Wanderstop

9/10 Its just another game that feels like it was made for me to enjoy lol. Not 10/10 because it's not genre-defining, rule-breaking storytelling, but not every story or game has to be. Love the art, animations, character designs, especially the small details like how Alta uses a broom like a sword Peak Davey Warren writing as always (although different vibe to his previous works) The gameplay was as expectedly boring but kept me captivated enough Why has no one talked about this game tho the only reason I even knew about it is because DougDoug (Davey Warden's brother) mentioned it

Wanderstop initially presents itself as a typical cozy game, but beneath that surface, there is much more. The game thoughtfully explores themes such as performance pressure, exhaustion, loss of identity, and the experience of being forced to pause. I live with a chronic stress-related illness. Because of that, this game affected me in ways I didn’t expect. The protagonist initially treats stopping as a temporary weakness — something to be “fixed” before moving on. That’s where the strength of this game lies: Wanderstop builds its story with care and intelligence, gradually allowing you to understand that standing still does not equal failure. Mechanically, the game mirrors this process. Tasks repeat. Conversations unfold slowly. Progress doesn’t feel like a sprint, but like cautiously arriving somewhere. Instead of reinforcing the usual “faster, higher, further” mentality, it gently — and deliberately — pushes you to confront your own pace. (Sometimes it made me feel so frustrated and angry — but that’s exactly where its brilliance lies) I have rarely felt so seen by a game. Not because it speaks explicitly about illness, but because it captures the emotional reality of overwhelm and recovery with such precision. It doesn’t romanticize the experience, but it doesn’t judge it either. It simply makes space. Wanderstop isn’t a game for adrenaline or escapism. It’s a game about staying. About enduring. And about the idea that caring — for others and for yourself — might not be a detour, but the path itself.

Best and most original burnout representation ever

i will start this review by saying that if you are looking for a review that really goes into if the story is worth your time i dont know if this is the review to read. I know that i am not the best at fully understanding stories and symbolism and stuff in narratives. to say it in a different way i am definitely math brained. most of the time i would not mention this but this game is advertised as a "narrative-centric" game so i thought it was important. if you want my quick thoughts on the over all story i did like it. i really enjoyed learning about all the fun characters the game has to offer and did go out of my way to listen to all of the Alta tea drinking scenes i even maybe wish we saw what happened after the game but i understand why we did not. the world also gave a very fun light heart fantasy feel, which i really like and it reminds me alot of adventure time which is a very very very good thing, and the world of adventure time is one of my favorite things about it. I really enjoyed the music the game has, i have a playlist with alot of electronic music and a lot of wanderstop's music has been in it since the album released onto youtube music. some people have said that the gameplay just feels like chores to them but for me i did not get that feel, first most of the time i wanted to make the tea just to get more dialogue from these characters to learn more about the characters and the world this game takes place in and the whole planting crops to get fruits aspect of it also did not feel like a chore since it was just so easy, like you just water them and then they instantly grow not too bad it also helps that i found a glitch to carry infinite items in my pockets but it did not feel like a chore even before that, i will say that getting the tea leaves and mushrooms when needed was kinda boring. i dont have much bad to say about this game. a little nitpick is that i wish there were more picture frames mainly square frames. also i think i would prefer VO for all of the dialogue and i know that the game is made in this way for a reason but for me it does kinda make my mind drift instead of being focused on the story but that is surely just a me thing. 7/10

Une petite pépite à faire quand on a besoin de ralentir. Une magnifique histoire et un bon Gameplay qui donnent un jeu tout doux.

Eu comecei esse jogo sabendo que não era algo que me atraia logo de cara, e decidi testar. E de verdade, a primeira hora foi muito massa, mas eu me senti meio "cansado" no médio-longo prazo, mas eu não conseguia parar. Não que eu não conseguisse jogar pouco por sessão, mas que eu não conseguia abandonar antes de ver o fim, mas não por preciosismo, simplesmente pelo jogo me puxar pra isso. A arte é sensacional, as musicas, ambientação, mecanicas, tudo é MUITO BOM! o grande ponto da minha nota 3/5 é que não é o meu tipo de jogo, em um outro momento, um outro Júlio droparia o jogo. A história é boa, os personagens fazem sentido, até os mais chatos, e você se sente sendo o personagem principal. Mesmo me cansando um pouco, reconheço a qualidade do jogo. Não é pra mim, mas é bom! RECOMENDO DEMAIS O TESTE!