In the UK, and perhaps other parts of the world, the first thing most people offer up in times of need - when another person is going through something difficult - is a cup of tea. It is said that tea refreshes the mind, the body, and maybe even the soul. My grandmother, when faced with a problem, would make a cup of tea. When I’ve found myself at an upsetting part of my life, even when everything else felt hopeless, I was offered a cup of tea. It’s not a solution to all life’s problems, but taking a moment, with a warm drink, often gives the drinker a moment to reflect.
Life can throw many things at someone. In the case of Alta, in Wanderstop, she has spent her whole life striving to become the best. She has been a fighter for her adult life, beating everyone she came across in battle. Training every day, honing her skills, attaining a rank she always dreamed of. Then one day, she gets beaten. She loses a fight. Then another, and another, until, in the opening animation to the game, she’s full of swords, bogged down by the weight of so many defeats.
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Her only option is to escape her life, into a mystical forest, in search of a fighting master. Alta believes that more work, more training, and the right teacher will revitalise her and bring her more glory. While chasing through the forest, looking for this master’s house, her energy drains, her steps become heavy. Suddenly, she can no longer raise her sword. Then, it becomes harder to put one foot in front of the other. The next moment, she collapses.
It doesn’t take an expert to know what happened to Alta. If this sounds familiar, it might be because you’ve experienced burnout - or been so taken aback by a tragedy in your life, that you’re left completely drained of everything you thought made you who you are. Perhaps, you’ve experienced a setback in your career, and it left you wondering what all that hard work was for, when you can’t get out of bed in the morning, as depression pushes you into the mattress.
When Alta wakes, she finds herself sitting on a bench next to a rotund chap named Boro. Speaking in broken English, Boro talks calmly, reflecting on his surroundings - a clearing in a forest, with a tea shop at its centre - and he is the picture of optimism. This kindly man talks to Alta, he listens to her, forgives her rantings and ramblings, her anger. He gives her an option; to work in his tea shop, serving passing customers, just until she has built up her energy to go on fighting.
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To some, this concept, and the very character of Boro, might feel a little forced. The game is clearly a metaphor for the stresses of life. And, as you explore the clearing, meet the customers, drinks cups of tea, it’s again clear what Wanderstop is trying to say; that it’s okay to feel lost, drained, or not quite yourself, and by taking time to sit back, adjust, and breathe, you can come out the other side.
Alta accepts this short-term fate, and Boro teaches her how to exist at the tea shop. We’re taught to gather tea leaves from bushes, grow plants that can be combined into fruits, scavenge for mushrooms, and operate a Willy Wonka-style tea machine that takes up an entire room. Pulling pulleys, pumping bellows, and kicking switches, all while water boils and swirls through crazy pipework. A compartment opens, tea leaves and flavourings are thrown in, and it all plunges through more pipes and into a cup at the bottom.
Those ingredients all bring out different flavours, and each flavour helps with a mental or physical ailment. One might evoke memories of childhood, another will revitalise, while one eases pain. Customers wander in, most have a problem of sorts, or just find themselves lost, and Alta will offer them a cup of tea. These warm cups of tea can be taken to a bench, in a calming spot, and drunk by Alta herself, where she will then ponder on moments from her life.
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You see, tea serves as a point to converse, or think, or soothe. Much like in real life, a good cup of tea can build a bridge for someone struggling to move from one spot, metaphorically. The same goes here. Sometimes a cup of tea solves a problem, and at others, it will just further a conversation in which difficult topics are discussed. Wanderstop wants Alta, and by extension you, to take a moment and talk. Or think. The conversations with the customers are perhaps the biggest delight in the game.
There’s Nana, who never really becomes much of a customer. She’s a business-savvy old lady who is so cranky, she becomes incredibly endearing. Then, there’s Ren, who is also a fighter, and admires Alta. He wants to see her restored to glory, and his optimism is as strong as he is. A knight, whose son thinks he’s the most boring and square person in the world, comes along and struggles with the idea that his son is growing up. They all come along with their stories, and it’s up to you to tease them out, all while dealing with Alta’s own issue.
Boro constantly checks in, guiding Alta who, like many players, is demanding constant tasks and goals. On her first day, she becomes frustrated that Boro has let her just get on with things, not telling her what to do. He points out some basic tools - a broom, watering can, some pruning shears - and tells her to do whatever she wants. There’s no rush. And he’s right, there isn’t. The customers don’t go anywhere, tea doesn’t go cold, there’s no deadline for anything.
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While some players may find this off-putting, it’s in keeping with what Wanderstop is trying to convey. If you want, you can simply meander about, sweeping up piles of leaves to find old forgotten cups or trinkets. You can take photos and hang them in the tea shop. You can spend time just cultivating new plants, combining them, making tea, and listening to Alta’s inner thoughts. Or, you can hold down a button and show who is nearby, with a yellow exclamation mark, waiting to move their story forward.
All options are valid. One is as calming as it sounds; the other, seeing to the customers, is a sheer joy. Every line of dialogue here feels incredibly authentic. Alta is a snippy, quick-to-fluster character who is happy to be blunt, rude, or frustrated. Her dialogue choices reflect that, and sometimes the customers will give that attitude back, like Nana, while others will attempt to reason with care or soften with a joke. I can’t remember the last game that made me laugh as much as Wanderstop did, or smile contentedly either.
I don’t want to say any more about the core of Alta and her story. It moves at a nice pace, revealing details, and each change should be experienced first hand. I will reflect more on Boro, who is a person I think everyone should have in their life. Sure, his optimism and happiness may be overly saccharine for some, but he has a heart of gold that truly shines every time he speaks. Boro is a mixture of therapist and best friend, filled with childlike wonder at the world, though holding a wisdom all of us wish we had. There was never a moment where I wanted him, or any of these characters, to stop talking.
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And this all happens in a fairy tale dreamland, bursting with colour. Again, bringing it back to Willy Wonka, there’s a Chocolate Factory feeling permeating throughout the clearing that surrounds the shop. Each mushroom sprouting looks delicious, the trinkets that can be displayed are adorable, and the picturesque landscape epitomises the term ‘happy place.’ All of this is backed by a wonderful soundtrack that rises and falls through emotional passages, urging Alta onward, and accompanying her fears and passions perfectly.
If it’s not already clear by my words, or by the score at the bottom of this review, I think Wanderstop is a true gem. It may seem, at times, like the antithesis of a video game, but at other moments it’s perhaps the most quintessential variety, in that what it does can only be achieved through this artform. Much like the tea shop itself, Wanderstop is a place to stop, sit back, put down the frenetic games, and breathe. It’s a point to rest, to recharge, to enjoy life and all of its eccentricities. Wanderstop is joy, distilled into a lovely cup of tea.
Pros: Delightful humour, gorgeous setting, relaxed pace, effortlessly charming
Cons: Might be a bit too twee and meandering for some
For fans of: Stardew Valley, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Spiritfarer
9/10: Exceptional
Wanderstop is available now for PC (version tested, on Steam Deck), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.
Topics: Reviews, PC, Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, Indie Games