Wandersong

Wandersong
82
Metacritic
96
Steam
89.265
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$6.79
Release date
27 September 2018
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
96 (1 741 votes)
Recent
100 (13 votes)

A musical platforming adventure with an emotional story. Play as a silly bard and use music to interact with everything on a journey around the world. Along the way you'll explore, solve puzzles, and meet a huge cast of characters!

Show detailed description

Wandersong system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: 7+
  • Processor: Not that intense
  • Memory: 512 MB RAM
  • Graphics: Not that good
  • DirectX: Version 9.0
  • Storage: 2 GB available space
  • Additional Notes: This game is very good

Recommended:

Recommended requirements are not yet specified.
Similar games
Wattam
Wattam

Adventure, Casual, Indie

$19.99 xDr: 75.14
TurnOn
TurnOn

Action, Adventure, Casual, Indie

$14.99 xDr: 66.21
DLC
Show all DLC
Popularity
Reviews
Write a new review
Lumps
Lumps

This game isn't perfect, and has a lot of flaws, so I'm going to focus on those because everyone is just gushing over it otherwise.

The biggest turn off for me was the length, it reaaallllyyyy dragged on. The plot is pretty decent, but you need basically do the same fetch quest for a "piece" of something 5-6 times and they use these excuses to pepper the game with lackluster sidequests and distractions. The entire thing could have been half as long, and it would have really helped I think. Only a few stand out sidequests and the rest is fetching or reading dialogue boxes that don't really matter.

There were a few times the game says "just kidding" and completely switches the gameplay to more traditional "video game" gameplay. I did NOT like this. I understand they were probably just wanting to shake up the gameplay, but I played this SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO PLAY A HACK AND SLASH GAME....and then they make you do a full segment in that play style and I was like oh great.

It's a little glitchy. At least once or twice a play session my character would get "stuck" behind the environment somehow (usually when I was exiting a house) and the whole screen shakes violently and it's a toss up if you can get your character to shake out. The game is pretty good with saves so that helps, but felling into the environment isn't exactly a great time.

The ending was good but...could have been better. The real *villain* sort of just...is gone, and there's no payoff or satisfaction for that character that I found. Disappointing after they did such a great job at making you hate them during the game, though.

But the game is good! It's creative and a refreshing twist on the gameplay you normally see (for the most part). Give it a play if it looks good!

Bebii
Bebii

This game is so heartfelt and wholesome i come back to it whenever im feeling down or had just consumed some shitty media to remind myself there are good things in this world, one of my solid faves

TrueGemuese
TrueGemuese

Why kill something when you can defeat it in a songbattle?

Fergusand
Fergusand

ooo ee aaa ee oooo aoeaoeaoeoaeoaoeaoeoaeoaoeaoeoaeoaoeoa

cyikess
cyikess

wandersong is a great game about helping people and kindness!! it really pulls on the heart strings but its sooooooo worth it. i love wandersong. also as expected from a music game it has great soundtrack. and the puzzles arent that hard either! its pretty intuitive. 10/10. love you wandersong

Low Rank Enjoyer
Low Rank Enjoyer

Definitely one of the most unique game I've played, by both mechanics and story. You will not get bored. Also it's super easy to get 100% achievements.
Price might by little steep for 10-ish hours of gameplay but if you can find it in discount go for it.

mouseloop
mouseloop

i really enjoyed this. BUY IT NOWWWWWWWWWWW

Dapooch9000
Dapooch9000

this game is amazing PLAY IT NOW (also it's not a rythme game it's a platformer) it's has a great story most will like it

Gidostink
Gidostink

Wandersong is a cute, fun, and creative adventure. Its singing mechanic seems pretty simple at base value, sing melodies and the game responds, but Greg always comes up with new ways to use The Bard's singing abilities in fun ways. Wandersong's soundtrack also has a wide variety of great songs, which is very important in a musical game like this.

theaustinator08
theaustinator08

10/10 super fun! I almost managed 10 hours without all the achievements and had a ton of fun. But there is more to have if you would like to go after all the achievements!

Ace but something
Ace but something

I cried for an hour at the end of the game. It's one of those games you really can't even comprehend before playing. Greg, Em, Gord, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for an experience I'll never forget

DaBob-omB
DaBob-omB

Fun puzzle game with a hopeful message, good music and a nice art style
What's not to enjoy

NippleDippers
NippleDippers

One of the best story driven games I've ever played. Truly just a joy to progress through in no small part thanks to the characters you meet along the way. This game isn't afraid to dish out a few life lessons too, but packaged with such genuine empathy and kindness that it never felt corny or preachy.

Just an all around feel good game that also jerks them tears every now and then.

The gameplay itself is relatively basic, but has a lot of consistent changes to mechanics to keep everything interesting. There's still a few tricky platforming moments woven in that might change some of it's accessibility, but perhaps there's ways around that which I'm unaware of. I was a huge fan of every approach of the main character being peaceful, and succeeding via singing, rather than violence. This game even manages to mock the vast amount of games out there that have supposed 'heroic' characters destroying and killing everything in their path (often for the sake of gameplay), so this was a nice change of pace.

I cannot express just how much I enjoyed the characters, their arcs, and the story progression. I've played games at least twice this length that struggle to have anything of value to say, or give any memorable personality or progression to their characters, but this game manages to add flavour into even the most random NPCs you encounter, which made me want to exhaust dialogue with everyone I met. Although it lacks replayability in the usual sense, I could absolutely see myself coming back to this just to interact with all the characters again, like revisiting old friends. :D

Worth the full price, and an absolute steal in sales.

mink
mink

Wandersong is so fun and wholesome, I recommend it for anyone who enjoys a bit of silliness in their games :)

𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙠'𝙨 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ★★★★☆

Please find my list of Accessibility Settings and Content warnings below ⭭ Be careful and enjoy the game! ♡

𝓐𝓬𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓫𝓲𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂
∘₊✧────────✧₊∘

{This game has no voice acting for dialogue, and has heavy reading required to play}

Screen shake On/Off { ✓ }

Rumble severity settings { ✓ }

Colour Blindness Settings { ✗ }

Flashing Effects On/Off { ✓ }

Text shake On/Off { ✗ }

Font Size Options { ✗ }

𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼
∘₊✧──────────✧₊∘
( the below content is shown, mentioned or implied in the game )

✿ Light themes of Death
✿ Themes of existential dread / Crisis
✿ Themes of depression
✿ Scenes of bugs
✿ Themes of deceased parental figures portrayed as ghosts
✿ Themes of deceased children portrayed as ghosts
✿ Possible claustrophobic scenes
✿ A gun is present for a short time, but is not able to be used
✿ {SPOILERS FOR MAIN STORY!} Cartoonified anthropomorphic animal deaths

If you feel there’s anything I may have missed, please comment to let me know and I’ll add it to the list! :)

𝓢𝓪𝓯𝓮 𝓖𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓼!

aurjolras
aurjolras

Things I loved:
- Hope!
- Resilience!
- Affection!
- Trying to save the world even though you're small in comparison
- Some subtle critique of the video game industry's obsession with combat
- Singing mechanic gets used in a bunch of creative ways
- Dance button
- The Bard :)

Things I didn't love:
- The stupid hero and her stupid sword >:(

Xewass
Xewass

Got this because it seemed like a cute simple game to kill time for an afternoon, and it turned out to be so much more. The developers found many different ways to use the singing for puzzles but also for fun effects, although I did think a few times "how much longer do I have to do this?" just before a sequence was done. What I appreciate most though, is the earnest talks the characters have about their feelings (as corny as it sounds), their worries about the central conflict and what it means to be The Chosen One.
Two thumbs up, recently replayed it and enjoyed it just as much!

jamieandtoes
jamieandtoes

I would love this game so much they should play this game it is so cute ^//////^

Psykopomp
Psykopomp

Nicley done. Very cute and fun. Musician approved.

Saodhar
Saodhar

A wonderful game that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling from its every aspect.
The gameplay is nice, with platforming elements and puzzles being not too hard, but also not too simple, and the musical controls tight and responsive.
The story is just great, imho, with a sudden twist in the middle and an important message about hope and friendship. Just right for 2021-2022, when I'm playing it.

anarose2716
anarose2716

Hands down one of the best indie games I have ever played...and I've played a lot. Never fails to put a smile on my face. Perfect length for a video game (leaves you sad but satisfied with the ending), unique mechanics, vibrant worlds, INCREDIBLE soundtrack, great dialogue...I really couldn't ask for more!

eggbed
eggbed

made me cry, and then immediately after made an all star by smash mouth reference, like all games should

DepressoEspresso
DepressoEspresso

Play this game of you haven't already! The lovely visuals and cute, wholesome sense of comedy are amazing within this game. The story can be as deep as you want it to be without being to complex and you cant help but fall in love or sympathize with every single character no matter their role in the game. One of the only games in a long time that made me not want to stop playing it! 10/10

ayla of the boreal valley
ayla of the bo…

i dont think i can put into words how absolutely awesome this game was;
let me just tl;dr [SPOILERS]
.
.
.
.
.
wandersong is a game about a bard who goes on an adventure to learn the song thatll save the world,accompliced by a young yet arrogant witch named miriam.
the characters of these two are somehow so different yet i love them both
game pros:
-simple artstyle
- easy-to-learn gameplay
- fun puzzles
cons
- some parts are really boring
- glitches can happen
i really think you should play this

blue apple eater
blue apple eater

I read a review that said "this game is like a hug" which convinced me to buy it. And they were right. It absolutely feels like a hug. But there's also a lot of depth to it the story and the characters. This game is also just a joy to look at. The color palettes are so beautiful and vibrant.

Mosquito
Mosquito

Great game, super positive emotions and fun to play :) also ending was so amazingly done.

Chaos Bass
Chaos Bass

Iz very good. Iz very fun. Thought it was gonna be kinda basic-ish after the beginning chapters, but it became very obvious that it was going to be pretty different after the big turning point

UXM266
UXM266

The game has potential. With the use of colours and music, the opportunity for puzzle sis infinite.... but it really doesn't work. Not only are the "puzzles" simply simon says on the easiest difficulty, they are inconsistent. At times, you need to be perfect timing, other times it doesn't matter. The opportunity to create songs are limited, and hard to do due to the controls.

On the topic of controls, there are times when using the mouse and keyboard are better, and other times the controller.

It's also very unpolished, screen skipping, bugs galore, and the constant resolution shift (which can be disabled in the options) is annoying. There's no need to have a resolution auto-change while playing.

In addition, the ambient music, and soundtrack are not good. They are very basic, and for a game that's about singing where you play a SINGING bard, it's not pleasant.

The potential is there, but it really is not worth it.

juxtapose
juxtapose

Made me realise that I simply cannot play music

Misterikid
Misterikid

This is Very emotional game and it full with amazing song for those who love adventuring and saving a world this might be it for you

Shmooguy
Shmooguy

It's very difficult to review this game. I really appreciate the creators for making this game, because despite its flaws I think it's very important that games like this get made.

The game that Wandersong aspired to be have easily been in my top 5 favorite games of all time. However it falls just a tad short of the wholesome, creative, and truly emotional experience that I was looking for.

There are parts of the story that are incredible, and parts that make me wish I could just move past it.
There are parts of the gameplay that are truly creative, with really well done ludonarrative harmony, and there are parts that feel a bit generic).

But my biggest issue with Wandersong is that, for a music game, the majority of the songs / musical parts were not super bangers. There are some songs I really love of course, but a lot of the "rhythm game" parts honestly don't sound that good even when you're following along correctly, and most of the music just flat out wasn't that catchy.

The emotional moments also didn't quite hit as hard as I was hoping. The right beats are there, they are doing the correct things, but it's just not delivered potently enough. I do have high standards though, and friends of mine have really REALLY loved this game.

This is probably the most 7/10 game I have ever played, with just so much potential that doesn't quite get there, but I really commend the creators for trying and I will definitely play more of their games. Thank you for making Wandersong.

highlighter124
highlighter124

I kid you not, this is one of the most heartwarming, and most engaging games I've ever played. This has been my favorite game ever since I discovered it on console. I would honestly kill for a second game. This has got to be the BEST game of all time. The story in interesting, and non-cliche. The characters are vibrant and enjoyable and the gameplay is very unique. I recommend this game to both casual and hardcore gamers.

Haifisch
Haifisch

Plot and writing: Heartwarming

Gameplay: Fun. Not too challenging, which is good for someone bad at puzzle-platformers like me.

Music: Good

Art: Fantastic

Play it: Yes

Taistelu
Taistelu

This game is amazing. The game definitely seems pretty simple at first - like a happy, cute adventure and nothing more. But it is so much more. The story is brilliant and surprisingly emotional, the music is amazing (unsurprising for a music-based game), the graphics are simple but a delight to look at. The gameplay is pretty basic and easy, but that's OK. If you only want challenging gameplay then this game is not for you. This is one of those games that are driven by the narrative and atmosphere. It's a joy to play despite of (or perhaps in part because of) the simple and easy, but effective gameplay.

This is one of those games worth buying at full price, in my opinion.

Flrbdrb
Flrbdrb

good game and Good music and good story

Saufkumpel
Saufkumpel

A very emotional and heartwarming musical journey where you meet many interesting and unique characters.

? ? ?
? ? ?

I liked the music and the characters felt really compelling, the game play itself wasn't much of a challenge but it felt like it wasn't meant to be, its just a story about the characters and their journey.

Ivory Delfin
Ivory Delfin

I have not played a game with this much heart since Undertale all the way back in 2015

This game is absolutely beautiful and so thoroughly entertaining and has so much depth despite seeming so simple on first glance, which is such an ironic metaphor to its own story and characters.

I loved every single second of it, every character, every dialogue, every bit of gameplay and every clever subversion of my expectations, i treasure them all, this game was so much more special than i could've ever imagined and i'm so happy I got to experience it for the first time ever. This is a game i could legitimately recommend to anyone, please go play it.

pesialg
pesialg

Great story, great music, and great characters. Its stupid wholesome. Most sequences actually make full use of the color wheel-like controls, and are very well implemented. Even the final boss fights are great because no one ever expects a fight using circular wheel-like controls, but the fights are creatively designed around it. Game is really fun for trying something new. Also dabbing? Wtf? Neko posing? Omg ez hard sell

Mush
Mush

Probably one of my favorite games. Maybe I should take a day to process what I played, but honestly I took my time going through it. It's more about experiencing and talking to people then just actual gameplay, so if you are interested in stories in any form I would 100% suggest getting it. I don't want to get into the story since it's super basic, just you can make it so much more by talking to everyone and enjoy it for more then just point A to Z.

Very good, very happy. 10/10 will probably play again.

Reko
Reko

Ever wanted to play a side character in somebody else's story?

No? Fair. Doesn't sound all that appealing now that I think about it.

And yet this cute little indie title manages to take that silly idea and create a lovingly crafted story around it, full of witty writing and interesting personalities.

Now, comedy is subjective and I'm generally not a very humorous soul, but this game had me loudly cackling in the middle of the night more often than I care to admit. It takes just about every RPG trope and shatters it completely, all the while refraining from cheap cynicism.

But it isn't just all silliness, the game can lay out some emotional real talk if it wants to. Pretty sure I've learned a thing or two about myself by playing this. Hence why I have to recommend it -- especially during these times the main message here resonates more than ever: Being nice feels nice.

Truly a wander-ful experience. *slide whistle*

cybertits
cybertits

Don't you just love it when life is so good that you could sing and dance and jump around?
Yea man, that's the feeling of this game! Even tho annoying for everyone else, you are the singing protagonists that brings people together! Such a cute idea with simple but effective graphics.
Super family friendly and makes me want to sing my words and sentences to everyone from now on !

Fried Soap
Fried Soap

Incredibly unique, fun, and cute game! Had a blast playing through it and it helped me feel better when I was a little down.

All-Kiwi
All-Kiwi

TLDR; I recommend this game for those who feel hopeless and existentially drained from the state of it all in the world.

I'm not one to write very many reviews or to gush my heart out about a certain product. I usually leave it to others to pretty much say what needs to be said and see if their reviews are accurate. I guess that could be a fault of mine but I HAVE to talk about this one either way. Instead of going into the nitty-gritty on how it plays or sounds, I would like to paint a picture for you in why I love it so much.

Anyway, the world is destined to end. Things crumble. Break. People are selfish and violent and care little about others. Even nature itself is starting to fall apart. In this bleakness, a hero is born to rise above and put these issues to rest by putting it out of its misery and ending it . You are not that hero.

You play as a little guy in an impossible situation. You are merely a side-character in life who just so happens to want to save the world himself. Heroes be damned. You have to fight uphill past the cynicism and pointlessness of fixing a world that's impossible to save. And at the very end of it all, is it even worth saving?

Wandersong's answer to that question is through the exploration of hope, love, and kindness to even the smallest of things. You don't even carry a sword. Instead, you spend the whole game spreading obnoxious kindness through every inch of the dying world. And even when it's at the most hopeless, there's still a reason why you AND the world should continue even if it conflicts with the natural state of the universe.

To put it another way, it's an anti-dark souls 3.

Things aren't meant to last forever and the only thing you do by continuing forward is to prolong suffering. But. Is giving up and letting it die the only option?

I think this is an absolutely beautiful game that's sorely needed in today's world. There is enough sorrow to break anybody and I truly believe that this game has helped me move past some of that hopelessness that is presented to us.

Anyway, the character designs are really cute, you can dance and sing whenever (to the point of annoying other characters), pet the dog, the music is good, and the message is excellent. The puzzles are somewhat on the easier side and there's a few bugs where your character may glitch for a moment but I've never actually disliked a game for a non-gamebreaking bug.

All in all, I wholeheartedly recommend this game and I believe it should be played by everyone; even if they skip talking to everyone and are less interested by the gameplay.

You can skip this part of the review if you don't like spoilers: one of the things I also found funny and genius about the game is the achievements. Your achievements that you collect in the game don't even belong to your character. They are the hero's. And there will be moments when getting an achievement will be sad. It shows that you aren't the main character and I REALLY like how it added to the message even if it was an insignificant inclusion to the game.

Waffls
Waffls

Such a feel good game!
It's full of comedy, heartfelt moments, and intriguing story beats.
I wouldn't mind some polishing some of the lower res sprites here and there, but Wandersong really strikes a good balance between overwhelming optimism and realism, making it worth a shot to play!

ursiavtuber
ursiavtuber

A wonderfully beautiful game that really fulfills the meaning of wholesome in all the ways. Cannot recommend it enough!

frostux
frostux

Adorable adventure game all about the power of song; using your voice to solve the world’s problems. It’s not something I’d classify as a rhythm game, at least not in a traditional sense. What it is though, is a fun, joyful take on a fantasy setting, with trolls, spirits, pirates, bards, and talking animals -- with lots of twists and genre bending along the way.

You’ll be faced with a myriad of different takes on Simon Says, where you have to mimic patterns you see on-screen in order to sing songs. It’s as much about memorization as hitting the right notes. Sometimes to subvert an enemy, other times to inspire a friend or write a welcoming jingle.

But it’s rarely demanding or difficult to pull off. And by never punishing you that severely, it feels like a celebration of the creative process, where you get to indulge and just play around. There’s also a part of me that thinks that hadn’t Wondersong focused so much on colors and dialogue, it would have been a game for absolutely everyone in terms of accessibility.

The singing in itself is hilarious in its execution, and really fun to play around with and improvise tunes. It reminds me of what good controls and handling do to a traditional platform game -- there’s just something fundamentally fun going on here. Pirouetting around, flinging notes left and right -- it never gets old. It’s almost like I feel a compulsive, childish drive to do it. And the game is all the better for it.

There may not be much here in terms of gameplay depth and evolving mechanics. But boy does it put a smile on my face.

Recommended if you’re looking for a light-hearted, funny game.

Mighty Nighty Night Knight
Mighty Nighty …

Heartwarming and cute while also not cheesy.

crossleviathan777
crossleviathan777

Wandersong is a fun and quirky game that I would highly recommend. There are many aspects to love about this game.

Gameplay-wise there isn't much to it. There are some minor puzzle elements and a few rhythm game-esque sections but nothing overtly difficult or challenging. They are still engaging enough to not be a chore but I never reached a point where I would fail or get stuck for an extended period.

The plot is somewhat of a heroes journey story but with a twist. You are not the hero and the game lets you know this right away. The game does try to tackle negative emotions that the characters feel and does a very good job of this. It doesn't talk down to the player and handles these themes quite well. The game also does a great job making like-able and human characters. They even make you feel sympathetic towards the main antagonist of the game. It is very difficult to say much more without ruining the whole thing other than story being a strong point for the game.

The music and sound design is probably the best aspect of this game. There is a variety of styles and themes in the soundtrack and they are all great. Sound is a huge part of gameplay, so it does not disappoint either. Your character is basically a bard after all. This is another game I had to buy the soundtrack for.

If you are looking for a simple but enjoyable game with a great story and an amazing soundtrack, I highly recommend this game. You won't regret it.

noloyolo
noloyolo

Amazing game. I just finished it, and it's already one of my all time favorites! Really engaging story, with great music and fun puzzles. It is a really wholesome game :)

intestinalrainbow
intestinalrainbow

Phenomenal game, its heart is amazing. Just so pleasant in every way

Baptain
Baptain

super cute game, probably one of the best in my library

★ Olly ★
★ Olly ★

I just finished the game maybe 45 minutes ago and woah woah woah!! This game was so wholesome and just a real nice breath of fresh air. I'm trying to still gather everything but I'm positive that I enjoyed every aspect of this experience from the art style to the story to the gameplay and of course the characters!! Never got bored. I absolutely love the The Bard and Miriam a whole lot and surprisingly found that they work real well together. Just very cute and I really needed these positive vibes and reminders. Definitely recommend this game! :D

Baby Man
Baby Man

Cute game, very easy for achievement collecting and speedrunning. Is packed full of secrets that are best left discovered by yourself. Definitely worth 20 bucks, if you happen to find this hidden gem

DylanMdog
DylanMdog

This game is great. It holds a special place in my heart. I have finished this game 3 times, and the story still holds up. Every character is charming and the story is incredible. I love the music and its use of motifs. I know it might not be for everyone, but if you like a feel good story with a lot of heart this game is for you.

Dominic
Dominic

My friend and I (I streamed the game while he watched) played this together, trying to immerse ourselves within the game by voicing all the characters. We collectively hate Audrey. I enjoyed playing, it was emotional most definitely, behind each story was a lesson to be learnt with the touch of music. This game is amazing.

Qazoka
Qazoka

I LOVE THIS GAME IT HAS EVERYTHING play time pretty long GREAT STORY! very good game play (even tho it was pretty easy for me) but the gameplay never gets old always throws something interesting at you, music just wow... would
100% recommend!!!

(!spoilers! I think it be a really cool idea if they made a Sequel in Hero's eyes like how the story went for her
I think it be cool :)

Gregor MacGregor
Gregor MacGregor

A great game full of positivity.

pumakittycat
pumakittycat

this game means a lot to me. the mechanics were pretty easy and are unique ! i am not good at games but didn't struggle with this :) i love the humor of the game, i love the message, overall very near and dear to my heart and i've been trying to convince my friends to play this lol

spookiepookie
spookiepookie

Such a wonderful game, if you need a game that feels like a nice warm hug you need to pick this up.
Lovely characters & story all the way through, truly so much personality has gone into this game!
And, a point I don't see many others making, next to the lovely story the gameplay is actually really nice! this game is great at letting you figure out the mechanics through context clues, and all of the gameplay felt satisfying to figure out, but was still easy enough to get for my not-so-gamer self :)
One of my favourite games I've played in a while. So much heart went into it and you can tell!

it has some minor issues with glitching, and if you don't like reading a lot of dialogue this might not be the one for you (although a lot is skippable, I feel like it really isn't worth getting if you don't want to get invested in all the story!)

But overall, it's the first game in a while to keep me super engaged & interested in the story all the way through, pretty much finished it in less than a week. Recommend this to any indie / story / wholesome / singing / music / dance collecting enthusiasts.

Lixion
Lixion

Cute Bard & Cute Witch = Amazing Game

MagentaBeuts
MagentaBeuts

If you loved Oneshot, you'll love this. Wandersong is a game about people, and about futility, and about trying, and about singing. Wandersong is about creating your own future with the people around you.

CawCawMcGraw
CawCawMcGraw

Its an absolutely lovely game. It's not too difficult, because it is much more of a mood and a story than a challenge. It is silly, heartwarming, funny, engaging. They cracked jokes I had literally just said out loud myself...this game just feels so loving and warm and its just so charming. If a game could be a hug, this would be it.

Urm'om of lumayo
Urm'om of lumayo

Story was kinda cheesy but it's a game about a bard saving the world. You know what you're signing up for. Lots of music. It was very sweet, the characters in particular had a lot of growth. Also it reminded me a lot of super paper mario.

midnightdragoness
midnightdragoness

Review originally on Dragon Quill. Comments are enabled there.

Wandersong is an adventure game where, instead of an action hero, you play as a bard whose only ability is singing. You’re told that the world is ending and the only way to save it is to sing the Earthsong, which can only be taught by the spiritual overseers of the spirit world, so you have to go on a quest, solving all your problems along the way with singing.

The story takes a big swerve about halfway in and is actually incredibly dark and bleak, with later segments even borrowing elements from horror. This isn’t one of those fantasy stories where the apocalypse is an all-or-nothing abstract threat; the world and the overseers are slowly dying and you see them deteriorate in real time, all while the protagonists and NPCs contemplate the end of existence. It got to the point where I was genuinely expecting the ending to be “LOL j/k, world ends everyone dies.”

The story has some funny commentary on heroic tropes and says some nice things about friendship and optimism, but I felt it never really stuck the landing. Every chapter keeps throwing heavy, realistic problems at the bard and everyone saying you can’t solve all your problems by singing, and then the bard solves all the problems by singing. (Only to immediately whiplash back to THE WORLD IS ENDING LET’S TALK ABOUT DEATH, to make things even more jarring.) It felt at times like it was parodying both the typical heroic fantasy and itself. So unfortunately, in the end it just felt confused. It’s observing a lot of real-world problems but can’t come up with an answer, so it fills the void with generic feel-good hope instead.

I also never figured out what it was trying to say with Aubrey. Like, there are plenty of stories where the Chosen One is secretly being manipulated to destroy the world instead of save it, but they usually defect at that point instead of saying “heck yeah I love omnicide”. How are you going to “feel special” when everyone is dead including yourself, Aubrey? Even sociopaths have self-preservation instincts! There’s a lot that can be said about heroic fantasies and the toxicity therein, but I have a hard time imagining anyone relates to “I want to be a hero so bad I will murder-suicide the entire world.”

Gameplay-wise, the game is pretty much identical to Night in the Woods, in that the main point of every area is to walk around and talk to people. What I don’t understand is why the game kept kicking you out of conversation every few lines and forcing you to re-initiate dialogue to continue the scene. This happens even when the next chunk starts with a direct response to the previous line, so it makes no sense for them to be split up. It’s odd, I didn’t really mind it when Night in the Woods did it, but here it got pretty annoying. The musical segments also went on just a tad too long — I get that music is the entire point of the game, but after about a solid minute of rhythm minigame I think I get the point.

That’s the other thing — all the “music” mechanics are purely visual, not aural. The way it works is that moving the control stick brings up a color wheel, with every color corresponding to a different note. Every single “music” puzzle is based around matching the colors or positions on the music wheel, or both. There are a few rhythm minigames, but they’re pretty much impossible to do by ear alone and are telegraphed by the colored notes lining up in sequence. It’s an odd choice. (And I hope it doesn’t give colorblind players too much trouble.)

The achievements only being for things Aubrey did was really funny, though.

So I’m overall not sure if I’d recommend this or not. If you didn’t mind the slowness and talk-to-everyone-ness of Night in the Woods, you probably won’t mind the gameplay (and some of the puzzles are genuinely pretty cool, if backloaded), but otherwise I don’t know if it’s worth it.

nanashi
nanashi

Easily one of the best games I've played all year. I loved the different cities, each with their own themes and feel and gameplay mechanics. Every character, from the main cast down to random NPCs, show their personality through their dialogue. Singing as a mechanic should be in more games. I'm glad to say that the story pulled at my heartstrings more than a few times.

This is a perfect game for when you want something chill, but not mindless. It's a pretty easy game, while still having enough variety and complexity to stay engaging the whole way through.

Definitely play this game.

ImNotTimmy
ImNotTimmy

AAAAA EEEEE OOOOO EHHHHHH AAAAAAA EHHHHH OOOOO EEEE EEEEE EHHH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

FROGMAN (they're blue)
FROGMAN (they'…

This is one of my favorite games of all time. A beautiful mixture of lovable characters and humor with a genuinely touching story about the comorbidity of violence and heroism. If you're not doing so well mental health-wise, play this game - if it doesn't make you feel better about the world, it'll at least cheer you up more generally. It's easily one of the best games you'll find out there, so stop reading this review and go play it, doofus.

pheno
pheno

everything about this game is great and i love it

play it if you want it has amazing characters and an absolutely amazing story

Krow
Krow

Emotional game, very positive, enjoyed it!

Blubby
Blubby

play this game, I recommend you have a speaker/headphones with good audio quality.
do yourself a favor and finish this game, it's truly and utterly beautiful

Goose
Goose

Brought me to tears.... great game, with an amazing storyline and well thought out characters to boot! It doesn't take much rhythm to play, very lenient it definetly doesn't feel like guitar hero or anything close to it, puzzles are quite easy as well.
Not much else to say other than, enjoy this beautifully crafted story and DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO yourself a favor and play it, you wont regret it!

Izzy
Izzy

oh. might. EYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this game was SO good!!!!!!!!!!!! it make me cry, it made me frustrated, and it made me very happy. the artstyle is WONDERFUL, the characters are AMAZING, and the story is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!! 10/10. Miriam is the best character and I kin her. I love this game so much. I think its taken the cake for my favorite game. Portal 2 is now my second favorite game. If you haven't played this game, PLAY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I found it from Weest's editted VOD and its so much better than just the 30 minutes you see. Seriously, play this game. And if you have, beat it/beat it again!!!!!! I want to try to get every achievement as well, but I don't know if i can do that. I also want to get all the trading cards. The steam summer sale is coming up, so get this game!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coco
Coco

Developers if you ever read this: This is one of the best pieces of media I have ever consumed. Thank you.

sun_shine64
sun_shine64

played this all in one day. gonna go cry now. pretty fuckin great game not gonna lie

Potato
Potato

really good game

bunch of fun characters and game mechanics

also you can hit the griddy

10/10 game that's worth buying

Mango
Mango

If you want a heartwarming game, this is it

Spacy
Spacy

This is a masterwork. The music is amazing, the world is lively, the characters are expressive and memorable, and the artstyle suits it all perfectly. I'm only upset that I finished it because now I can't experience any more of it for the first time. You're doing a disservice to yourself if you don't explore every inch of this game, read every line of text, or find every hidden dance. Everything oozes with a character that most developers only hope to achieve.

I love this game.

katrobae95
katrobae95

It's very user-friendly and so cute. It's a simple but deep storyline with lots of little pockets of content to discover and enjoy. Very fun, very sweet, and full of heart.

TangoMango
TangoMango

very good, this game needs more attention

SketchyPlaysVideoGames
SketchyPlaysVi…

I went into this game blind, which is not something i normally do, as i normally go into games after watching some random youtuber talk funny commentary.
Please try to go into this game blind. (Although, I suppose that goes for any story rich game really.)
I still haven't finished, but it's so good, so cute, and so funny
The main character is a very funny lad whomst is very friendly and agreeable and gets to have an identity crisis or two.
You make many friends and it is all silly cute fun and holy crap since when was this a horror game-

avm
avm

To expensive. Its a great game, im not going to argue about that with its great story and interesting mecaniks but its way to short for the prize .A great experience nontheless but maybe for a price cut untill you buy it.

Johnny Tsunami
Johnny Tsunami

I stumbled upon this game through a sale. It looked interesting and I generally enjoy rhythm/musical games. It actually surpassed my expections. A truly hidden gem. Fun and relaxing game.

sunboy ✩
sunboy ✩

this game is one of my favourites

mayonism
mayonism

game that makes you cry from happiness

Pulchritude
Pulchritude

A warm, sweaty hug embodied in a game. Messy, sappy, cheesy yet a pure antidepressant nonetheless. Good. A little inconsistent quality-wise, but good.

Blargensnorf
Blargensnorf

I just came back to this game after 3 years and it made me just as happy as it did the first time i played it. One of those silly, joyful games that get you in that feel-good mood, then it grabs and pulls you into its more introspective narrative when your guard is down. Such a loving game with a wonderful message.

borscht
borscht

oh boy, here we go.

this game seemed like a perfect pick for me. well. i did enjoy some of the jokes and i liked the overall visual style of it (when i wasn't experiencing the weird-bloom-lag). the music was alright, but i kind of expected more from a game that literally centres around it and its "magic". it wasn't bad, it wasn't great either. the worst part, by far - was the platforming aspect of this game. i found some of it SO frustrating and buggy, that it really affected how i viewed this game. i never thought, that a game about a wholesome bard would make me want to ragequit so many times. i also didn't like how unnecessarily long some of the sequences were, especially near the end. it often made me feel like i was doing something wrong.

the story is.... nice? i appreciate the sentiment and the message this game carries. but in the end - it's not really that memorable or life-changing. neither are most of the characters or their overall arcs. for me, at least. oh, except for the trolls - they'll forever stay in my heart. :)

i don't know, i wanted to love this game. the first 3 acts were REALLY fun and promising, the rest of them - not so much. there were moments that i appreciated. kind of. there were jokes that gave me a good chuckle. but in the end - i would never play it again. nor think about it. and that's what disappoints me.

Juuuunii
Juuuunii

The. best. story. ever. The song mechanic is so fun to play around with and all the gameplay elements work so well around it. The ONLY problem I have with this game is the relatively short story and basically no replayability. I finished this game in one day and now I don't know what to do with myself :(

[GOON] musichead42
[GOON] musichead42

Great game for anyone looking for a really beautiful story and a lot of fun gameplay. The game introduces mechanics well with the bard singing being used for solving a variety of different puzzles. What's even more fun is talking to everyone in the game and hearing their stories. The game really emphasizes a lot of important themes throughout, including the importance of having a positive impact in the world, and I really can't recommend this enough.

The Introverted Positron
The Introverte…

i love taking my chances with games. Time always has to go in and when you're exploring many genres and lesser known titles sometimes you end up wasting it then there is games like this that are gems that I am happy to have found. To be clear this is not a perfect game. There are glitches and some rougher and boring aspects to puzzles however everything is very accessible and clear if you're paying attention which lends itself well in a puzzle platformer such as this. What the game has in bucket loads is heart and ingenuity. The story and execution as part of a game was amazing with even achievements lending to the intent of the narrative. I don't want to spoil much but definitely check this out if you have a little time and a little patience. This has certainly become one of my personal favourite games.