The Betweenlands

It's time for Mori to find her place in the world, but she's stuck on the dark and wet Core, miles below the beautiful Surface. She must use her trusty grappling hook to traverse the Betweenlands, clusters of floating islands hovering between the Core and the Surface. Explore and climb unique skyscapes on your way to discovering Mori's true desires in this passionately-crafted high-precision platformer.

Master the use of this addictive physics-based grappling hook to pull off thrilling maneuvers and reach high speeds. Carefully hone your placement and timing to manipulate your momentum exactly how you need. There are a million ways to solve every problem by adjusting how you use this one simple tool.

In a world where the wealthy use massive mechanical wings for vertical travel, help Mori beat the odds and overcome impossible obstacles with nothing but a grappling hook, constantly risking it all for her dream. Meet diverse characters along the way who encourage or challenge Mori's beliefs, forcing her to question why she wants to reach the Surface at all.

Inspired by my own life experiences, The Betweenlands is a painfully personal tale of determination, self-discovery, and the feeling of blazing your own path in a world of deeply ingrained norms and protocols. Created by a single developer*, all mechanics, design, sound, and art (pixel and full resolution) form a cohesive unit to tell a story impossible for AAA studios.

*Demo music by Benjamin Borthwick, trailer music by Noah Choi