I’ve spent more of my life as a barista than doing any other work, and mostly liked it. Decorating the shop, coming up with new recipes, chit-chatting with coworkers — I’ve always thought it would be a near-perfect job, if you could avoid the bad bosses and worse customers. I’m now more convinced of that than ever, after playing a surprisingly touching game about tea, burnout, and the fantasy of an unstressful food service job.
Wanderstop is the first game from Ivy Road, a studio that includes some of the creators of The Stanley Parable and Gone Home. It follows Alta, a champion fighter who finds herself working at a charming tea shop set in a colorful glade, trading her stressful life for some low-key gardening and tea-making. That description might make it sound like a Stardew Valley clone, making it all the more surprising that it’s actually a heartfelt, narrative-driven deconstruction of cozy games that explores burnout, self-loathing, and working for more than a paycheck.
