Wanderstop Review (Logan_Rush)
Wanderstop is a great mix of narrative game and cozy game.
On the one side is the heartfelt telling of a woman finding herself burned out from her job and her passion falling in a depression like state which is portrayed in a way it’s not often seen in any media. The emotions she feels are transported very well when she talks to the other main character: a very nice, very happy and supporting owner of a tea shop. He takes on a role of her supporter and guide for the player but is written so well. He is never pushy or annoyed by the female mc, who just wants to go back to her old life, which feels so real to me and so emotionally satisfying and often funny.
I suppose if you just want to play a cozy game managing a tea shop it can be a bit to much but for me it just clicks. I loved all of it in the demo and now reading all that again and further it just feels great again.
On the other side is a relatively simple cozy game in which the player has to manage a tea shop. Everything is slowly explained by the owner (Again in fantastic dialogue, always funny and never boring). One has to harvest, plant and care for every ingredient for the tea in a very playful way. There are many different fruits which first have to be discovered by planted seeds in different patterns, which result in different teas in the end. The machine in which the tea is brewed is also pretty playful and creative. There are several more things to discover, for example the customers that want to be served or the animals on the map. I will update this part when I explored more.
I am personally often lost by cozy games that are too big and don’t give me relatively clear objectives. I want to have a goal. In Wanderstop I have a goal and a fantastic narrative to work for. I enjoy the gameplay that feels a bit like partly a puzzle game.
On the technical side is Wanderstop also great. The artstyle is cute and colorful, often magical. The teashop is full of colorful and creative little details that bring it to live. The characters are cute designed and I really love the overall vibe and colours.
It runs really well in 4k60 on a RTX 4070 super which shouldn’t be a surprise but on the other hand it means it’s not a technical disaster either. Will try it on steam deck to but heard it runs well on the deck.
All in all: I really want to recommend the game. If you like games with a deeply emotional story and a cozy game at the same time, then give this game a try. It’s definitely worth the price.