The best way to describe Wandersong's gameplay is that it's like an RPG without battles. The obstacles that the player has to overcome mostly consist of figuring out how to progress, usually by talking to townspeople in order to trigger some sequence of events. Does this mean there's nothing to the gameplay? Pretty much. This isn't a dealbreaker, as there are some dialogue-focused games that I do enjoy, but Wandersong is not one of them. The reason for this is because the dialogue is not good. There's been a recent epidemic of certain indie games all having the same brand of terrible writing- every character speaks like a teenager on the Internet. You know exactly what I'm talking about- lowercase letters, being overly "wholesome," usage of quirky language like "heck." It's all lazy, and it's all in an effort to create artificial charm and likeability that isn't really there. It's bearable in something like A Short Hike because of the gameplay around it, but when there's nothing to distract from it, like in Wandersong, it just gets really, really grating. Couple it with a boring meta-focused plot that wasn't clever the first dozen times it was done and it's almost painful.

Let's focus on the positives now- after all, that's what the game's main character would want. Although the puzzles are extremely easy, the way they're all integrated in with the singing mechanic in different ways is pretty well done. Likewise, certain wacky turns of events, like suddenly being in a non-linear platformer, or being trapped in a Majora's Mask-esque scenario, or sailing through the world map with a band of pirates, are pretty appealing and give you a reason to keep playing in spite of the dialogue. All in all, it should've fully been a rhythm game with some puzzle elements instead of just having occasional rhythm segments that are oddly impossible to fail.

(pls read my PS if you are a fellow trans person who is worried abt a scene another reviewer described as transphobic)
quite literally my most favorite game of all time. i think this games story genuinely has the power to change peoples outlook on life and their opinion of themselves for the better; and it is a story that needs to be told now more than ever. a powerful tale of friendship, hope, love, music, discovering your worth and the worth of even the smallest things, and why its worth it to keep trying and keep fighting for a better future and world even though its hard and feels damn near impossible. be prepared for some serious soul cleansing crying. if you are reading this, please play wandersong.
PS as a trans person, i personally did not interpret the scene another reviewer referred to as transphobic to be transphobic at all, i actually interpreted it the exact opposite way and was left very impressed with the trans representation in this game. however i can understand why people might be made uncomfortable by this scene. i think it is down to the individual as to whether or not this scene is bothers you.

Wandersong is very good and you should go out and play it. A lot of it is about what it is to be a hero and saving the world without hacking and slashing.

It has many great characters in it (having given up coffee, I especially liked the pirates). The music is delightful and the story line zips along nicely.

And you think it's shown you all that it can do mechanically and it comes up with something new.

There were some boss fights that I felt could be shorter and one or two points that I got a bit waylaid, but overall it's good.

And being able to do goofy dances and sing at inappropriate times was lovely.

I enjoyed this more than the hour or so I spent with Bard's Tale. Best barding game I've played to date (though maybe I should go replay The Bard's Tale (2004)).

CWs for Wandersong: familial death, body horror

Wandersong is an earnest adventure-platformer. The game is packed to the brim with RPG homage and stapled to the dinkiest toy keyboard you've ever played with. The meta-narrative move to have the player characters discuss being or not being The Hero isn't really interesting to me when it's being on the nose or working through homage. The same thought, however, is really phenomenal when characters are dancing and bouncing off one another in this kind of comics and theater kind of mode. It's quiet and somber and kind of strange when you realize things do and don't revolve around you.

Wandersong... Wandersong... Truly you are a treasure.


TL;DR PLAY WANDERSONG ITS GOOD
(I have more hours on switch than I do on here-- YEAH I BOUGHT IT LIKE 3 TIMES)

I remember seeing the kickstarter for this eons ago. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it at the time and it passed like many of the other boosted games that came tumbling down my timeline.

Later on, some friends of mine suggested I play it back when it first came out.
Sadly, I got given some of the worst out of context info to do so . It was only a song linked to me but, it deterred me since I didn't really know the context. I was a stickler for spoilers and misinterpreted the song Entirely.
I ended up not playing until around January or so.

God I was a fool for not playing earlier.

This game is FANTASTIC in so many ways.
It's simple yet effective. The colors are delicious, the storytelling is charming, the mechanics are relatively straight-forward and easy to understand once you grasp what it wants you to do.
Best of all? This game made me feel. It made me learn-- both about myself and the world I participate in.

I was hitting a pretty dark place mentally when Wandersong came into my life. It hit a lot of sore spots then kissed the wounds to bandage them up. It said to me... "you're not as big and important as those other guys.. but that's ok. We all make a difference in our own way."

It saved my mental state and helped me meet the love of my life. I've never been happier since getting into this game. Nothing has done that for me in such a long long time... Thank you Wandersong.

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When chapter 4 kicked in-- The ending to 3 sending it off... that part in particular I think is where this game truly hooked me. The twist that seemed so obvious after it came through shot me across the room and seeing a character actually get UPSET adnd WOUNDED by it.
Losing themselves briefly... and the core thing that they try to represent with themselves? That's wonderful story-telling right there. Showing that a character has weakness and illustrating it through their own hometown was so moving... and getting to see the opposite side of that coin come to fruition in later chapters with Miriam--your friendly witch companion-- and her own rooted troubles with self identity and placement in the world as well.

This game is just... It's phenomenal. It comes off as a cheesy platformer-- and it is!! It certainly is! Cheese is a-plenty! But.. it's a good cheese. You can really read,, hear, and feel the heart put into this game and the commentary really sells it afterwards. Reading about Greg's own struggles in making the game from the ground up really made me experience Wandersong in an even brighter light than I already did-- that's amazing!

Please. Please Wandersong. Tell your friends, too!

Very cute and charming, was shocked at how genuine this game felt in terms of its themes and writing as I tend to bounce off hard when it comes to "quirky and twee" indie games but this felt like distilled hope in a precious little bottle and im happy I stuck with it all the way to the end this time (the playtime is so long because I shelved it for a year the first time and restarted it for this playthrough). The moment-to-moment gameplay itself ranged from middling to frustrating when the game decided it didn't feel like just being a rhythm game and there are bugs galore and easy to run into--nothing game breaking on my end but hard to ignore. Great experience, play it for yourself!