Fare Thee Well

About

Fare Thee Well is a single player action game with a anime theme. It was developed by Watercress and was released on April 7, 2018. It received very positive reviews from players.

In the winter of 1967, a young man enters out of the snowy night into a bar in the sleepy town of Cedar, Maine. He is a wanderer cursed with eternal youth, sent out by fate forever to roam the world, never to find a home. An encounter with a girl in a green dress is about to change everything...

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 107 reviews

story37 positive mentions

The game offers a touching, bittersweet story that deeply explores themes of immortality, time, love, and loss, leaving a lasting emotional impact on players.
The minimalist yet beautiful hand-painted background art combined with a soothing and fitting soundtrack creates a deeply immersive and atmospheric experience.
It's a short kinetic visual novel that is free to play, making it easily accessible for those looking for a meaningful, well-executed narrative without gameplay complexity.

The visual novel lacks player choices or branching paths, limiting interactivity and replayability.
Music tracks sometimes stop abruptly or have unsmooth transitions, which can break immersion.
The story is relatively short, leaving some players wishing for more content or continuation, and some characters feel underdeveloped or average.

story
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
64%
3%
The story is widely praised as a beautiful, heartfelt, and bittersweet narrative that thoughtfully explores themes of immortality, time, love, and life's choices. Though short and linear with no player choices, it is well-written and emotionally impactful, leaving many players deeply moved and reflective. Some desire a sequel or deeper character development, but overall, it is regarded as a memorable and profound visual novel experience.
- “This is, in my mind, nothing less than a masterpiece of which I have never before seen. I cannot say this is my favorite game, but it is my favorite story. This was something I want to remember even if all of my other memories fade due to the cruel battering of time. Thank you so much for all your hard work, thank you to the story writers.”
- “What was memorable for myself was seeing how this story revolves around time and a person's life as it advances through the years; it is very poignant seeing this unfold through the eyes of the traveller and, considering his dilemma, it really makes you reflect on how precious time is especially when mingled with the life choices that develop everlasting memories.”
- “The story really delves into the implications of time and how the passage of time can change things so much yet so little at the same time.”
- “Trite, boring story that opens with the usual romance novel cliché coincidences and setups that we all should be very familiar with by now.”
- “The story is quite short, taking approximately 1-2 hours to complete, and, as a kinetic visual novel, there are no choices for the player to make.”
- “I think with a story like this you really need to build strong characters by giving them more depth.”
music
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
53%
7%
The music in the game is generally praised for its calming, elegant, and fitting atmosphere that enhances the narrative and emotional impact, particularly with its folk influences and somber tones. However, some users note issues with abrupt transitions, imperfect looping, and occasional lack of attachment or excitement in certain tracks. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong complement to the story, with features like a jukebox and gallery adding to the musical experience.
- “The soundtrack is exquisite!”
- “The music is amazing, fitting the atmosphere perfectly, and truly enhancing the game experience.”
- “The soundtrack puts you in the moment and captures the elegance of the story.”
- “Annoying piano music.”
- “Although the music transitions are quite abrupt, the story and sound design are really good.”
- “As a fan of music that would fit the moment, this game took me quite some time to simply get used to its soundtracks; they are not terrible but simply lacking in attachment.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
44%
17%
The graphics feature a mix of anime-style character art and photorealistic, hand-painted backgrounds, with the latter receiving consistent praise for enhancing the atmosphere. While some users find the anime character designs serviceable but somewhat jarring or forgettable, the overall visual presentation is seen as above average and effectively supports the story’s mood.
- “The artwork is intermixed with photo-realistic backgrounds that set a winter scene that effectively adds warmth to the story during the holiday season.”
- “The graphics are above average with the quality of the backgrounds really standing out in comparison to backgrounds from Palinurus.”
- “The visuals are beautiful, all images look hand-painted and are all background worthy.”
- “The artwork ranges from lazy to barely mediocre, so you surely won't play it for that either.”
- “All I can honestly say about it all is that none of the visuals hold much “image" for me as a reader.”
- “The character art is charming for the green dressed woman despite the silly anime art style with its staple big eyes, though I am a bit ambivalent about Emmeline; the rest are forgettable though serviceable.”
emotional
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
8%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartwarming, touching story that deeply resonates with players, often evoking tears and strong feelings. While some find the narrative somewhat familiar or clichéd, many appreciate its beautiful, poignant depiction of fleeting moments and character depth enhanced by visuals and music. Overall, it delivers a powerful and memorable emotional experience.
- “Damn that was a heartwrenching but beautiful little story.”
- “I would challenge any reader not to be touched by this entrancing folk tale and, in a sense, it really gives an important perspective on time & how brief moments can last from a simple yet heartwarming encounter.”
- “I didn't think it was possible to like a story about an immortal traveller this much but it hit me on all levels of emotional.”
- “Trite, boring story that opens with the usual romance novel cliché coincidences and setups that we are all very familiar with by now.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The gameplay received mixed reviews, with some finding it satisfactory but others describing it as boring and lacking excitement. Overall, it may feel limited and not fully engaging for all players.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is limited and not particularly effective, resulting in a story that is neither genuinely funny nor a traditional love story.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is effectively established, creating an appropriate mood, though it doesn't stand out as particularly unique compared to other instrumental tracks.