Design Statement
The theme track felt to me like a secret night: it starts quietly, lifts into a light, floating middle, then softens as if morning were coming. Most people hear "floating" and think of flying. I went the opposite way: something that is always stuck to the ground — a child's shadow — sneaks out for one night and feels free.

The game follows the shape of the song. The quiet opening is sneaking out of the house, the lift is playing with other children's shadows in a moonlit park, and the gentle ending is hurrying home before dawn.

Key design choices:
- Light is safe, darkness is danger — the reverse of a usual stealth game. The light check matches exactly what you see on screen.
- 2.5D with real depth, so you can hide behind things.
- No monsters: just curious cats, dogs and crows that "find" you, plus simple push-the-object tricks to distract them.
- A different, harder route home at dawn.
- A bittersweet ending that hints at "maybe again, on the next full moon."

Game Instructions (launch steps, controls, and gameplay overview)
Launch: Play in the browser on the itch page, or download the Windows zip, extract it, and run ShadowPlayground.exe (no install needed).

Controls: WASD / Arrows = move (W/S = depth), Space = jump (push into a ledge to climb), Shift = crouch/crawl, L = language (EN/JP), M = sound on/off. Gamepad supported.

Gameplay: You are a child's shadow. You can only exist in the light — in the dark, a countdown starts. Sneak through the house and street to the park, play with the five shadow friends, then return to your bed by a different route before dawn. Avoid being noticed by cats, dogs and crows; objects marked ▼ can be pushed to distract them. Play with all five friends for a special morning.

Gameplay walkthrough video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbjXtdJRIWw

Did your project use any AI tools or assets? If yes, please specify.
Yes.
- Claude (Anthropic): game code (Godot), environment 3D models (generated with Blender Python scripts), sound effects, and music (original loops inspired by the theme track; the official recording is not used).
- Meshy: character 3D models and animations (the boy, the girl, kitten, Shiba puppy, crow).
Game direction, design decisions, and testing by the developer.