Wanderstop Review – Busy Work

Wanderstop Review

Life can be relentless. Balancing work, family, and daily chores often leaves little time to unwind. Even video games, a favorite escape, can be stressful, testing your reflexes and skill. Wanderstop embraces this struggle, offering a cozy, narrative-driven simulation designed for relaxation. With The Stanley Parable’s creator at the helm, does this laid-back adventure brew the perfect cup of comfort?

You play as Alta, a warrior by trade who is struggling to overcome issues in her life. A celebrated fighter and undefeated for years, she suffers a setback with unexpected losses. Grappling with the possibility of no longer being the best, she flees in search of someone who can help her get back on track. As she ventures through the thick forest, exhaustion sets in. Unable to even carry her trusted sword, she passes out and awakens in a place that opposes her lifestyle.

I Need a Break

Rescued by an unlikely gentle giant, you reluctantly take a break from fighting to work in a tea shop. Having lived life at a relentless pace, you must now slow down and embrace the simple things. This leads to a cycle of menial tasks where you grow, plant, and harvest fruit to make tea for the array of customers who visit the establishment. Each client has a small tale which you learn through conversations and of course, over a cup of tea. The dialogue is well-written, giving each character a unique voice that develops over time. Voice acting would have elevated the impact of some of these segments but ultimately, this doesn’t affect the experience.

Requests for a cuppa require specific ingredients that you must gather in the lush environment. Each item you add alters the effects of the brew meaning that you will need to work out which type of tea best suits the customer. Seeds must be positioned in a specific pattern in order to produce new fruits which are listed in your journal. This requires some experimentation to learn about and gather new ingredients. Although not particularly difficult, it’s a nice nuance that adds an element of discovery to the adventure.

Gathering the Goods

In addition to the fruit that you must plant, water and harvest, you’ll also need to gather tea leaves from bushes that grow in the area. This can be a little tedious as their growth seems to be random which results in you sprinting around the perimeter to fill your basket. After you’ve got enough, you will need to place these into a specific location and wait until they clump into tea balls. This leads to busy work while you wait for the next step to occur. You can wander around, snip weeds, collect resources and clean cups but ultimately, you are waiting. While this does make narrative sense, placing you directly into the position of the protagonist, I found this quite frustrating as it slowed the pace even further.

Once everything is in place, it’s time to make your cup of tea. You’ll need to climb a massive contraption at the center of the shop, pour and boil the water, then add your chosen ingredients. After tossing in whatever you need, you can fill your mug and deliver it. Beyond brewing, you’ll also need to collect used cups, place them in the washing contraptions, and return them to the shelf for the next batch. The process is simple and fun, but it can become tedious, especially when a failed concoction forces you to repeat every step from the beginning.

Relax and Admire the View

The art direction of Wanderstop is fantastic. Every aspect is brimming with whimsy, placing you in a position of comfort at each term. Buildings have a Tolkien-esque charm and the cartoon aesthetic with its vivid color palette helps to put you at ease. This is amplified through the soundtrack which helps to create a relaxing atmosphere for you to calmly get on with your job.

Wanderstop perfectly executes its intention: to pull players away from the fast-paced nature of life and immerse them in simple, meditative tasks. Its story unfolds in a relatable way, leaving you pondering its themes long after the credits roll. While the narrative shines, the gameplay, which focuses on farming-style tasks, feels more tedious than engaging. It succeeds in creating a peaceful atmosphere, but it never truly captivated me. Fans of cozy, narrative-driven experiences will likely find a lot to love, but those seeking more dynamic gameplay may not be as enthralled.

***An Xbox Series code was provided by the publisher***