Wanderstop Review | TheXboxHub

Finding Solace in a Teacup

At times, it’s best to just stop and smell the roses. I have no idea where this quote first came from, but I fully understand the sentiment behind it. 

In today’s world we are constantly on the move, always distracted, and involved too much with our electronic devices and career aims that we don’t ever just stop and breathe, slowing down for just a moment. 

In Wanderstop you play someone who can’t stop moving, fighting, or running, all until one day they just can’t do it anymore and exhaustion takes hold. What happens then? Well, sometimes the best thing to do is make a cup of tea. 

Wanderstop starts with an epic cutscene and brilliant voice-over. You play Alta, a Gladiator-type warrior who prides herself on being the best of the best. But then she starts to lose, unable to understand why. So she starts to train harder, before losing, again and again. Wounded and low on morale she goes off to seek out a legendary trainer, Master Winters, hidden in the woods. As she urgently travels towards him she gets tired, her sword feels heavy until she can’t run anymore, all before collapsing from exhaustion. 

She wakes up in a place where a tea shop owner has found her, before being carried back to the tea shop, slapbang in the middle of the forest. From there she is invited to stay and make tea. Soon you are learning to make different types of tea in the shop, interacting with other adventurers who pop by for a cuppa and some solace. 

World-Building and Themes

I don’t want to spoil anything else but the writing is great and the characters you meet along the way are absolutely wonderful. Wanderstop focuses on a delightful bit of world-building and I like the message behind the game; one that is all about self-care, taking time out from the world, and appreciating the simple things in life. 

From Warrior to Tea Brewer

You control Alta in the third person, moving around the world, exploring as you like. In the tea shop, there is a whole system on how tea is being made, like a Willy Wonka factory with lots of strange machines and gadgets. But your job is a lovely one, mostly as there isn’t any pressure at all. There are no time constraints on making tea and no one hassles you for orders.

You start by planting different types of tea plants in the garden. Here you make the most of a grid system to mix different combinations of seed alignments that sound more complicated than it is to actually do – water the seeds, and let them grow. There is a huge machine that help you make the perfect tea with all different combinations of flavours, as you pull levers, climb around the tea shop, and experiment. It is extremely relaxing, good fun and easy to use in terms of UI and menus.

But it is in between making tea that you get the chance to chat with customers about their adventures, sweep up leaves, and prune weeds in the garden. 

Visuals, Audio, and Atmosphere

The visuals are fantastic, and Wanderstop comes with a brilliantly edited and animated opening scene in which many filmmakers could learn a lot about how to begin their stories. From there the graphic design of the characters, especially Boro the tea shop owner, are very beautiful. The tea room and its surrounding gardens are a pleasant place to spend some time around and the little cutscenes that occur are wonderful. 

The sound score is calming, yet quite haunting at times. In all, it has a relaxing vibe as well that helps for the calming gameplay. And whilst any voice work is used sparingly, when it comes, it does a great job. 

A Relaxing and Rewarding Experience with a Heartwarming Message

Can a game about resting and making tea appeal to everyone? I don’t think so, and that would be a shame because there is a lot more to Wanderstop than just that. The story and writing are great, full of surprises in the narrative that I dare not spoil in this review. 

Yes, there are a few moments where things feel a little aimless, but that is quite possibly the point. What is in no doubt is that Wanderstop is visually stunning, complete with a great soundtrack and capable of surprising anyone who plays. 

The best bit though? Wanderstop will make you want to slow down, run a tea shop, and play more games of this ilk.

Brewing Some Links

Brew, Chat, and Chill: Wanderstop is Annapurna’s Newest Game on PC and Console – https://www.thexboxhub.com/brew-chat-and-chill-wanderstop-is-annapurnas-newest-game-on-pc-and-console/

Buy Wanderstop on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/wanderstop/9p2195r38k3j