“Cozy” Tea Making Game ‘Wanderstop’ Proves to be More Than Just a Cool Concept
When Wanderstop was first revealed, it seemed like another run of the mill cozy sim game in which you gather ingredients, take orders and make tea in a quaint little teahouse. Considering that this game is from the likes of Davey Wreden (creator of the very meta Stanley Parable), you may already suspect that there’s more than meets the eye with this one. If you did think that, you’d be absolutely correct.
Image by AnnaPurna
Without spoiling too much, this cozy tea making sim focuses on a very hesitant main character that (at first) wants to do anything but make tea. Undefeated warrior Alta goes on a journey to improve her skills after losing several defeats that clearly hurt more than just her body. Feelings of self doubt, depression and anger are at the forefront of this story- all with a non-suspect backdrop that creates an interesting contrast.
The game is sitting at a strong 80 on Opencritic and a very positive 91% over on Steam. It seems to achieve what its going for reasonably well according to most who’ve played it- that being a contrast between dark emotional themes and relaxing tea making bliss. IGN gave the game a 9/10 in their write-up:
“Far from just another “cozy” game, Wanderstop invites you into a colorful world filled with quirky characters and bizarrely flavored tea at the price of some uncomfortably insightful introspection.”
Image by AnnaPurna
While WellPlayed still enjoyed the game’s themes to an extent, they found the gameplay repetitive and often lacking- tarnishing what could have been a deeper experience. They said the following in their 6/10 review:
“Wanderstop is a well-intentioned take on the personal weight of societal burnout and the issues typically found in the cozy genre but struggles to find much ground beyond its initial premise as surface-level commentary and frustrating, awkward gameplay spoils the brew.”
If you’re feeling burnt out in any aspect of your life, Wanderstop could be a perfect relatable piece that provides a relaxing experience. Although its not without its jank, it seems that the latest brew from AnnaPurna is worth checking out. It won’t convert any non-believers for the cozy genre but will be a welcome shake-up to those who do find themselves coming back to the genre. Wanderstop is available now on all major consoles except Switch.
