Wanderstop is a Masterpiece Created by an Indie All-Star Team Up
The Co-Creator of The Stanley Parable and The Beginners Guide teams up with the creator of Gone Home, and they got their music done by the legendary Mincraft composer C418!
Proofread By: Charlie
Featured Livestream Viewers
SparklyShiny
If you want to stop by and say “Hi” while I’m writing visit my Youtube or Twitch!
I’m live every weekday!
Steam’s Next Fest is currently happening right now. Next Fest is a celebration of all the upcoming indie titles in order to get them the visibility and traction they so deeply deserve. Hoards of indie games produce playable demos for players to try, and hopefully wishlist.
It’s one of life’s great pleasures to break out my sieve and pan for hidden gems.
Last Next Fest my former roommate recommended I try a clever card game called Balatro. It hooked me instantly. I spent countless hours with the demo, and I wish listed the game right away.
Later that same year the game was nominated for Game Of The Year, and won Indie Game of The Year.
This is why I love Steam Next Fest. I get to play games, and if I’m lucky I stumble upon the next big hit.
Of course I need to give credit to my roommate for finding Balatro.
When I asked them about their process for finding indie games during Next Fest they had this to say,
“Each Next Fest is a smorgasbord. A moment to sample the familiar or dive into something completely new.
I’m not really looking for big hits. Next Fest provides an opportunity to explore and share experience that may click well with you or your friends”
Muug
Now it’s 2025.
I’m happy to say that my former roommate blessed me with another DM during this years Next Fest.
They sent me a link to a game called Wanderstop, a quaint game about making tea.
Literally just the link. No other context.
My former roomie and I have developed a secret code though. If he sends me something with no context. That means it's fantastic. If he sends me something with an explanation, that means it needs to be explained before it can be enjoyed.
It should go without saying that I really enjoyed the game.
What is Wanderstop?
Wanderstop is a game about making tea. Unlike other cozy indie games of the same genre, Wanderstop also has some of the best characters and story in any game in recent memory.
The game's story defintely pulled at my heartstrings, and when my girlfriend played the game on stream it had the same effect on her.
Wandrestop is written by two of indie gamings greatest writers. Davey Wreden, the co-creator of The Stanely Parable, and Karla Zimonja co-creator of Gone home.
A Fun note is that Davey is related to Streamer and Youtuber DougDoug. You can actually watch the two of them play through The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe together. Their chemistry is captivating to watch.
The final big name of the game creation all-star teamup is C418 who you may know as the creator of the original Minecraft soundtrack.
Why is the Story So Good?
Wanderstop at heart is a cozy game. I have an issue with most cozy games though. Most cozy games are about being cozy, and that's it. It's hard to have much of a story when things are just cozy.
This is not a bad thing by any means, but it does make it hard to make the game feel worthwhile outside of it's mechanics. I find cozy games get stale very quickly.
If the only thing driving me forward is being cozy, well.... I'm already cozy. What do I do then?
Any game needs some sort of story/conflict so that there is a reason to keep playing it.
Another thing MANY games lack in the story department is character progression.
Games have become so tied to the idea that the character is a voiceless box for the player to inhabit that they forget that the protagonist actually needs to be a part of the story itself.
In emergent narrative games, like I talked about in my article about Keep Driving, this comes from the player deciding what the protagonist is in their imagination.
See my article on Keep Driving below.
Keep Driving is a Wonderful Addition to the Critically Overlooked Oregon Trail-Like Genre
What are some of the gaming experiences that you talk about most? Are they the stories the developers wrote, or your own harrowing experiences of success against the odds? Why is that?
The story embedded within Wanderstop is deeply personal. The main character, Alta, is a champion warrior on a losing streak. Alta wrestles with depression. The defeats are one thing, but Alta’s self worth is inextricably bound to her ability to grind, train, and succeed. Without success, what is she grinding for? Is she worth anything at all?
Her last hope of reclaiming her identity is Master Winters. Master Winters is a renowned champion, and could train Alta so brutally that she might see glory once again. Alta sets out into the forest, find’s Master Winters, and Trains back to glory once more!
Or at least, she would have, if she hadn’t collapsed from exhaustion on her way there.
Alta wakes up from her exhausted stupor sitting on a bench in a beautiful glade with a tea shop. Sitting next to her is Boro, the warmhearted owner of the tea shop, and the man who carried her out of the forest.
Boro offers Alta tea, and asks jovially if she wants to learn the process as well. Alta loathes the thought of making tea but, strapped for options, she accepts.
I love this story. I love the conflict between Alta and her sense of self. I love the way that it affects her ability to communicate with Boro. Most importantly I love Boro’s wholesome and heart-warming attitude.
My roommate also offered some words on why he feels the story connects so well.
“I was thinking in context of David Wreden/Ivy Road (David’s Game Company) if Wanderstop will be just a cozy game that truly soothes his feeling of burn out.
I honestly hope it’s just a cozy game with a straight forward narrative about shared burn out experiences.”
Muug
Thank you to my roommate for their wonderful statements. I think the observation of the game’s themes of burnout are spot on, and a huge part of what makes the game so emotionally rich.
Wanderstop’s Gameplay
I wasn’t just impressed by Wanderstop’s story. Wanderstop’s gameplay provides an interesting twist on the “Cozy Farming” genre. Plants are formed through a puzzle like grid mechanic. If I plant three basic grass in a line I get a grass seed plant. If I plant three basic plants in a cross then I get the chip-chip fruit to add to my tea for flavor.
The different plant types can be cross-pollinated in many combinations creating a large variety of products.
I’d also like to say that this game has the best dishwasher ever designed by any human ever.
Conclusion
The demo is just short of an hour and a half long. I played through it and loved it. My girlfriend livestreamed it on twitch and had a blast. I can’t recommend it enough.
Go ahead and give it a shot Here
Check Out Nick’s: Bluesky | Steam Curator | Writing Livestream
Chat with the writers themselves on the Bits N’ Pixels Discord Server!
Woohoo!! March 11th can’t come any sooner! Nice review! 🎉