Thornwake: Forest Adventure
A 16-bit action platformer for phones and PC, built by one engineer with a fleet of AI agents. It went from first commit to Steam launch in four months.
Formerly Nature Rescue / Emberfall
- Role
- Design, development and publishing
- Released
- 2026
- Platforms
- Android, iOS, Windows and Linux
- Engine
- Godot 4.7 and our shared platformer engine
- Team
- One engineer, a fleet of AI agents
- Downloads
- 10k+ on Google Play
- Built with
- Godot 4.7
- Shared platformer engine
- Claude Code
- AI-generated assets
The game
You play Rowan Brightward, a Grove Keeper who fights the Hollowbark corruption to cleanse the forest and free Willow.
The journey covers 40 levels in five worlds: Whispering Woods, Mire of Whispers, Frostspine Heights, Frozen Wastes and The Scorched Reach. You run, climb and vine-swing through them, fighting with a sword and shield and four elemental spells.
How it was built
Thornwake runs on Godot 4.7 and our own platformer engine, which sits in one repository with the games built on it. CI produces the Android, iOS and Steam builds.
The game was built with AI agents throughout production. Claude Code worked as a development partner on the code. AI image tools (PixelLab and Nano Banana Pro) extended a licensed 16-bit pixel-art pack, brullov’s Oak Woods, with new sprites and backgrounds.
AI was used only to build the game. Nothing in Thornwake runs on AI while you play.
Where it is now
Thornwake is on Google Play, where it has passed 10,000 downloads. It launched on Steam on 4 September 2026, with a free demo, and on the App Store on 8 September 2026.
The mobile versions now ship in 11 languages. Updates since launch have added Camp upgrades and daily adventure rewards, plus 24 achievements, 6 leaderboards and cloud saves through Google Play Games and Game Center.
