Design Statement
Lanternsong interprets the thatgamejam #02 theme as a journey of connection through harmony. Two small wanderers, Ember and Wren, cross a cold, colourless world joined by a thread of light. Alone, each lantern barely lights the snow; side by side, humming together, they find harmony: their lights blaze, the thread shines gold, and colour, flowers and life return. The theme track begins quiet and lonely, rises, swells, then falls suddenly to silence, and the game follows that same shape: finding each other in the mist, learning to sing together, and a final climb set to the theme itself. Key design choices: co-op for two players on one keyboard (or two gamepads) with a single-player companion mode so the player can also experience the duet; a light-and-colour feedback loop where cooperation literally restores the world; and a short, focused run that mirrors the musical arc of the theme rather than looping it. The result is a gentle, musical co-op about making something together.

Game Instructions (launch steps, controls, and gameplay overview)
Lanternsong - a song for two voices. How to play: 2 players on one keyboard (or two gamepads), or 1 player with a companion. Ember (Player 1): WASD to move, Space to jump, Left Shift to hum. Wren (Player 2): Arrow keys to move, / (forward slash) or Right Ctrl to jump, Enter to hum. Esc to pause, M to mute, F for fullscreen. Headphones recommended. To launch in browser: open the game page and click Run game. Windows: unzip Lanternsong-Windows.zip and run Lanternsong.exe. macOS: unzip Lanternsong-Mac.zip, right-click Lanternsong.app and choose Open the first time.

Gameplay walkthrough video
https://youtu.be/mnWsnPYSNtU

Did your project use any AI tools or assets? If yes, please specify.
Yes. The game's code and design were created with the help of AI tools. No AI-generated music, images or voices are used. Theme music is by Jason Grace (used unmodified within this entry only), ambient music and sound effects are generated in code, and the game is built with three.js.