I'll admit I came into Wanderstop with loftier expectations than I should have, treating it as a spiritual successor to The Beginner's Guide, and while my initial feelings on Wanderstop left me a little wanting, over time I've warmed to it considerably.
In my mind, I wanted it to be a little cleverer, or a little twistier, or a little thornier, and failed to see the forest through the trees of what is an incredibly recommendable approach to these incredibly heavy themes.
Wanderstop's main metaphor is very clear, using the comforting banality of the cosy game genre to make a point about burnout, the frustrating itch one feels to just force it down, and how hard it is to commit to unstructured rest and healing.
It approaches this admirably through bending of cosy game conventions, and offers the game itself as a space to practice the same form of unstructured rest that it is trying to provide its protagonist.
The game is a delight, from its sharp charming writing to its gorgeous atmosphere, to simply exist in the glade of Wanderstop is to invite a sense of calm upon yourself that is palpable, and in this goal the game is near faultless. The mood and aesthetics of the game cohere in a way that is often missing from more indie takes on the cosy game, and if the game's goal is to be a space in which to rest your mind, it is a tremendous success.
However, the game's desire to serve both interests of being a cosy game and being a thoughtful piece of art sometimes makes the game less proficient at being both. A player coming from Stardew Valley would most likely balk at the simplified and stake-free mechanics, limited as they are to make a thematic point about transience. The glade is reset after key story beats, and so the game can't allow for the depth of some of its inspirations as it would lead to point-ruining frustration when the progress is wiped clear. While not a deal-breaker, I think the moments where the game tells you to move on would have hit harder if I had a bit more of a draw to stay, and more in-depth systems and structures that I had to leave behind.
The game's insistence of this theme of unstructured rest and transience did lead to several character interactions feeling truncated and unresolved. I've since become quite two-minded on this, because while I can't shake the initial gut reaction of characters vanishing from the story just as their interactions where starting to get good, it is entirely consistent with what the game is trying to tell us; it is not our place to fix every problem, everyone has their own battles and sometimes we just have to focus on ourselves even if we feel obligated to find productivity and meaning. Ultimately, I think it's a strength of the game's writing and character that I was left wanting more character interaction rather than less.
I think the thing that's preventing Wanderstop from reaching the height of some of its spiritual forebears in my mind is its distinct lack of bite. The themes it presents are very challenging, and no doubt would give someone struggling with them something to hold with them. The game, however, presents them with the detached gentleness of someone recounting these feelings from a place of progress and healing rather than pulling its players emotions through the trenches.
While this makes for an infinitely more restful and safe experience, it undoubtedly makes for a less interesting one. In some ways this is for the better, as the game would fail at its thesis if it left you at less peace than you entered it with.
When it comes down to it, I think there will be people who approach Wanderstop from two different directions; Stanley Parable and Beginner's Guide people who may have wanted it to unravel further, and Cosy Game fans who may have wanted it to stop trying to make them feel things and let them get back to the tea brewing.
However, both will be exposed to this beautiful, calming world that acts as a bridge to the other side of the equation, and hopefully come away feeling satiated if not all the way satisfied.
I can also see a person for whom the inspirations align just right, and Wanderstop is a very special piece of introspective, restorative art that lands exactly where it needs to in their life. While that's not quite me, I'm glad that it will be for someone, and I was very pleased to be along for the ride.