Half Past Fate is fun. It has a consistent plotline, several love stories, and a fair bit of information about tea. Great ending combined, this is, simply put, a brilliant little game.

At first, I wasn’t sure what to think of this, but as it progressed, it grew on me since the dev does an excellent job of making each puzzle make sense. There’s no “moon logic” of the type seen in older LucasArts games or other classics. I was happy to find more realistic (although occasionally ridiculous) solutions and the character interactions they triggered. Apart from my issues with the lack of choice and nitpicks like a thin soundtrack and a confusing save system, I very much hope the developers at Serenity Forge create a sequel to Half Past Fate — with this initial foray into blending of genres, I’m hopeful for more!

Because the romantic destinies of Half Past Fate’s characters are preordained, and the game is essentially an exercise in making them happen, there is little motivation to experience the story again, other than perhaps chasing the game’s achievements. Half Past Fate has a lot of style, interesting characters and a gentle tone that stands out from other retro-style RPGs. Romantic comedy is an underrepresented genre in games and Half Past Fate reminds us that it’s a niche worth exploring.

Overall, Half Past Fate is a bit of a mixed bag that hits more than it misses. Whilst the individual stories here are of varying levels of quality, the overall plot and writing was still enjoyable enough to carry me through to the end.