Wanderstop isn't cozy. It's a chore.

Find the written version of this video at https://MattHorton.live

0:00 - How you make tea in Wanderstop
1:37 - Not just another "cozy" game
4:02 - I'm reminded of Indika
4:54 - Why tea?

I don't recommend Wanderstop.

I didn't think that Wanderstop would be for me. I mostly played the game because I was impressed by the names attached to it, Davey Wreden and Annapurna, and also the studio was kind enough to send me a key for review. I don't tend to love what people call "cozy" games. I don't enjoy games that give me another literal full time job, with a notable exception carved out for early lockdown Animal Crossing.

But what truly got me interested in Wanderstop was that its first trailer made it clear that there was more going on here than any other similar game. This wasn't just another farm or shop sim. It was a game with something to say.

And while the game certainly does say something interesting, especially if you're as burned out on work as I am, mechanically it has the same problems as any other one of these. I can't shake that all of this just feels like a chore.


Indika footage by Brutalhunt