When first brainstorming this concept, my first solid vision was in manipulating time to revert a tree to a sapling which the player could then relocate and, when regrown, use as a platform to cross gaps on elevated positions. In addition to crafting a developed time manipulation system, the concept of an elevated position in a top-down game was a bit of a mind-bender itself, particularly if the player is free to step off one and fall to the floor below. How far would they fall if a literal Z-axis could not be used? How could they distinguish falling with simply moving forward or backward on a flat 2D plane?

My answer to this question was to give the player character two fixed vertical states: ground level and elevated. One could transition to the elevated state only by climbing ladders, upon which the character would move "up" a set distance, and if at any point they stepped off a designated elevated position, they would move "down" the same distance to simulate falling to ground level. Control is taken away from the player while climbing or falling and a respective animation plays to make the transition as clear as possible. This was quite an interesting challenge, and I do believe I implemented the most readable and functional solution given the additional mechanics available to the player.