Weird Beluga’s new 3D platformer mixes clockpunk, adventure, and acrobatics in a world suspended in eternal twilight.
In today’s gaming landscape, where open worlds keep expanding and AAA titles chase realism and longevity at any cost, a small indie team chooses to take us back. But not just for the sake of nostalgia. Duskfade (we covered it here), the latest project from the Weird Beluga team, pays tribute to the past while keeping its eyes firmly on the future. It reimagines the magic of classic 3D platformers with a modern sensibility, polished mechanics, and an artistic vision that truly stands out.
Fireshine Games announced Duskfade, which targets a 2026 release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It has already earned a place of honor on many fans’ wishlists.
A world broken by time, and an apprentice ready to mend it
Zirian, a young workshop apprentice, steps up as the adventure’s protagonist. His mission sounds both crazy and fascinating: fix time itself in a world wrapped in endless dusk. His weapon of choice? A sword inspired by a clock hand, able to transform and adapt to every kind of challenge – plunging attacks from above, magical strikes, spinning slashes – blending seamlessly into a fast, dynamic combat system designed to pair with the character’s acrobatic movement.
Duskfade offers fluid movement, free exploration, and agile gameplay. Zirian can glide, swing from floating chains, run across suspended rails, and launch into breathtaking platforming sequences across five main regions, each featuring its own visual identity and a boss battle built to test your reflexes.
Clockpunk wonder and visual identity
From a visual standpoint, the game immediately makes a statement with its “clockpunk” aesthetic: intricate mechanisms, suspended architecture, and almost painterly landscapes fill the world. The color palette shifts from zone to zone, flowing from ethereal forests to underwater realms, from golden dunes to dreamy, cloud-filled skies. Every element helps tell a fable of growth, loss, and courage, where color, wind, and light weave themselves into the storytelling.
Each region acts as a miniature world, rich with secrets to uncover, characters to meet, and platforming challenges that nod to the classics without ever feeling derivative.
Weird Beluga: from an armed snail to a temporal epic
Weird Beluga, the indie studio behind the project, first caught attention in 2021 with Clid the Snail, a dark-fable action-adventure starring a heavily armed snail. That game, which earned Best Game of the Year and Best Art awards at the 2019 PlayStation Talents, already hinted at the team’s visual and narrative ambition.
With Duskfade, Weird Beluga takes a major leap forward, embracing a new genre while staying true to its creative identity. The result stands out in the indie scene for its charisma, ambition, and stylistic polish.
“We believe in the power of indie gaming to push boundaries, challenge norms, and deliver unique and immersive experiences”, the studio proudly states on its official website. Duskfade looks like a perfect embodiment of that philosophy.
Fireshine Games: where indie meets vision
Fireshine Games will publish the project, continuing a track record of backing standout indie titles (their catalog also includes games like Core Keeper, Shadows of Doubt, Balatro, and the physical release of Lies of P). Partnering with Weird Beluga on Duskfade shows their commitment to investing in quality and creative vision – two factors that, as we know well at Indie Games Devel, often make the real difference in the indie scene.
Waiting for 2026
There’s still a long road ahead before Duskfade reaches our hands, but the hype has already started. The game is available to wishlist on Steam, and the team shares updates and sneak peeks through X, YouTube, Discord, and the official Fireshine Games website.
If you love true 3D platformers – the ones with thoughtful level design, unforgettable bosses, and worlds you never want to leave even after the credits roll – Duskfade needs a spot at the top of your list. Because in Zirian’s world, time may be broken. But the love for the platformer genre? That keeps beating stronger than ever.
