Wanderstop [PC] | REVIEW

Wanderstop is a narrative-driven tea shop management game that explores the emotional toll of burnout with surprising depth and tenderness. Whilst its core gameplay revolves around tea-making and gathering resources, the heart of the experience lies in its thoughtful storytelling that explores the implications of emotional exhaustion. It might sound a little heavy – and, if I’m being honest, it can be – but it also makes for a charming and cosy experience that’s easy to fall in love with.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Wanderstop puts players in the role of Alta, a prideful warrior who has never known defeat… until now. After years of relentless training and seemingly endless glory, Alta suddenly begins to lose battles and face the realisation that she might not be the warrior that she used to be. The physical strength that once defined her has seemed to vanish, and even picking up her sword becomes an arduous task. Seeking answers, Alta sets off into the woods to find Master Winters, a legendary figure who might have the solution to her mysterious weakness. But before she can reach him, exhaustion overwhelms her, and she collapses.

Alta wakes up in a forest clearing, rescued by Boro, a towering but gentle figure who runs his own little tea shop. He offers her a place to recover, and whilst Alta’s instinct is to push through her weakness and carry on, the weight of her problems still remains too much for her to bear. Left with no choice, she agrees to stay and help out at the tea shop for a while, all whilst trying to figure out the struggles that she continues to face.

The game doesn’t focus on telling a story about simply regaining one’s strength, but instead about learning to slow down, connect with others, and to understand yourself. Wanderstop explores surprisingly complex emotional themes without ever feeling too heavy-handed, with Alta’s struggle with self-worth and identity treated with care and never relying on simple solutions or forced resolutions to get its point across. There’s no grand moment of revelation where everything suddenly makes sense or clicks into place, but instead, Alta’s healing happens through small everyday acts of care. It all comes together perfectly thanks to the wonderful writing, with the dialogue witty, heartfelt, and, at times, deeply reflective – so much so that I even started to question the issues I face in my own life when playing. It’s rare for a game’s narrative to be that affecting to me, which just goes to emphasise just how effective it really is.

“Wanderstop just feels special, with its emotional storytelling and engaging tea-making gameplay helping it stand out as a unique and touching experience.”

The core gameplay of Wanderstop revolves around running the tea shop alongside Boro. Customers arrive at the shop with specific requests for tea blends, and it’s up to you to make the perfect cuppa. Seems easy enough, right? Well, the tea-making process in Wanderstop is more involved than simply boiling water and adding ingredients – instead, it’s a multi-step process that takes place on a large, intricate tea-making contraption that wouldn’t look out of place in a wizard’s lab. You’ll need to climb a ladder to pour water, pump bellows to adjust temperature, and carefully add ingredients to craft the right blend, with a fair bit of intricacy involved when compared to my usual process of stirring up a teabag and hoping for the best.

It can seem a little bit overwhelming at first glance, but the game does a good job of introducing each step of the process gradually, giving you time to learn and master the art without the pressure of things going too badly. You’ll also have to take time to gather the ingredients needed for the tea, whilst also growing specific ingredients by planting seeds in particular patterns on a hexagonal grid. Combining different seeds creates new ingredients, encouraging players to try different approaches and experiment a little, though there’s plenty of help on offer if you do find yourself stumped. Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to appreciate the finer details of the process, and it’s always fun to experiment and see what works best for you (or what is likely to go wrong).

The game always encourages you to take your time though, and there’s no pressure at all to complete tasks quickly or stress out over trivial matters such as ingredient gathering. Wanderstop really is the perfect game for some cozy relaxation, and whilst it does involve some heavy themes, that isn’t always conveyed in the gameplay. You can even take the time to customise the shop with your own personal style if you want to change things up a bit, with this freedom to shape the environment reinforcing the game’s central theme of finding peace and comfort in relaxation.

Visually, Wanderstop looks absolutely wonderful, with its colourful and whimsical art style helping to create a cozy atmosphere that’s easy to fall in love with almost immediately. The forest clearing where the shop is located feels alive with flora and fauna, with an enchanting atmosphere found across both the dazzling landscape around you and the tea shop itself. The character designs are top notch too, with some quirky yet endearing characters to meet that all feel like they perfectly belong in the game’s charming world.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The soundtrack, composed by C418 (known for his work on Minecraft), perfectly complements the atmosphere, with the mix of soft yet catchy melodies helping to create a soothing backdrop that feels perfectly befitting of the game’s relaxed pace. I really, really liked it, with the soundtrack quickly becoming my ‘go-to’ Spotify playlist for writing over the last few days, and you know what? I think it’s going to stay that way for quite some time… it’s that good.

Whilst Wanderstop really excels in storytelling and atmosphere, the gameplay isn’t without its flaws. The tea-making process can start to feel a little bit repetitive after a while, especially when you’ve put a few hours in and mastered the system. The lack of variety in customer requests and tea recipes just makes the gameplay loop feel a little predictable, and whilst it still makes for an enjoyable and engaging task, I couldn’t help but to wish there was a little bit more variety in the later hours.

Developer: Ivy Road
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox series X|S
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/Wanderstop/