Secrets Wanderstop Gameplay Top
Secrets Wanderstop Gameplay Top
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The creator of upcoming life sim Inzoi says he was "recklessly brave to even think about creating a game of this scale"
The soundtrack of Wanderstop does its job beautifully, evoking a warm, introspective atmosphere that makes you want to curl up with a hot drink and just exist in its world. The background music carries a sense of gentle melancholy, perfectly complementing the themes of the game. NPCs have their own distinct musical motifs, reinforcing their personalities and emotional arcs. However, while the game’s audio is strong, it’s not perfect. Kimberly Woods’ voice work for Alta is fantastic, adding much-needed depth to the protagonist’s internal struggles.
Legendary indie dev returns with a farming sim that couldn't be more different from the game that made them famous, all about an ex-warrior who hates the cozy life
It sneaks up on you, the realization. You start seeing the signs long before the game names it—except, It never tells you outright.
As Boro reminds Elevada at one point, just because you can’t take the decorations you love with you, is that any reason not to make your surroundings more beautiful while you’re here? Isn’t decorating for the sake of enjoying your own personal space enough on its own?
If you've ever worked yourself to the point of exhaustion, blamed yourself for just "not trying hard enough" when you know full well your resources are depleted, or felt like a failure for not being the best in the world at something – you might need to put some time aside for Wanderstop.
I knew I was in for a musical treat as well when I learned C418, one of the Minecraft composers, was behind the soundtrack for Wanderstop. The music itself doesn’t just fill the empty spaces, it tells its own stories. Each customer has their own musical theme, so even though their conversations didn’t have any voice acting, they all felt deeply engrossing.
As Elevada, a former warrior now reluctantly running a teashop in the forest, you'll juggle fulfilling orders while grappling with existential uncertainty. Alongside your companion, Boro, you’ll settle into this slower-paced life—whether you like it or not.
There's nothing wrong with this angle, of course, but Wanderstop offers a far more realistic approach to the process of change. It's still a cozy game for the most part, but one that isn't afraid to point out the challenges that come with slowing down. The farming, harvesting, and tea-making serve as actively therapeutic actions, rather than mindless wholesome gameplay in search of gifts for romanceable residents (or to pay back a merciless tanuki landlord).
The game offers you quiet pockets of peace with no objective – yes, for Alta, but also for you. It's beautifully told, avoiding any moral sledgehammering or definitive statements, it slowly unfolds a portrait of a person many of us can relate to and gives us time to digest each layer.
Wanderstop isn’t just another cozy game—it’s a thought-provoking journey wrapped in the aesthetic of one. It takes familiar tropes and uses them to subvert expectations, delivering an experience that is as emotionally resonant as it is mechanically engaging.
In these reviews, I usually save Wanderstop Gameplay the best for last, but we have a lot to unpack in Wanderstop, and I'd really like your attention here before it starts to wander elsewhere.
To make the tea, Alta has to first harvest leaves from the bushes. Once her basket is full, she'll need to wait for the leaves to dry. There's no fast-forward option, just a very slow countdown timer that sets the pace for the rest of the gameplay. Dotted around the clearing are plants that bear coloured seeds which can be harvested or crossbred into hybrids which then bear fruit.
Each one of these games fulfills what each and every one of us (well, at least me and everyone I know) secretly dreams of. The real fantasy isn't magic or alchemy or secret woodland creatures—it’s escaping the clutches of capitalism.