Echoframe

"You are your own worst enemy"

A temporal roguelike space shooter where you fight echoes of yourself across branching timelines. Experience the philosophical horror of confronting infinite versions of who you might have been.

🚧 In Active Development

Narrative-Driven Roguelike in Progress

Echoframe is being developed as an innovative temporal mechanics game combining roguelike gameplay with deep philosophical storytelling.

The Core Concept

You were human once. You died fighting in a war against AI. Your consciousness was uploaded into a machine body to continue the fight alongside humanity. The war was supposed to end in weeks.

That was 10,000 years ago.

Now you drift through the broken galaxy, unaware of your true nature, creating echoes of yourself across branching timelines. Eventually, you must face them all.

Echoframe Game Development Screenshot

Early development screenshot showing space combat mechanics

🔄 Temporal Roguelike

Every time you backstep to change a decision, your previous path continues as an "echo" that believes it's the real you.

  • Branching timeline mechanics
  • Echo creation through backstepping
  • Multiple timeline navigation
  • Temporal paradox resolution

🧠 Identity Crisis

Discover the truth about your uploaded consciousness through environmental storytelling and memory fragments.

  • False memory implants
  • Corrupted data logs
  • 10,000 years of failed attempts
  • Self-recognition denial

⚔️ Echo Confrontation

Face versions of yourself that made different choices, each believing they're the "real" one and you're the corruption.

  • Ideologically distinct echoes
  • Mirror match boss fights
  • Philosophical debates mid-battle
  • Echo merging and resolution

🚀 Dual Perspective

Dynamic camera switching between top-down bullet hell and side-scrolling cinematic moments.

  • Top-down: Classic shmup gameplay
  • Side-scrolling: Boss fights and story
  • Seamless perspective transitions
  • Temporal anomaly visual effects

Narrative Structure

Echoframe unfolds through carefully crafted levels that slowly reveal the truth about your existence and the endless cycle you're trapped in.

"Be careful out there, I'm so proud of you. Don't forget our anniversary next week when you get back. The baby's been kicking all morning - I think they miss daddy. I love you, come home safe."

— Your wife's video call (that never changes)

Level Progression

Level 1: "The War of Origin" - You believe you're fighting the AI War, working toward the enemy stronghold. But when you reach the AI Core, something goes wrong...

Level 2: "Derelict Drift" - Navigate through a graveyard of ships with strangely familiar designs. Why do you know exactly how to navigate this debris field?

Mid-Game: "The Anniversary That Never Comes" - Realize that your wife's "anniversary next week" has been next week for subjective months. The video calls loop, glitch, reveal their artificial nature.

Finale: "The Echo Gate" - Face all timeline versions of yourself in a multi-phase boss battle. Each echo represents a different approach you tried over the millennia.

The Echo System

The core innovation of Echoframe is how your choices create permanent opponents. Every backstep creates an echo that continues your abandoned path, developing its own personality and agenda.

Militarist Echo

Chose to destroy enemy bases ruthlessly. Became coldly efficient, sees mercy as weakness and believes violence solves everything.

Pacifist Echo

Tried to save everyone they encountered. Now views any violence as corruption and fights desperately to preserve life.

Family Echo

Driven by memories of loved ones. Fights with desperate fury to return home, refusing to accept the truth about time passage.

Nihilist Echo

Discovered the truth early and believes existence is meaningless. Seeks to end the cycle through destruction or self-termination.

Purist Echo

Believes it's the only "real" human consciousness left. Views all other echoes as corrupted AI mimicry that must be eliminated.

Echo Confrontation Mechanics

Timeline Branching

Your choices create lasting consequences across time. Each decision point creates new timeline branches, and unresolved echoes accumulate across your attempts.

Timeline Example: Initial Path: [Destroy Base] → [Save Survivors] → [Trust AI Entity] ↓ (backstep) Echo 1: Continues destructive path, becomes Militarist Echo New Path: [Reprogram Base] → [Save Survivors] → [Trust AI Entity] ↓ (backstep) Echo 2: Continues trusting path, becomes Pacifist Echo Final Path: [Reprogram Base] → [Save Survivors] → [Eliminate AI Entity] Result: Must face both Militarist and Pacifist echoes before progression

Progression Gates

As you approach the Origin Core, all unresolved echoes converge into the Echo Gate - a multi-phase boss battle against multiple versions of yourself. Only by resolving these temporal conflicts can you reach the truth about your existence.

Experience the Echo

Echoframe is currently in development, exploring the philosophical implications of identity, choice, and consciousness through innovative temporal gameplay mechanics.

Contact us for development updates, early testing opportunities, or to discuss the narrative and philosophical themes driving this unique gaming experience.

Get in Touch