Design Statement
The theme track suggested a small journey that gradually becomes an ensemble. Lantern Duet turns that idea into a six-room puzzle about leaving light for your future self. At lettered wells, the player records a path. Those remembered journeys advance with each new step and hold open bridges, so progress depends on cooperation across time.

I chose turn-based movement rather than rhythm timing: the music can breathe while players think. There is no timer, no life counter, and undo is always available. Every room is accessible from the start. Warm paper colours, simple glowing shapes, and a compact board keep attention on the relationship between the present lantern and its memories.

The official recording plays unchanged. The intended emotional arc is gentle uncertainty, discovery, and a quiet return home. OpenAI Codex assisted with design, code, procedural graphics, testing and written copy; this assistance is disclosed on the game page.

Game Instructions (launch steps, controls, and gameplay overview)
Windows 64-bit: extract the entire ZIP and run LanternDuet.exe, keeping _internal alongside it. No Python installation or internet connection is required. Use arrow keys or WASD to move; SPACE records a path at an A/B/C well. Remembered paths replay as you move, holding open bridges. Collect all glimmers and return to the home tile. . or Z waits; U or Backspace undoes; R resets; M toggles sound; F reduces motion. Clicking neighbouring stones also moves. Six rooms, all available from the start, with no timer or lives.

Walkthrough: the video URL opens the game download section. Select Lantern-Duet-Walkthrough.mp4 (2:27, about 3 MB). It shows all six rooms using the actual game renderer and explicitly labelled automated keyboard inputs. Music is muted in the video.

Gameplay walkthrough video
https://harbourrelay.itch.io/lantern-duet#download

Did your project use any AI tools or assets? If yes, please specify.
Yes. OpenAI Codex assisted with game design, Python implementation, procedural graphics, tests, packaging and written copy. AI use is marked in the itch.io project disclosure. No external human development team was used. The official Jason Grace theme recording is unmodified and is not AI-generated. Python, pygame-ce, SDL and bundled dependencies are credited with licenses and corresponding library source in the download.