As much as I love *Death Stranding*, sometimes I wish I could do without the sneaking and combat. Let me make my deliveries in peace. That’s where *Fading Serenades* comes in — a charming 2D adventure delivery game that’s hard to put down once you get started.
Created by solo developer Bernie Wick, *Fading Serenades* is a cute, cozy, and peaceful game. While it’s no *Stardew Valley* in terms of scale, it definitely hits that pixelated charm. For a game developed and published by one person, it’s a hidden gem you can beat in four to six hours.
If you enjoyed the delivery aspect of *Death Stranding* and don’t mind a peaceful, 2D pixelated delivery game, then this might be right up your alley — as it was for me. Let’s see where the verdict stands.
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### Charming Neighbors
You play as Callum, a young courier from the mainland who’s been hired to make deliveries on Clifford’s Island. He’s accompanied by his AI companion, Par, who takes the form of a radio. The island’s residents are seniors who can no longer make the trek around as often, so you play a vital role in delivering things to everyone.
Each resident has their own unique personality. Some include Cooper, the hothead in charge of the post office; Baron, the chill musical fisherman; Himi, the thankful farmer; and Samuel, the mad engineer. Doing tasks for them and delivering their orders is not only a delight but essential to the plot.
As you explore the island, you meet more characters who help you solve the overall mystery of the island.
So far, my experience has been enjoyable and relaxing, especially once I had beaten the game. The neighbors will tell you how to save your game, give you new items to make traveling easier, or even go fishing with you.
However, their deliveries can get a bit repetitive, despite being randomized each day. For example, Cooper lost his records five times during my playthrough (who keeps stealing them?!). I wish there was more variety in tasks.
I also would have loved to see more natural interactions between the neighbors, instead of Callum acting as the go-between. Some post-game content would have been great too. However, if you’re looking for something to beat in an evening, this game fits the bill perfectly.
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### The Beautiful Clifford’s Island
One of the many highlights of this game is its music. Each area has a distinct theme that accentuates the mood and feeling of where you are. Samuel’s Workshop is probably my favorite theme, but overall, the soundtrack helps keep you relaxed as you deliver.
The day and night cycle adds charm as well. Time changes as you move through different areas of the island. After 10 PM, if you’re not in bed, Callum will automatically knock out for the night — only to be found by Cooper, who will chastise you. Going to bed on time gives you an early start, while being found on the island means starting later.
Certain items can only be found in the evening, which helps complete some character tasks.
If you like the classic *Resident Evil* trilogy, the backtracking here isn’t nearly as tedious — again, it’s a peaceful island in a cozy game. In some areas, you can use bridges or take a trolley to navigate more easily.
The island is also sprinkled with mysteries that make you eager to continue deliveries and uncover more. However, I wish we could visit all of our neighbors’ homes to get deeper insights into their personalities.
One particular character you only meet once and never see again, and there’s a locked house on the island you never get to enter — seemingly just there to add a touch of creepiness.
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### Variety of Small Challenges
*Fading Serenades* is more than just delivering from point A to point B. You’ll find yourself balancing on logs, climbing, and even making a run for it in certain sections. There are rocks to jump across too, which require pressing the correct directional buttons.
I have to admit, the rock jumping took me way too long to figure out — about ten in-game days! The game doesn’t provide written instructions on how to overcome these hurdles; instead, you’re expected to infer based on context clues.
A brief prompt like “Press the directional button before the timer runs out to jump” would help, as this is a slight UX issue that could easily be resolved in an update. If the developer wants to keep instructions minimal, reworking the directional graphics might make the intended action clearer.
Failing these challenges results in a moderate chunk of health lost and damages your deliveries.
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### Managing Your Inventory and Upgrades
The game features an inventory system you can upgrade with money earned from deliveries. You can also buy perks such as running and climbing shoes. Running shoes make backtracking easier, but sprinting drains your health.
You can purchase maps to reduce travel time between areas, buy snacks from vending machines to replenish health, and light shrines that increase overall health.
With so many deliveries, you’ll have more than enough money to stock up on snacks and keep your health topped off.
Saving your game is done by heading to a microwave, which adds to the game’s unique charm — it even features amusing quotes depending on where you save. My personal favorite is early in the game when the microwave asks, “Are you sure you are really you?” — a slight *P.T.*-esque tangent.
You can also sleep for multiple days back-to-back to prepare for a big delivery run. This was useful because certain parts of the plot are time-sensitive, although I later realized they are not strictly locked by days.
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### A Glitch and Developer Support
By the time I beat the game, I had about 90 in-game days passed because I thought I had to wait until a certain day to advance the plot. When quests started repeating, I realized something was off.
I eventually discovered that I had accidentally triggered a glitch in my playthrough that prevented a certain quest from appearing — one that triggers another series of events necessary to finish the game.
I reached out to the developer, who was friendly and responsive, quickly helping me resolve the issue. This support was truly appreciated, and I won’t dock points because of it. However, I hope this glitch is addressed in future updates.
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### Final Thoughts
*Fading Serenades* is a cozy, charming delivery adventure that captures the simple joys of helping a quirky community on a peaceful island. While it has some minor issues with repetition, instructions, and a glitch during my playthrough, it remains a delightful experience — especially if you want a relaxing game that doesn’t involve combat or sneaking.
If you’re looking for a bite-sized delivery game with pixel art charm and lots of heart, *Fading Serenades* is definitely worth your time.
https://www.dualshockers.com/fading-serenades-review/
