Easy Delivery Co. Review – A cozy driving game with a light survival twist

Earlier this year, I was made aware of Easy Delivery Co. – a lovely, low-poly game about being a cat with a delivery truck. I played its demo, had a good time, and wanted more – and more is exactly what I got. With the full version now out and available, I’m happy to say that the game did finally reveal its secrets to me. I won’t tell you what they are, as it’s best if you discover them for yourself – besides, the real meat and potatoes of Easy Delivery Co. is still the same as it was back in the demo: you pick up packages, load them onto your truck, then attempt to deliver them in a speedy, efficient manner. Which was fun then, and is still fun now. Except this time, you have three whole regions to explore, as opposed to just one.

Bumpy roads

The basic formula is endlessly simple: you select a job, confirm the pickup location, and go grab your package. Then you drive to your destination with the goods precariously bouncing around in the back of your truck as you sweat bullets trying to make sure they don’t fall off during a particularly sharp turn. (Spoilers: They’re gonna fall off eventually. Get used to it.) Once you unload your cargo at the destination, you get paid depending on how big of a distance you just traveled. If a job is asking you to drive halfway across the world from one city to another, expect to get a hefty payout at the end of it; similarly, you won’t get much more than a few measly bucks for a quick and easy delivery only a few hundred meters away. That said, a longer journey also means there’s a bigger risk of losing your package along the way, so do try to drive safely. Or don’t! As long as you get your package to its destination in one piece, you’re good.

This is more or less the gist of Easy Delivery Co.’s gameplay, really – you complete deliveries, earn money, then use that money to buy items and car upgrades that not only help you advance the main plot, but also make your job less of a hassle. Car upgrades like… winter tires that make it easier to drive through snow, for example. Or bumpers that allow you to knock down trees and fences. Also, to address the elephant in the room: yes, there is a main plot with some mysteries to uncover. Now, don’t expect it to blow your mind, and frankly, it’s mostly just there to give you a goal to work towards while also gently guiding you from one location to another, making sure that you see and experience all three major regions of the game. Strictly speaking, yes, there is “lore” that explains some of the strange things you may notice in the game, but that’s about it.

Oh, and this is unrelated to the above, but I’m also feeling a very strong urge to give a shoutout to the visuals: the blocky, pixelated PlayStation 1-style graphics lend a certain soothing coziness to the game’s atmosphere, especially when the sun goes down. Driving through the abandoned streets of a town filled with massive, Eastern-European block buildings and tiny shops illuminated only by a handful of streetlights is pure magic, even when displayed at a resolution that would make my old childhood PC from the 90s blush. And while we’re at it, the soundtrack is spot-on, too, mixing relaxed lo-fi tunes with fast-paced, rhythmic jungle tracks – perfect for slow, chill deliveries and frantic, high-speed driving, respectively.

A coffee a day keeps the eepiness away

As mentioned earlier, what you’ll be doing most of the time is driving your truck and delivering things – but guess what? This is also a survival game. Well, kind of. There are two major resources you need to keep an eye on: the more immediate one is your energy level, which determines how exhausted the main character is. Run out of energy, and your movement speed when traveling on foot is greatly reduced, making it far easier to freeze to death in the harsh, sub-zero temperatures – indeed, leaving the relatively safe and warm confines of your truck means exposing yourself to the deadly elements, and you can only endure that for a few seconds before turning into Jack Nicholson at the end of The Shining. In any case, you replenish your stamina bar by buying energy drinks or brewing your own coffee, although the game tells you that pretty early on.

The other, more long-term resource you need to pay attention to is your truck’s fuel meter. A full tank will last you a long while, so unlike energy, it’s not something you need to constantly worry about – however, gas in this game is notoriously expensive, so refueling will set you back a decent chunk of change. Making sure that you finish your delivery jobs, progress through the storyline AND have enough spare cash to fill your tank might require some efficient driving and scheduling, is what I’m trying to say. Which is something the game manages to nail perfectly: planning your delivery routes in advance to make sure you don’t waste time and have enough money to barely be able to pay for your necessities creates an enjoyably strategic gameplay loop. I’ll never forget that one time I had to speed through the countryside with barely any fuel left in my tank, hoping and praying that it’d be enough to let me finish the delivery and net me the cash needed to refuel. I was, by the way, also totally broke by this point as I had just spent all my money on a highly expensive item, because of course I did. Long story short, ‘twas a fun and tense experience. Moments like that will inevitably happen now and then, and they really do make the game that much more memorable.

And keep in mind that you need to do all of the above while also factoring in environmental/weather hazards like low visibility and bumpy roads that could potentially endanger your cargo – or, you know, just plain ol’ reckless driving. (Which I’m totally not guilty of. Totally. Ahem.) My advice? Go for the big ones. Don’t bother with low-paying jobs. Take some risks, drive long distances, and reap the rewards. Be the bosscat you were always meant to be.

Truckin’ along

Overall, I have to say I’m pretty satisfied with Easy Delivery Co. – it took me about 5 hours to finish, meaning it never outstays its welcome and can therefore be a solid choice for gamers with little time on their hands; personally, I liked it so much that I can actually see myself going back to it to do further deliveries and explore even more of the world. I mean, sure, some of the mechanics could’ve been expanded upon (I wanted to be able to undertake multiple deliveries at the same time, for example), and it would’ve been nice to have more side activities to get distracted by, but still – the game’s simplicity is one of its main charms. So yeah, I have no issue recommending it if you’re in the mood for some cozy driving spiced up with funky dialogue, light survival elements and a handful of pretty sick jungle tunes to listen to on the in-game radio. Two low-poly thumbs up.

Easy Delivery Co. is available on Steam.