Wanderstop, a cozy game about loose change and tea, is coming to PS5 March 11, 2025 – PlayStation.Blog

My name is Jenny and I’m the Communications Director for Ivy Road, the independent studio currently developing Wanderstop. Our team is proud to announce that Wanderstop will be released on PlayStation 5 on March 11, 2025. We look forward to the opportunity for players to step into Alta’s shoes and contribute to the tradition of expression PlayStation’s impactful, emotional storytelling in the game.

Mysterious tea shop

In Wanderstop, you’ll play as a tournament veteran named Alta, who must put her troubled past aside to take care of a charming shop and make tea for various customers. One might predict that after a lifetime of dedication, determination and relentless competition, Alta would welcome the opportunity to slow down. But Alta isn’t quite like everyone else, and this golden opportunity to rest is something she wishes she could escape. Instead of fighting, Alta must spend her time growing and harvesting the ingredients needed for tea and mixing them in a strange tea brewing device, talking to the many tourists passing by the shop, learning the story their stories and make tea according to their own requirements. .

In your free time, you can clean up around the vacant lot, decorate the shop in your style or just sit on the bench with a cup of tea and listen to your own thoughts. Maybe doing nothing is okay. The store requires patience and rejects those who come solely for the purpose of pursuing unchecked growth.

Inspired by personal experience

Creative Director Davey Wreden’s experience with burnout initially inspired the idea for Wanderstop, and as the team and project evolved, each member offered his or her perspective. We’ve also drawn from the foundation of many narrative and cozy games that also explore challenging themes.

In the release date announcement video, we got a chance to share a little bit about Davey’s journey. Years ago, he wrote and directed two games – The Stanley Parable and The Begins Guide – and after playing them, he felt incredibly exhausted. Hoping to bring balance to his life and inspire a healthier work-life balance, he began exploring creating a cozy game. As he progressed, he discovered that playing cozy games could be very relaxing – making them still contain the tensions and challenges that all game development has.

After collaborating with other team members, like co-founder and writer, Karla Zimonja, art director Temi Olujobi, and lead designer, Steve Margolin, the game’s central themes and questions were discussed. has developed. Instead of simply creating a cozy experience, they began to explore tension. What happens when you have a main character who isn’t excited or willing to participate in a cozy world? Comfort, rather than simply being a solution to her inner turmoil, became a point of contention for our protagonist, Alta, and it also became a design element. interesting for us as a group.

We reviewed many published games that have explored the intersections between burnout, grief, fatigue, and healing, as well as previous research articles on topics such as player motivation and work on word comfort Horseshoe project. Our hope is to continue to expand the ways in which these types of games provide spaces for players to reflect and solve potentially challenging problems.

Let your mind wander

In Wanderstop, there are many activities that players can do to pass the time. Let your interests guide you to the tasks that bring you the most satisfaction. Players who love to decorate can spend time arranging plants in the garden and around the shop, caressing adorable puffins and finding trinkets scattered across the yard. Periodically, visitors will arrive, creating opportunities for conversation. Talk to them, see what they’re thinking, and maybe take a request to make their favorite tea. Need some time for yourself? Create your own cup of tea, find a place to sit and take in the sights and sounds of the clearing. The music – composed by C418 – changes dynamically based on your actions in the game and provides a relaxing soundtrack for your contemplation.

These Wanderstop verbs – brew, decorate, chat, sit, drink tea – all support our goal for you: that you find your own meaning and connection to the world. this world as well as Alta’s journey when it comes to PS5 on March 11, 2025.