M mutes music. Hush crosses fragile roots and activates blue wells. Swell activates golden wells but cannot cross roots. A matching light must remain on a well to hold its bridge open. Bring both lights to each flowering tree to complete all three chapters. Progress is session-only. Keyboard recommended; touch controls exist but mobile/controller behavior is not independently verified.

Gameplay walkthrough video
https://vimeo.com/1239259609

Did your project use any AI tools or assets? If yes, please specify.
Yes. OpenAI Codex assisted with game design, programming, procedural Canvas graphics/design, synthetic sound-effect code, documentation, packaging and testing. MishuA is the creator and project director; Codex is a tool, not an additional human team member. The official theme was composed by Jason Grace and is included unmodified only within this jam entry. No commercial gameplay template, existing store project, stock artwork or stock fonts were imported. Microsoft WebView2 SDK integration libraries are included with their license notices; the separately installed Microsoft runtime has its own terms. The gameplay walkthrough shows the running game and contains no audio.