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If you’re looking for a cup of tea with a side of magic then keep on reading for everything you need to know about Wanderstop.
If you’re anything like me a cup of cozy tea and a relaxing evening is one of your favorite ways to wind down after a long day. There’s a lot to be said for a comforting beverage that allows for some time to decompress when you drink it, and it would seem that the creators of Wanderstop understand this concept beautifully.
Created by the same developers of The Stanley Parable and The Beginners Guide, Wanderstop is a cozy narrative focused game about a warrior named Alta who has lost sight of her identity. Despite all her training and hard work, she has fallen into a slump of losing battle after battle. After deciding that enough is enough she goes on a quest to seek help from a warrior goddess long lost to time. However, she is soon sidetracked when she wakes up at a magical tea shop of which she is unable to leave.
Now forced to take it easy she must help patrons of the tea shop with their own dilemmas and lack of tea as she struggles to regain the strength to take up her quest to become who she once was.
Wanderstop is a story driven cozy adventure about loss, regaining your identity, and the healing power of tea coupled with kindness. This game has many attributes that make it stand out amongst its cozy counterparts, making it a fun and intriguing game to play. Despite all the good things you may be hearing about this title you may be wondering if this is the game for you. If that’s the case then keep on reading to see if you should play Wanderstop.
Story
In this game you play as Alta, a fighter by trade who has trained tirelessly to the point of cultivating a record of being undefeated in the ring.
However, all that changes when she suddenly starts losing a series of fights for no apparent reason. Frustrated and dejected, Alta sets out on a quest to find a mysterious warrior praised as a goddess who Alta believes will be able to train her back to the warrior she once was.
Despite Alta’s fervent ambition she collapses in the forest and wakes up to the view of a magical tea shop known as Wanderstop. Unable to leave due to her lack of strength she decides to stay and help run the tea shop until she is able to continue her quest.
The story of this game is a simple but potent one. The narrative focus remains mainly on Alta as she struggles to adjust to her new surroundings and lack of apparent agency with her own body. Her inability to lift her sword much less fight brings Alta to her knees, literally. Wanderstop’s simple yet thought provoking narrative explores themes about identity and burnout in a realistic way that is easy to resonate with.
As Alta struggles to define who she is despite her many losses she is confronted with the world of Wanderstop and its many patrons who frequent the establishment.
The game does an amazing job of adding in many narratives that mingle together within the main story. While Alta struggles with her own identity crisis she is surrounded by others who are also experiencing the same struggles but in their own ways.
This is a game that is wholesome in its execution yet has a deeper message that is relevant to anyone who has ever struggled with imposter syndrome or struggles to give themselves rest. This is a very well written game and is done in a way that keeps you engaged while also adding in a bit of a fantasy style atmosphere mixed with a pinch of the modern day.
As you move through the world of Wanderstop you get to witness many of its patron’s stories unfold in a way that leaves you wanting more. Meanwhile, as you complete your mundane tasks within the game the writers did not pull any punches when relaying the troubles that each person is going through. The game makes plain through various narrative forms how change affects each character in a way that makes them all the more real to us.
This is a very well written game and if you’re a person who prefers more narrative driven titles then this will be the game for you.
I will say that if you’re looking for something less story driven then you may want to search elsewhere as this is a very narrative focused game in more ways than one.
However, if this is not an issue for you then anyone will find this game enjoyable.
Gameplay
The gameplay is very fun and soothing with many different facets to keep you calm yet busy. Of course, this being a game about a tea shop you will be making quite a bit of tea. All of the tea is grown on site, and you must tend to gardens for fruit, forage for tea leaves, and brew it all with the mechanism at the shop’s center.
All of the game mechanics are fairly simple however and don’t take long to get the hang of at all.
These simple tasks such as sweeping, weeding, sending out packages, and watering plants are set as a backdrop to the overall story. While they do keep you busy they are soothing tasks that have no time limit of when they should be done.
While much of this is pretty run of the mill for a cozy game most of it is done at your own pace and is very relaxing to do while you play. If you are not accustomed to this style of gameplay then you do not need to worry as the game is very good about its tutorial system. Each action is given a tutorial and if you forget something it will all be logged into your field guide for future reference.
When it comes to actually running the tea shop the actual process of making the tea is simple. Each new cycle you will have a new set of customers who will hang around the tea shop. Some will want to from the start but most will not want anything. As you progress through their narratives you will eventually get a tea request that you must fulfill.
Some of these requests are straightforward while others will take some finagling to figure out. If you do get an order wrong it’s not the end of the world. The game does have a fail safe set in where if you’re not sure of what to make The Book of Answers in the upstairs library will tell you exactly what each patron wants.
Nothing about the overall game is detrimental as Wanderstop is very forgiving it in how the character helps each customer.
I will say while there are things to do in this game it is mainly mundane style tasks that are repetitive but necessary for the running of the shop. If repetition is not your vibe this game will seem more like a chore to you though not as much as a farming sim would.
If you love the small tasks of lovingly taking care of a cozy establishment then you should definitely check out this game.
Who Will Like This Game?
Those looking for a narrative driven game, a game with a bent towards inward growth, or just something to play with a more mundane task approach will enjoy this game. Its cozy feel mixed with self improvement and the lovely tea shop atmosphere will be a nice addition to your gaming collection if this sounds like your jam.
Who Won’t Like This Game?
However, those looking for something less story driven or emotional may want to rethink this title. While the game is not soul crushing you will be faced with some character growth that can often hit pretty hard to home. If this doesn’t sound like something you’re interested in then you may want to skip this title.
Pros
- Beautiful story
- Multiple interesting narratives
- Calming gameplay
- Relevant themes
- Tutorial friendly
- You can pet the puffins
Cons
- Players looking for a less story driven title will not find it here
Conclusion
Wanderstop’s execution of emotional story telling mixed with cozy vibes is a heartwarming new addition to the cozy gaming space. If you’ve decided that you should play Wanderstop then check out the links below to add this title to your gaming collection.
Buy Wanderstop for PC here.
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