Last Updated on Jun 26, 2026 @ 15:50:38 PM.
Screenbound has been popping up in my feed for the last two years, on and off. Firstly as an indie ad that caught my eye, now as an indie darling that is catching EVERYONE’s eye, and if it’s not, it should be. Featuring both 2D and 3D platforming action, Crescent Moon Games, the studio behind the title, posit it offers the first ‘5D’ platforming experience ever, and it’s hard to disagree.
Having seen more of the title when it was featured at Summer Game Fest, I was lucky enough to chat with Josh Presseisen, the Game Director and owner of Crescent Moon Games, about all things Screenbound, including potential AI-usage, the packed September release schedule its going head-first into, and what prompted the unique idea in the first place.
For those unaware, could you explain who you are, and what you’re responsible for with Screenbound?
Hello! I’m Josh Presseisen and I am the Game Director on Screenbound. I’m also the owner of Crescent Moon Games, a small indie game publisher. Very excited to be here!
How many developers have been involved with the development of Screenbound, total?
We’ve had around 50 talented people working on the game over the course of development, give or take. The core team at Crescent Moon Games is small, around 5 people including myself. We are teamed up with Radical Forge, a 3rd party developer, to help us with everything from design to sfx and code, and to finish the game on time. They’ve been great to work with.
There are plenty of 3D, plenty of 2D platformers, but none like Screenbound, that combine the two dimensions. How did you come up with this?
The idea just popped into my head when I saw an image of someone holding a handheld gaming device – might have been a picture of one of the new retro gaming emulators. The image inspired an idea that the 3D world in the background of the image and the 2D world on the screen could be connected somehow. After some tests, it seemed like the concept worked.
What difficulties did you encounter when starting development?
Had a few stops and starts getting started early on. Maybe it wasn’t the smoothest road we traveled on, but then again, that seems to be the case with most games. Design was probably the biggest difficulty. The concept is unique and can be interpreted in so many ways, lots of ideas come up when thinking about it. We had to decide which ideas to focus on for development, and that was difficult because many of them were great.
How do you approach developing engaging levels in both 2D and 3D?
It is very difficult to keep the player’s attention focused on both dimensions. But before we even worry about where the player’s looking, we have to know what the purpose of the level is. Is the level created to teach the player something? Is it something they’ve already learned in a previous level? The rules for how things interact in the separate dimensions become extremely important – and decisions must be made, based on those rules. We are always trying to think of what feels good, and how you can have fun playing the game in both dimensions.. This has been one of the hardest aspects of level design.
Where did you draw inspiration from?
Hmm. I wouldn’t say the game concept itself – the core concept – is really inspired by too many other games. The 2D aspects of the game are inspired by the classic retro games we all grew up playing – like Nintendo’s Mario, Zelda, etc. The 3D platformer aspects, well, those are more open ended in their inspirations. There are tons of 3D first person platformers but I couldn’t say any particular one was an inspiration here.
Is it purely linear? Or open world?
The levels are fairly linear but have side paths allowing you to explore other areas and find secrets or hidden things. In the secret areas, we have hidden lore of the world of Screenbound. There are also sections of the levels where you can play entirely on the 2D screen – which wasn’t part of the original plan and was an idea we decided to run with during development. They are fun sections to play.
I remember seeing an early dev diary of yours in 2024 where you mentioned the level editor. Is that something you’ll be including in the game, for players to create their own 5D experiences?
Yes, we do have the beginnings of a level editor that has been created specifically for creating the Screenbound levels, but at the moment we’re focusing on other areas of development for the final version and it’s not robust enough for release. We’re not sure yet if that will see the light of day to the public. Never say never though!
How does combat present itself in Screenbound?
The combat in Screenbound takes place both in 2D and 3D planes at the same time and separately. We have various weapons to use, from swords, to crossbows, to boomerangs, and more, that give the player a unique experience when facing enemies. It varies by cartridge (which is the way we divide worlds), so you will see a much different range of combat in Cartridge 2, versus Cartridge 1. There are separate 2D sections of the game (some in special terminals, some in caves) where you get to do more retro style combat without the need for the 3D aspect. When the player is faced with the 5D world combat things can get really interesting. Enemies phasing in and out of dimensions, enemies appearing only in 2D that you see on the Qboy: the player will have to navigate how to best make use of the tools that they have acquired in defeating them.
You’re releasing in September, alongside a huge array of other games, seemingly avoiding Grand Theft Auto 6. How do you feel releasing Screenbound in what amounts to one of the biggest gaming months, possibly ever?
We are very confident in our release date because we’re confident in our game. Every time I have released a game, I get put up against other games that are releasing, but things can change and release dates can get pushed back. So you don’t really know what is going to come out on your release day. I stopped worrying about this many years ago because to me, it feels like a roll of the dice. Could we get buried? Yes. But could we also succeed and be widely seen amongst the other games releasing in September? Also yes.
Has AI been used during development at all?
We are not using AI in Screenbound.
If not, why?
We want the experience to be entirely hand crafted by human creativity only, it tends to be more meaningful that way. This project is a labour of love from many incredibly talented and skilled people that we hope players will enjoy.
How are you ensuring there is replayability for gamers once they’ve completed the story? New Game+?
Players can look forward to unlocking some special levels and cosmetics that you can buy in the garage on the desktop computer… And some secret levels as well. There should be plenty for the player to do after the main storyline! We are still thinking of even more to add after that as well.
Is it a purely single player experience, or are there any multiplayer/co-op modes either at launch or planned?
Currently, we are only planning for single player. The idea for multiplayer has been discussed at one time or another (it would have to be another gameplay mode – if so). Co-op does seem very interesting, but I’d like to get the single player out first and well polished before we even start thinking about a multiplayer experience. It’s not something we’re ruling out.
What do you have in mind for the future of Screenbound after it has released? A sequel? DLC?
Currently we don’t have any solidified plans but we have been talking about a potential third cartridge and have plenty of ideas for it! If the game does well, or reasonably well, we’d love to do a sequel and some special game updates and even some DLC, especially for extra cartridges or mini games you could find in the Garage Hub.
What are you most proud of regarding Screenbound?
I’m very proud of the whole team working together to complete such a unique concept for a game and how extremely difficult it has been to make that idea come to life. It has resonated with so many people – from the nostalgia of playing retro games, to the unique concept of playing in 2D and 3D at the same time. I’m hoping that the final game will be well received by the fans and those who have really supported us along the way. It has been an amazing journey so far with a team of amazing, talented people – even though we still have a little bit left to go. I’m excited to see where it lands.
Is there anything else you’d like to share that you don’t usually get the opportunity/get asked?
We have a demo out now on Steam and we’d love for you to play it and give us feedback! It is really important to get the feedback as we are working toward the full release version. So, check out the Steam page, we’d love to hear what you think.
Are you excited for Screenbound? Are you likely to pick it up when it releases? Let us know in the comments below.
For your next read, go see the full line-up of The Jackbox Party Pack 12, or the new game from Warhammer 40K: Speed Freeks creator, Grip XR.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
