Wanderstop stubbornly claims to be a cozy game, as it says in the description on Steam. If only the developer weren’t known for the existential horror of The Stanley Parable.
The Summer Game Fest 2024 was one of the most important gaming events of the year and took place on the night of June 8th. During the approximately 2-hour live show, there were numerous trailers and announcements. You can read about some of the highlights here.
With a game, many of you may have already mentally switched off in the first few seconds of the trailer. Here you can let it sink in again:
In Wanderstop, appearances are deceptive
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Run a tea shop and be happy
What kind of game is this? According to the newly launched Steam page, Wanderstop is a “narrative cozy game about change – and tea.” The story apparently follows the failed fighter Alta, who now finds herself in a tea shop instead of in the arena.
That not everything in Wanderstop is as it seems only becomes clear at the very end of the trailer, when Alta struggles to accept her new living conditions. And even those who dare to read the game description, which is almost aggressively designed to be comfortable, notice that something is not right here:
And that’s why Alta shouldn’t be here. That’s why she won’t make it. This isn’t her thing. No, she’s a warrior! Why would anyone want to turn the world’s best champion fighter into a meek servant?! With all her skills? No, no, no! She won’t stand for that, under any circumstances, never…
via Steam
That almost sounds like… brainwashing? Boro, the chubby owner of the tea shop, doesn’t seem so cute anymore.
But the biggest clue that there is more to Wanderstop is the developer himself: Davey Wreden, the creator of The Stanley Parable – a game that is all about following or defying the instructions of a mysterious narrator. Hmm…
In addition to Wreden, the team consists of Daniel “C418” Rosenfeld, a composer for Minecraft, and Karla Zimonja, who was already involved in Gone Home. In it, players explore their abandoned parents’ house, in which – of course – something is not right.
Luckily, players don’t have to wait too long to discover the mysteries surrounding Alta, as Wanderstop is set to release on PC and PS5 later this year.
If you like seemingly cute games with a dark twist, you should take a closer look at the newly released Echoes of the Plum Grove. But be careful: don’t be fooled by the looks of this farming game, because absolutely anything can kill you