Degrees of Separation (video game)

Degrees of Separation is a 2D puzzle-platformer video game developed by Moondrop Studios and published by Modus Games. It was released on February 14, 2019, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The game focuses on cooperative gameplay featuring two main characters, Ember and Rime, who possess opposing elemental powers: heat and cold, respectively.

The core mechanic revolves around the dynamic split-screen environment where the characters' contrasting elemental abilities interact with the world. Ember generates heat, melting snow and ice, while Rime generates cold, freezing water and creating icy platforms. The boundary between their respective zones of influence creates a constant shifting "degree of separation," impacting the environment and presenting players with puzzles to solve by strategically manipulating the temperature gradient.

Players control Ember and Rime simultaneously or in local cooperative mode, navigating through various interconnected levels. Each level presents environmental puzzles that require the players to utilize both characters' powers in conjunction to progress. The narrative unfolds through a story told by a single narrator, providing context for the characters' journey and their complicated relationship despite their fundamental differences. The goal is to overcome obstacles, solve puzzles, and ultimately understand the mysterious force that binds these two opposing characters together and separates them simultaneously.