Easy Delivery Co. Review: Cozy Delivery Game with Mystery and Retro Graphics

Easy Delivery Co. is a heavily stylized comfort game that harbors a mystery with deep implications. The unsettling art style combined with the empty, liminal environments sets a strong tone that builds throughout the story. It is a simple delivery game with a very addictive pace. Plot progression and new abilities elevate a small game into a memorable and satisfying experience.Despite being devoid of citizens, the environment is very well crafted. The player starts the game in a Mountain Town that consists of a few little districts. A map can be obtained, but the player will become very familiar with the small rural town because it is expertly designed. For example, the player may accept a job with the instructions to pick up a package from Easy Mart in Easton and drop it off in Weston. Easton, Weston, and Upton are the right, left, and top of the map, respectively. The district names eliminate any confusion, and the signage found at intersections ensures that it is always obvious which direction you are driving. The minimalist design of the roads and topography means that it can be difficult to get lost and easy to locate shortcuts that can shave minutes off a journey. Many of these shortcuts require specific upgrades from the auto shop that are unlocked as the plot progresses. These upgrades are well paced in a way that slowly opens up the player's ability to explore. You lack even basic snow tires at the start of the game, but eventually you can conquer the largest snowbanks. The map expands with plot progression, and the expert-level map design and simplified naming convention continue to be an asset.

The comfortable deliveries and lovable townsfolk are an immediate attraction. The narrative and writing behind each of the shopkeepers is another contributing factor to the charm of Easy Delivery Co. Deliveries begin by picking up the package at one of a variety of shops, and each of these interactions is packed with personality. First of all, the businesses have a low-key humor to them. Easy Mart, Easy Pizza, and Easy Depot all follow a theme that supports the relaxing tone, and the shopkeepers are easy to fall in love with too. They are little animal-people with unique dialog and will often say things that relate to each other to build up this world. One character might have a crush on another at a different business. Another character might confuse the player for "Seb" and drop hints of a greater mystery. The game exudes personality and is full of self-referential moments that build toward a significant narrative payoff at the end. The final act of the game rewards the player for making it through some of the more tedious deliveries.

The deliveries themselves are fun. As the company name implies, Easy Delivery Co. does not have a countdown timer. They do not even care if you destroy half of the cargo along the way. The relaxed nature of this game takes priority, and the player is encouraged to complete the jobs at their own pace. There are no penalties for being slow and steady, nor are there any for racing across the landscape, flipping, and dumping your cargo. If the car becomes stuck, it can be reset with a button prompt, and destroyed cargo will always respawn nearby. The map was designed with shortcuts and ramps that allow a knowledgeable player to drive at max speed and reckless efficiency, even if they do not have to. This design aligns with the charming elements of the rest of the townsfolk to endear the player to this little world.

It is time to address the elephant in the room - the graphics.

Easy Delivery Co. has sacrificed visual comfort in favor of a heavily stylized retro filter. The CRT effect on the menu and the grainy filter can be pretty off-putting during long play sessions. I can understand the decision to implement these in order to appeal to a certain nostalgia, but it ultimately works against the relaxed attitude of the rest of the game. The only positive aspect of the graphics is that it aided in the feeling of unease that the subtle tone of the mystery provides. The danger of eyestrain becomes apparent after about an hour of gameplay, but that is a subjective quality. Objectively, this game is too dark in some sections. There are plot moments that take the player to significantly darker areas that are uncomfortably tight. It only happens a few times, but bumping around in a dark room or changing TV settings does not make for a fun experience. Thankfully, these segments of the story do not linger, and their narrative implications are worth the annoyance.

The graphics might be rough, but Easy Delivery Co. is appropriately easy to like. The simple delivery missions provide relaxing satisfaction and get bigger and better as the in-game days fly by. The environment expands and is rewarding to explore, while the shopkeepers and radio tunes demand your appreciation. The alluring mystery and the unsettling hints underpin a short but memorable experience.