Duskfade Wiki
Duskfade is a 3D action-platformer from Weird Beluga (the Spanish studio behind Clid the Snail), published by Fireshine Games. It launches August 13, 2026 on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 (added to the platform lineup after the initial announcement). GameSpot's preview called it "the spiritual successor to Jak and Daxter that we've been waiting years for."
The Story: A Personal Foundation
You play Zirian, a young workshop apprentice, alongside his mechanical bird companion Cuckoo, on a mission to rescue his sister Allira from a mysterious Clock Tower that has plunged the world into eternal night. The story is shaped directly by narrative designer Ricardo Chorques Mesa's own experience of a deeply personal loss, exploring the many different ways people process grief -- Weird Beluga has said younger players will connect with the story and characters on their own terms, while older players are more likely to catch its deeper message about family, love, and loss.
Combat and Movement
Zirian fights with Minutero, a sword shaped like a clock hand that adapts across plunging attacks, magical strikes, and spinning slashes. Movement blends grappling, slashing, rail-grinding, and momentum-based jumping -- the developers have been direct that mastering Zirian's full toolkit lets skilled players blaze through levels at high speed while barely taking damage, while newer players can still enjoy the story and basic platforming without needing that mastery.
Confirmed Inspirations
Weird Beluga has named its influences directly: Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank for gameplay, Kingdom Hearts for art and mood, Mario Odyssey and Astro Bot for platforming feel, and the Souls series and Alice: Madness Returns for how combat and narrative blend together.
Levels: Linear Paths, Genuine Secrets
Both the story and individual levels play out linearly, but every setting hides secrets that may require an ability unlocked later in the game to actually reach -- revisiting earlier levels for upgrades and cosmetics is a real, intended part of progression, not padding. Each setting also hides a dedicated Time Rift challenge, testing pure combat and platforming mastery separately from the main story path. Confirmed specific level hazards include lava waves, corrupted automatons, living chess pieces, and mirage platforms that aren't what they appear to be.
An Explicit Stance on AI
Weird Beluga has stated directly and unambiguously: "we stand against the use of AI. Every part of the game has been crafted by hand and with as much love as we could pour into it." This is a clear, notable position -- worth knowing given how many other games disclose at least some AI-assisted content.
Runtime and Difficulty
Based on the studio's own playtesting, a full playthrough runs 15-20 hours depending on how thoroughly you hunt down secrets. The difficulty philosophy is explicitly designed to welcome all kinds of players while still rewarding advanced movement and combat mastery for those who want the challenge.