PLAY
Wanderstop
ON THE COUCH In the midst of making tea for the shop’s eclectic customers, you’re also encouraged to have a brew yourself now and again, and to find a quiet bench or sofa where you can enjoy it. When you do, the drink acts as a kind of therapy, drawing out repressed and forgotten memories and feelings, as Alta monologues about her personality, family and more. The topic is determined by the ingredients in the tea, with every fruit producing a different effect. There’s a great range here, from a fruit that reminds you of those who wronged you to a berry that makes you overly confident in your mathematical abilities, and all have their revelatory powers. Each time you brew something new for an order, then, always make enough for an extra cup.
Developer Ivy Road Publisher Annapurna Interactive Format PC (tested), PS5 Release Out now
It asks us to consider the value – the luxury, even – of doing nothing, or attending to menial tasks with no end goal
Wanderstop sparks in us a flight of fancy. What if our fiercest, most restless action game heroes stopped and sat down once in a while for a nice cup of tea? A camomile for Kratos? Darjeeling for Dante? It could be a moment to take their boots (or sandals) off, to soothe the callouses on their hands – the beverage itself helping to calm the raging mind. Who knows, it might be good for the soul. In Wanderstop, the warrior Alta has little choice but to find out. Seeking a master trainer to help her bounce back from two recent defeats, she collapses in a forest.