Design Statement
When I first heard the theme track, I imagined a process of setting out, exploring, growing stronger, and finally looking back and reflecting—much like a person’s journey through life. We cannot change the choices our past selves have already made or rewrite what has happened, but we can understand and make use of the past. This became the central idea of Time Echo: cooperating with past versions of yourself to move forward.

I translated this idea into an input-recording system. Each Echo repeats actions the player previously performed, turning the past into something fixed but still useful. Earlier Echoes can hold switches, move boxes, and create opportunities for later Echoes and the present self. Because the past and present ultimately share one lifetime, time assigned to an Echo is deducted from the player’s remaining time. Players must decide both what to record and how much time to allocate. This combination of irreversible recorded actions and a shared time budget connects the mechanics directly to growth, memory, and reflection.

Game Instructions (launch steps, controls, and gameplay overview)
LAUNCH

Click “Run game” to play in your browser. Click inside the game window if the keyboard controls do not respond. Fullscreen is recommended.

GAMEPLAY

Divide your limited time between yourself and recorded Echoes. A saved Echo repeats the movement and actions recorded from the spawn point. Use Echoes to hold switches, move boxes, open doors, and create a path for your present self.

CONTROLS

A / D — Move
Space — Jump
C — Create or manage an Echo
X — Stop recording
R — Restart the level
F — Enter the exit door

Reach the exit before your remaining time runs out. The game contains nine levels.

Gameplay walkthrough video
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C6kpaGpfCDfOH1SES36zoAPt5NjLDYeX/view?usp=drive_link

Did your project use any AI tools or assets? If yes, please specify.
Yes. OpenAI Codex was used for programming assistance, debugging, English translation, and technical iteration. Generative AI was used for visual reference exploration and portions of the background artwork. All final assets were selected, edited, and integrated by the developer. The music and sound effects were not AI-generated.