Wanderstop Review (Moralio)
After playing the demo, I was eagerly looking forward to the full version of Wanderstop. Unfortunately, the final game does not offer much more than what the demo already provided. It feels like a beautiful digital playground with an interesting story but lacks the depth of a proper game.
One of Wanderstop’s strongest aspects is its writing. The dialogue is well-crafted, sometimes touching, sometimes humorous. However, there is an overwhelming amount of it, and it is not fully voice-acted. Additionally, the way conversations are presented is stiff—characters simply stand across from each other and display simple emoticons to express emotions.
The game touches on the theme of burnout, which is rare in gaming. The topic is important, but the way it is handled (many therapeutic clichés) lacks the emotional weight needed to make a lasting impact. Wanderstop is supposed to encourage relaxation and mindfulness by avoiding traditional objectives and challenges, but ironically, it often does the opposite. The sheer number of chores required to run the tea shop can feel more like a burden than a calming experience.
Tea preparation is a multi-step process that quickly becomes monotonous. You need to gather leaves, dry them, plant and water seeds to grow fruit, and collect everything one item at a time. Then, you must fetch water, heat it via a mini-game, pour it into the teapot, add ingredients, and transfer the brewed tea to a carafe. Finally, after carefully filling a cup without overflowing it, you can serve the tea or drink it yourself. The sheer number of steps, with little variation, makes the process feel more like a chore than a calming ritual. Theoretically, figuring out which tea each guest wants could be an engaging puzzle, but the game almost directly tells you what to do, removing any challenge or satisfaction. This leads to a gameplay loop that feels more like going through the motions rather than engaging with meaningful mechanics.
Despite the beautiful art and cozy atmosphere, the game’s world feels incredibly limited. The entire experience takes place on a single meadow. There is no real sense of exploration or discovery, making the game feel static. Many cozy games thrive on progression—unlocking new areas, decorating a space, or building relationships with characters—but Wanderstop lacks these elements.
I didn’t finish Wanderstop. To be honest, I didn’t even get close. While the game’s aesthetics and writing are charming, it doesn’t offer enough depth or engagement to keep me invested. If you’re looking for a relaxing game, there are better options that manage to be both peaceful and engaging.