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Before I can tell you whatWanderstopis, I have to tell you what it isnt.
If youre looking for a farm sim with life sim elements, this is also not that.
What itisis a vehicle for a story that remains unfinished when you get to the end.
I dont say that as a criticism.
But Alta doesnt have the energy, not to run, not even to hold her sword.
you might pick mushrooms as well, which can modify your plants and what they produce.
You might find collectibles while doing it, too.
Actually making tea is just as time-consuming.
You place a mug under the Pouramid and pull a rope to pour the brew.
Take Your Time, Learn To Let Go
Does this sound frustrating?
I imagine it might.
Altas certainly frustrated, seemingly by everything.
She doesnt understand why the process has to be so elaborate.
She doesnt understand why some customers come to the tea shop but dont seem to want tea.
She doesnt understand why Boro seems to take so much pleasure in doing nothing.
This persisting slowness, is, of course, the point.
Every single process is chronicled in your notes, so you never have to worry that youll forget something.
Even the tasks Boro might give you, few and far between as they are, have no stakes.
And that, at its core, is what Wanderstop is about: letting go.
It turns out there are a lot of things Alta needs to let go of.
Her good enough wasnt good enough for her.
Theres real, striking pain in the knowledge that sometimes, you just have to let go.
Resisting a necessary change can be disastrous.
Wanderstop Is An Obvious Labour Of Love
But around that pain is an astonishing amount of beauty.
Despite its heavy themes, Wanderstop is, broadly, a very funny game.
The moment to moment is punctuated with hilarious scenes and humour that borders on absurdist at its most extreme.
The world around Alta, too, is beautiful, a real pleasure to do absolutely nothing in.
And Id be remiss if I didnt mention the developers attention to detail.
Every instructional manual is funny.
Every mystery novel you get in the mail is a sharp satire of the genre.
Even the book of critical meta-analysis you getabout those mystery novelsis fully, and excellently, written.
Wanderstop wont cure your burnout, because there is no cure.
We do what we can.
We let go of the rest.
