It takes a very good game to make the player stare in the mirror and reflect on themself.
That is exactly what Wanderstop,the first game from indie game studio Ivy Road, did to me.
A sharply-written, narrative-focused take on the cozy gaming genre, Wanderstoptakes the player on a journey of burnout and healing. You play as Alta, a career fighter who has found herself unable to lift her own sword after a series of uncharacteristic losses and ends up in a strange, magical clearing where an even stranger tea shop stands.
The gameplay loop is simple and easy for any player to pick up on. Alta takes the orders of the unique and vibrant customers at the Wanderstop Tea Shop and uses the plants they can grow in the clearing to craft the perfect cup of tea for the customer’s wants. Unlike many store management games, there’s no time limit or major penalty for getting an order incorrect, so players who are newer to shop simulator games or struggle with puzzles will be able to enjoy it.
One thing to note is that Wanderstopis not necessarily for children, even with the simple gameplay loop. Alta hasn’t had an easy life, and her difficulties arrive in full force whenever she has a cup of tea.
The scenery and music in Wanderstopare both top-notch, even though the style is a serious departure from Ivy Road founder Davey Wreden’s previous games, including The Stanley Parable. Every location drew a range of emotions out of me. It is obvious that every NPC was made with care, even those you don’t speak to for long.
But what has put Wanderstopon the map is its depiction of burnout. I can’t say much about Alta’s journey throughout the game without spoilers, but I want to touch on the experience of her story.
Like Alta, I find myself in a spot where it’s been difficult to do the things I love. Since I was twelve, I’ve defined myself as a writer. Not only do I create articles for Sooner Esports, but I also create fictional worlds. In a way, being a writer has been my identity, and just like Alta was unable to lift her sword, I’ve struggled to lift a finger when faced with a blank page.
How do you grapple with the potential loss of your identity? Wanderstoppulls no punches in this aspect. I often found myself in a position where I felt like I had to make dialogue choices to defend Alta’s struggles instead of being honest about them or changing the topic to protect Alta from the conversation altogether. Even as I knew there was a “healthier” choice, I would turn to those unhelpful options time and time again.
Then there’s the sword. Alta’s weapon doesn’t disappear at the start of the game. It is always in the clearing, and it’s one of the only constants in the changing landscape. You can attempt to lift the sword even when nothing has changed to make success a possibility.
I still tried.
Every time I had to put the game down, I had to take a few deep breaths. The choices I made for Alta, even if they just changed some dialogue, would weigh on me. Without even meaning to, I would reflect on myself in the midst of the gameplay.
Of course, Wanderstopis a video game, not a therapy session. It’s not meant to fix everyone with burnout. But to say that Wanderstoptouched my burnt-out self would be an understatement. It is a portrayal of burnout unlike any I’ve seen before in any form of media and uses the interactive format to its fullest advantage.
While Wanderstopmay not be for everyone, with plenty of loose threads and slower gameplay, it is a game I would recommend to those who have always wanted to see their struggles with burnout in media.
Wanderstopis out now on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
