| Fading Afternoon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Yeo |
| Publisher(s) | Yeo, Indie Ark [1] |
| Engine | GameMaker [2] |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Switch |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Beat 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Fading Afternoon is a beat 'em up developed by Yeo for Windows released on September 15, 2023. A Nintendo Switch version was released on June 6, 2024.
It is the third game by Yeo after The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa (2018) and Arrest of a Stone Buddha (2020), which used similar themes and aesthetics. [3] [1]
Fading Afternoon is a scrolling beat 'em up that takes place in Osaka, Japan, where the player assumes the role of Seiji Maruyama, a yakuza member who has just been released from prison. Maruyama has a terminal illness that reduces the player's maximum health constantly and serves as a time limit to the game. The player has to decide how to spend Maruyama's remaining time between fighting thugs to take over gang territory and various life sim-type activities. [4] [1]
The game was announced in July 2021 for a 2022 release. [5] In September 2021, the game announced for release in September 2022 for the PC and Switch. [6] The PC version was eventually released on September 15, 2023, and the Switch version on June 6, 2024. [7] [4] Shortly after release of the Switch version, the game was removed from the Japanese Nintendo eShop. [8] As a result, the casino minigames were announced to be removed from the Switch version worldwide. [9]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Digitally Downloaded | 4.5/5 [10] |
| Nintendo World Report | 8.5/10 [4] |
| RPGFan | 85/100 [1] |
| Siliconera | 6/10 [11] |
Digitally Downloaded wrote that "Fading Afternoon isn’t an “entertaining” game in the traditional sense, but it's a powerful one that will leave you reflective and pensive by the time you put it down." [10] Nintendo World Report praised the combat and life sim elements but criticized the user interface. [4] RPGFan noted the game as Yeo's most intricate and compelling work yet. [1] Famitsu called the game "an excellent human drama" and the gameplay an improvement over The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa. [12] Siliconera said that some design decisions get in the way of a beautiful and meaningful game. [11] Vandal called it "one of the best, but most underrated games of the year". [13]