- Game: Wanderstop
- Developer: Ivy Road
- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
- Review Platform: Steam
- Release Date: 11th March 2025
Author’s Note: A Game Key for Wanderstop was kindly provided by Ivy Road
Wanderstop is the long-awaited and recently released narrative centric game that explores topics of change and tea while being cosy and wholesome from Ivy Road and published by Annapurna Interactive.
You play as Alta, a fallen fighter who is trying to rediscover herself once again. During her journey, she takes on what you could call a side quest in managing a tea shop located in a magical forest. The clientele, are the passers-by and the locals. However, Alta doesn’t want to be stuck in a tea shop serving tea, she wants to get on and forget about this momentary bump in her quest and get back to the main quest.
Ivy Road is an independent game development studio which is overseen by Davey Wreden (The Stanley Parable), Karla Zimonja (Gone Home) and C418 (Minecraft). Since it’s start, Ivy Road has grown to seventeen talented team members, as well as working alongside a number of talented contractors and the team at Annapurna Interactive. Wanderstop is their debut game from the Ivy Road studio.
Wanderstop Key Features
Here are some of the key features of Wanderstop:
- Brew Tea: Grow and harvest each ingredient required to make a variety of different teas. Take individual ingredients and mix them together in the unique and mysterious looking tea-making machine.
- Meet Travellers: Talk to the various wanderers as they make their way through the forest and pass by the tea shop. Listen to their stories and craft the perfect cup of tea for them.
- Develop a Routine: When you’re not busy making tea, you may find yourself cleaning up, decorating the tea shop in a variety of different styles or simply taking a moment with your own cup of tea, sitting on the bench and just taking it all in. Remember, it’s okay to stop and just do nothing.
- Stop Running: Continuing to run is why Alta can’t stop to be here. It’s the reason why she will never reach her ultimate goal. After all, she is a fighter!
She can’t stop, she won’t stop, she can’t, no way!
A Quest for Greatness or Tea!
Making your way out of the forest, you meet Boro. A character who I can only describe as a gentle giant. Kind and caring and willing to take the time to listen but also teach you how to craft tea. Now, this certainly doesn’t sound like Alta’s cup of tea (pun intended) but alas, it’s about time to learn.
On the other hand, and as you learn through the opening moments of the game, Alta is determined to keep going. To reach that final part of her quest that she has her sights set on. The one to help her return to where and who she once was. Not waste her time making tea.
Despite this, there is some kind of hurdle in the way. One that no matter how hard Alta keeps trying or keeps pushing, it’s just there. Stuck. No matter what she does, you can’t go over, under or around it. So, Alta is just there. Unsure of what the next move is. Inevitably, this brings us back out of the forest once again, replaying those moments on the bench trying to figure out what is going on.
Maybe it is time to stop and slow down. Learn how to craft tea, learn how to grow the various plants that are the ingredients for said tea. Maybe this is the right thing for Alta right now, despite wanting to carry on pushing forward.
Learning the Craft
While Wanderstop is primarily narrative focused, you do have a variety of traditional farming simulation features. However, the game does it in a way that is unique to the game and to crafting tea. Even though the tea-making machine looks daunting at first glance, it’s actually incredibly easy to use .
There are a variety of different teas that you can craft as you progress through the game. This is where growing various plants come in, especially when you dive into the various small and large hybrids which, in itself, is a fun and interesting experience. Outside of growing your own ingredients, there are an abundance of resources scattered throughout the forest clearing that you can harvest, including tea leaves.
It’s also important to note that is can be a little bit of trial and error when you first start out making tea. Especially if you are fulfilling a customer request. However, don’t be afraid or put off if you don’t get it right first time, there’s still nothing wrong with a good old cup of tea regardless.
If during the process of making tea, planting seeds or really anything tea related you feel a little bit stuck, the Field Guide and Library are wonderful, immersive resources for you, well Alta to take a break with and read.
Running a Tea Shop Can’t Be Hard, Right?
Throughout Wanderstop, you’ll meet a variety of different characters, each with their own tale to tell, and essentially just passing by. Some will stop for tea, some will not, but each and every lost soul wondering by is unique and in search of something. What that is, isn’t always clear, but that can usually be solved with a cup of tea.
Overall Wandering Thoughts
Wanderstop is a game that I’ve been interested in for some time. From the moment I discovered it, I knew this was a game I needed to check out.
The game tackles a number of different topics that would usually be shied away from for the most part in more traditional cosy games. These do include topics such as burnout and mental health themes. However, despite Wanderstop being a cosy game, the game explores the themes in a unique way through the narrative. The relaxed feel to the game overall while learning about tea with absolutely no pressure to rush or continue really helps put things into perspective at times.
If we look at the mechanics of the game, I feel they work wonderfully with the narrative-centric style of the game. A nice balance between the two. The farming side of the game is enough so that it doesn’t get old too quickly, but has enough variety that it keeps you occupied. As for gardening, it’s enjoyable and fun, especially when it comes to figuring out the different hybrids and positioning of seeds.
Tea making, though, is on another level and was entertaining to mix up different concoctions and hoping it was the right kind of tea you were needing to make. Even when it came to discovering new flavours of teas and customer requests, I found myself excitedly guessing each of the ingredients I would need to find after consulting the Field Guide.
Another part of Wanderstop that was incredibly detailed was in fact the menus. This was alongside a variety of accessibility features including options for a Dyslexia Font, Colourblind settings and Motion Sickness Dot to name a few. Additionally, information about control preferences, and general graphic and game settings. The game does recommend you play using a controller but keyboard and mouse work just fine too!
With that aside, Wanderstop for me has been a wonderful experience. It’s made me relate to aspects of what Alta is going through, on several occasions. The emotion and determination to carry on pushing forward when you know deep down you need to stop, take a break and heal for a bit before carrying on.
Boro will always be a gentle giant in my eyes. The way he approaches conversations with Alta and the way his character encourages Alta to slow down and take a moment with a cup of tea was spot on. His kind and caring nature while trying to remind Alta that it’s okay and break the rule following routine. They truly have a connection that is one of a kind.
Truthfully, I could grab my own cup of tea and keep talking about Wanderstop for an eternity at this rate. Which, I shall add, there is nothing wrong with that either.
Overall, Wanderstop a lovely cosy fantasy narrative game that while it takes elements of traditional cosy games, it takes a new approach to the genre especially with the game’s message and the themes that it explores. It was a good change of pace from other cosy games that made you more mindful to Alta, Boro and the cast of characters you come across in game. In fact, I can’t wait to grab a cup of tea myself and dive back into the game and to have fun petting pluffins!
So, if you are looking for a new cosy game to check out, why not have a look at Wanderstop? The game is out now on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
leekscosycorner 