The Alters
The Alters
Game
Game2025
Wanderstop
Developer Ivy Road
Wanderstop is a 2025 cozy game developed by Ivy Road and published by Annapurna Interactive. Written and directed by Davey Wreden, composed by C418, and edited by Karla Zimonja, it follows a former warrior named Alta, whose painful losses in combat have led her to help tend a tea shop with its owner, Boro, with an aim to heal herself. The gameplay includes a system of tea brewing and farming by planting seeds in a… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
509 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
89
LovedLoved
267 positive · 32 negative
95% range 85–92%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 267 | 32 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 67 | 3 | 83 |
| Mastodon * | 16 | 1 | 15 |
| Lemmy * | 3 | 0 | 22 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
2,435 of 2,618 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
90% recommend · 241 yes, 28 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 269 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (3,034 of 3,268 positive).
Players say Wanderstop is a deeply personal game about burnout and learning to let go. [1][2][3] Many warn it is not a typical cozy game and may not suit everyone. [4][5][6] Some reviewers find the story open-ended and the gameplay frustrating. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [8]
I’m honestly sad I can’t give this game a “mixed” or “split” review, because I don’t regret buying it and there's some fun to be had despite my gripes. The TL;DR would be that, despite it capturing a certain charm and visual style that resonates with me, as well as having fun and memorable moments, I felt there was a lot to be desired in terms of story, which feels quite open-ended and has little to take away from …
- [1]
I've been an advocate for the importance of friction in games for a long time, and people who have heard me rant about this know that I believe very strongly that even "cozy" games benefit from being challenging or even frustrating at times. Wanderstop is not challenging in the traditional way that games usually are- it never asks for particularly precise inputs or timing and there are few if any real consequences …
- [5]
This is the weirdest review to write. You will either love or hate this game... or maybe both? And that is the point??? Did I enjoy this game - not really. Do I recommend it - Yes? I think?? I really really really wanted to like this game more... but that was the point? If you are expecting a cozy farming or business simulator - this is not that game. Like many, I was drawn to the game's story because I too am a …
- [11]
Wanderstop is one of those rare games that doesn’t just ask you to play - it asks you to pause. Beneath its whimsical art and gentle pacing lies something quietly profound: an invitation to slow down, breathe, and accept that life isn’t meant to be perfect. What moved me most wasn’t any single moment, but the feeling of being , of tending to small joys, of learning that rest and imperfection have value, too. It’s a …
- [2]
One of my favourite games of this year that deals with the idea of burnout and needing to be ok with not controlling everything really well. It deserved more recognition and love than it got this year.
Summarised from 34 of the 455 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Wanderstop talk about emotionally challenging and unique narrative; those who didn't talk about inventory system is awkward and limited. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Wanderstop received a positive critical response. Review aggregator Metacritic calculated weighted average scores of 80 out of 100 for Windows and Xbox Series X based on 43 and 4 critic reviews, respectively, and 79 out of 100 for PlayStation 5 from 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. 84% of 76 critics recommended the game, according to OpenCritic. Wanderstop appeared on year-end best lists for 2025 compiled by The Guardian, The Standard, and Inverse. The characters of Wanderstop were praised. Paste's Elijah Gonzalez called Boro "lovable", praising his nature as a guide and his wisdom mixed with "humility and humor"; the magazine praised two characters who served as…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 509 · most liked firstWanderstop is out today!!!! I've been Animation Lead on this game since 2019 and god is it wild to have it out where everyone can play it now, haha. I hope those of you picking it up enjoy it! store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/...
positive · AI labelView post →Do you remember when games had jingles when you hit the start button? Like, in Silent Hill, or how the resident evil man says RESIDENT EEVIIIL? We stopped doing it and I hate that this tradition is gone. I miss it so much, I put it in Wanderstop, a game I worked on.
positive · AI labelView post →Hi friends, some new music this morning. It's a tiny tiny glimpse into the music of our upcoming game, Wanderstop! Love y'all audiosalad.ffm.to/wander
neutral · AI labelView post →I was going to do a video review about Wanderstop, a game about burnout, but I figured it would be against the spirit of the thing to do something so involved when I, myself, am the most burnt out I’ve ever been. So here’s an article instead: medium.com/@voidburger/...
neutral · AI labelView post →If you're wondering what the Wanderstop team has been up to since the game released: it's this
neutral · AI labelView post →Also, an FYI, I’ve released two albums this past month! You can find them on your favorite streamers, or, just play Wanderstop! It’s a game about *feelings*
neutral · AI labelView post →My first video essay is now on YouTube. It's about my experience with a "cozy" game called Wanderstop. Please check it out. Thank you. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcm3...
neutral · AI labelView post →I am thrilled to announce that my new game Wanderstop will be launching March 11, 2025! Here's a brand new trailer that features me (Me!) talking about the origins of the project and what it means to me personally: www.youtube.com/watch?v=S91L...
neutral · AI labelView post →I’m beyond excited to announce that I voice Alta in Wanderstop! The character resonated with me deeply 🍵 The heart and artistry that the @ivyroadgames.bsky.social team poured into this game was such a joy to behold. You can check it out on Steam, PS5, Xbox & Epic Games🎮 youtu.be/TrAJzniyyZI
neutral · AI labelView post →In celebration of us dropping our new trailer and demo for Wanderstop today: behold what the original, old version of these birds looked like. The decision to delete the old design out of existence was pretty unanimous on the team once we saw them in-game
neutral · AI labelView post →Play Wanderstop.
positive · AI labelView post →👀 if you're wanting to sample what Wanderstop has in store, be sure to check out our demo when it releases on Feb 24th! ✨Tip: Wishlist the demo to get a notification when it goes live! store.steampowered.com/app/3482840/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Wanderstop is fascinating, to me - a game in tension with itself in a lot of ways, but also a game about burnout that landed right in the middle of my own terrible burnout. Just playing a game that empathized with that meant a lot. Plus it's got fun weirdos to make tea for.
positive · AI labelView post →Wanderstop always worked on steam deck great, but after a short breather, we put some work in to get steam deck verified! store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Hi Bluesky 👋🏼 Meet our game #wanderstop #indiegame
neutral · AI labelView post →Brew tea. Keep shop. Stop running. Wanderstop, a cozy, narrative-centric game about tea and change, will open up shop in 2024. Wishlist now on Steam 🍵 store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Developer of cozy tea shop adventure Wanderstop is shutting down: 'It's a particularly tough time for raising game funds'.
neutral · AI labelView post →Patch notes for Wanderstop! We’re also not done yet, lol!!! store.steampowered.com/news/app/129...
neutral · AI labelView post →nyeehehee, really cool to see Wanderstop crop up at the end of this video! Really appreciate the compliments on the game's animation. ( cc @lizc3d.bsky.social @anabell.zone ) www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjx0...
positive · AI labelView post →Davey Wreden’s new video game, Wanderstop, belongs to a burgeoning genre of nonviolent titles devoted to relationships, crafting, exploration, and routine—to building, rather than destroying.
neutral · AI labelView post →Wanderstop is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox. Steam link: store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/...
neutral · AI labelView post →I've been an advocate for the importance of friction in games for a long time, and people who have heard me rant about this know that I believe very strongly that even "cozy" games benefit from being challenging or even frustrating at times. Wanderstop is not challenging in the traditional way that games usually are- it never asks for particularly precise inputs or timing and there are few if any real consequences for doing a task "wrong"- but Wanderstop is emotionally challenging in a way that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’m honestly sad I can’t give this game a “mixed” or “split” review, because I don’t regret buying it and there's some fun to be had despite my gripes. The TL;DR would be that, despite it capturing a certain charm and visual style that resonates with me, as well as having fun and memorable moments, I felt there was a lot to be desired in terms of story, which feels quite open-ended and has little to take away from it that hasn’t been stated in the promotional material. Gameplay, when focused on…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🤯 Wanderstop is nominated in the Games for Impact category in @thegameawards.com! Absolutely blown away, especially considering we're alongside some powerhouses this year: Consume Me, Despelote, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, and South of Midnight. Go vote for your faves of 2025 at TheGameAwards.com!
neutral · AI labelView post →Streamers! Video essayists! Let's Players! Curators of indie games! Don't forget to let us know if you're interested in covering our cozy narrative game, #Wanderstop, when it launches: ivyroad.typeform.com/Wanderstop 🍵
neutral · AI labelView post →its not a game for everyone. it was the game for me. i have cptsd and all i have to say is that the writers nailed it. I do not recommend this game if you are currently in the thick of it. I can only enjoy this game because i have grown to the point that the narrative isn't triggering for me. they got it right.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →✨Wanderstop is now available on the Epic Game Store!✨ Pick up Wanderstop now on Epic (with a 20% discount!), and get ready to pour yourself a cup of tea, pet some pluffins, and take some time to rest. You MUST take time to rest... store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/wand...
neutral · AI labelView post →I can't say I'd recommend this game. It pretends to be an relaxing game, but it prefers to make you feel like you're wasting your time and ends up annoying you. You spend time decorating the place not because you're told to, but because you want to, only for all of the progress you made to be reset. Finding trinkets and putting them on shelves? Gone. Decorating all the pots with various flowers? Gone. All the cups you found and prepwork you did with getting fruits and Tea leaves? Gone. The…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →“This game took so fucking long that cozy game is now like a swear word.” For @theverge.com, I talked with Davey Wreden aka @hellocakebread.bsky.social about Wanderstop, burnout, and what it means to pour your entire self into your games. www.theverge.com/games/627549...
neutral · AI labelView post →Wanderstop is about burnout, yes, but it’s also about injury. Here’s me on ambition, pain, recovery, and stillness, in the game and in life. I’m proud of how this piece turned out, and I hope you’ll enjoy it.
positive · AI labelView post →🎶🎧 Wanderstop FM is ready 🍵 Savor this collection of songs by @c418.org from the in-game radio within Wanderstop ~ Stream it now: audiosalad.ffm.to/wanderstop-fm Bandcamp: c418.bandcamp.com/album/wander...
neutral · AI labelView post →Wanderstop is now 40% off so actually you do have to buy it now. It’s a great game that I liked quite a bit, and maybe you will too! store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/...
positive · AI labelView post →Meet Monster! One of my favorite characters I got to make for Wanderstop! I was responsible for her in-game model. 💖 Concepts by Nathalie F Rigging and Animation by Aura Triolo and Ana Greengrass Go check out Wanderstop on Steam ✨ store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/...
neutral · AI labelView post →I know my long-winded opinion is likely to be very unpopular but I am bound both by my integrity and the binary nature of the Steam rating System. If there was a more robust rating system for steam, I would give it a middle rating but I can't. I have sat on this opinion for a while and over time my feelings have soured so this is not a knee-jerk reaction. Also, I do not want to spoil things here so I will not defend my opinion in depth but instead will use metaphors as best I can. I hate this…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Here’s your first glimpse of @c418.org’s soundtrack for Wanderstop, the next game from Davy Wreden (The Stanley Parable). open.spotify.com/track/0msAaY...
neutral · AI labelView post →I don’t know what to say, except that I wasn’t expecting it to hit me this hard. After all, it’s just a game. And yet “just a game” was exactly what I needed. Life is life, and having a medium you can pour yourself into, now and then, matters. At first, I didn’t quite catch the theme. I wanted cozy tea shop management. I got life advice that actually sticks. I stepped away from the game a few times. Saying goodbye to some characters felt like betrayal, or like a shortcut from the devs, and I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wanderstop is participating in the Steam Next Fest, which means that we have a demo that you can play right now! store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/...
neutral · AI labelView post →8th game beaten of 2025: Wanderstop ☕️ Still not sure if I’ve ever played an actual cozy game bc this game marries the mundane tasks of a supposed cozy sim w some seriously weighty narrative themes A shining example of masterclass writing & characterization in game design that demands appreciation
positive · AI labelView post →Note: I was given access to a preview build of Wanderstop to cover the game for this account.
neutral · AI labelView post →Wanderstop is a game that spoke to my soul at a difficult time, and reminded me of what's most important in life. It's not work, it's not money, or fame. It's spending quality time with the people you love.
positive · AI labelView post →"Among story-rich games, Wanderstop sets itself apart during Steam's Next Fest." screenrant.com/wanderstop-c...
neutral · AI labelView post →One of my favourite games of this year that deals with the idea of burnout and needing to be ok with not controlling everything really well. It deserved more recognition and love than it got this year.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After beating Xenoblade, plan was to pick up where the demo left off in First Berserker Khazan …but Amazon still hasn’t even shipped my pre order (release day was Thurs)… I refuse to waste a rare free weekend, so I caved and bought another game. Now I’m 6 hrs into Wanderstop 😶🌫️ (ps check alt text)
neutral · AI labelView post →Cozy game #caturday 🎮 Wanderstop
neutral · AI labelView post →Run this teashop in a way that would make Uncle Iroh proud. Efficiency is not rewarded, so don't run yourself ragged drying tea leaves and growing fruit. Just go with the gameplay flow. Pet a penguin.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →lmao Wanderstop is a good game
positive · AI labelView post →How could I not start with any other video game than my favorite this year? Wanderstop is a "cozy" game that subverts expectations of the genre by having deeply personal conversations surrounding burnout and the consequences of it. All while brewing the most colorful tea known to man.
positive · AI labelView post →I'm streaming Wanderstop with Sophia come watch me play this game that makes me think about how much i hate myself twitch.tv/demilypyro
neutral · AI labelView post →I haven't finished the game yet, but I can safely say it is EXACTLY what I needed. I've always found Davey Wreden's work to be very connecting to me. The way he conveys emotions and deep-thinking questions and topics, translated into video games and their narrative, is always so striking to me. He mentioned how he kept trying to make a tea shop management game fun and relaxing, but that it wasn't clicking with him, and he got frustrated over it. So he turned that struggle into one of the game's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm streaming Wanderstop with Sophia Come watch this game antagonize me for my workaholic ways. twitch.tv/demilypyro
neutral · AI labelView post →I think this game will mean different things to different people based on their life experiences. I think some people will interpret it one way and others another, and some won't understand at all. This game held a lot of deep meaning for me as someone struggling with mental health issues. It's beautiful, it's significant. The music is meaningful and deep, and yet funny and light at times. I cried. Several times, especially in the last chapter. The character was so personally relatable,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I laughed, cried, and gasped NUMEROUS times while playing Wanderstop and I don't care who knows it. Charming, hilarious, sweet, occasionally shocking, and a masterwork in getting you to love characters enough to miss them. I needed this game. Thank you @hellocakebread.bsky.social
positive · AI labelView post →Wanderstop is a game about making cups of tea ☕️ This is a good thing 🧘♀️ #wanderstop
positive · AI labelView post →This video about the upcoming game Wanderstop & commentary from its creator about a desire for creative healing reached into my heart & broke it in two www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVet...
positive · AI labelView post →Developer of cozy tea shop adventure Wanderstop is shutting down: 'It's a particularly tough time for raising game funds'. The studio, Ivy Road, wasn't able to secure funding for its next game, Engine Angel.
neutral · AI labelView post →Wanderstop is probably one of the most impactful pieces of media I ended up consuming this entire year. A stacked team of developers came together to create a cozy game that has not only shifted how I look at myself, but also left me asking why I play video games ever since. It's not for everyone -- I highly recommend going through the demo first -- but if anything about Alta clicks with you, even if its parts that you might not like, then this game is absolutely worth giving a shot.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the weirdest review to write. You will either love or hate this game... or maybe both? And that is the point??? Did I enjoy this game - not really. Do I recommend it - Yes? I think?? I really really really wanted to like this game more... but that was the point? If you are expecting a cozy farming or business simulator - this is not that game. Like many, I was drawn to the game's story because I too am a burned out perfectionist. The initial gameplay, setting, and characters were…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Recommended, with caveats A thoughtful and well-written game that explores themes of burnout, perfectionism, familial trauma, and obsessive compulsive behavior. As a "former gifted kid turned struggling adult" I related quite well to the themes the game presented. Up front, if you're looking for a farming-, life-, or shopkeeping-sim like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Recettear, or the like, Wanderstop is very much not those genres despite the Steam tags. It's more of a narrative…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm sure my immediate, visceral love of this game about burnout and learning to be kind to yourself isn't a reflection of my mental well-being and/or the state of the world at large. Probably nothing to worry about. That love was tested by a few questionable game design choices; some quest lines are missable if you do things out of order with no indication of what the 'correct' order is, the games inventory system isn't designed to handle the sheer quantity of stuff the game asks you to hold…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wanderstop demo impressions. Music while reading: https://c418.bandcamp.com/track/wanderstop I didn't have much time playing everything last week, so I'm slowly working my way through and sharing my thoughts. I have to admit, with Davey Wreden (the mind behind The Stanley Parable and The Beginner's Guide) directing Wanderstop and C418 (of Minecraft fame) handling the music, my expectations were sky-high for this demo. The opening cutscene didn't blow me away, but the story quickly got real…
neutral · AI labelView post →
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