Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Wonderia to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinion. This will be my honest review.

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Table of Contents

What is Wanderia?

Wanderia is a cozy 2, open world survival game out now on Steam Early Access. If you want a game like Don’t Starve with more of an Animal Crossing vibe, you might want to check out Wonderia.

Hook

You are flying to the farthest reaches of space when you are ripped from cryosleep. You are the only survivor and luckily, the AI uses the last of its power to get you safely onto an alien planet. The planet is full of strange creatures and plants. Armed with only the clothes on your back, you must find a way to survive. Explore this strange new world, mine its resources, build useful items, decorate your base, and find the secrets hidden behind every corner. Make sure you stay fed as you brave the dangers of this new world. What secrets will you uncover? Do you have what it takes to survive and rebuild?

Gameplay

There is a lot to do in this game, and I will do my best to break it into its parts. The game follows the traditional survival formula. Players start the game with limited resources and have to explore and discover new recipes to help them survive the worlds ecosystem. What makes this game a cozy experience is that players have the freedom to pick their gameplay loop. Do you want to delve dungeons? Fight monsters? Farm? Fish? You can do it all, so long as you stay on top of your hunger.

Exploration

The game features a massive, randomly generate map to explore with a diverse biomes to keep players on their toes. You explore dense forests one minute, arid deserts the next, spooky caves, and rewarding dungeons. Each biome has its own set of challenges to overcome, to keep players on their toes. Whether you are looking for the next recipe to discover, items for your next upgrade, or just want to get lost in this unique alien planet, the map is big enough to keep you busy enough to be worth the sticker price.

Combat

Combat in this game is a simple hack and slash game. It is easy on the hands, and for those of you who want to sit back and chill instead of booting up Dark Souls. Players build their armor and weapons, or find unique weapons on their journey. I had a lot of fun beating my foes with an old fish I found, even when I could build more powerful weapons. There is just enough skill required in combat to keep players engaged without giving up any of the game’s cozy vibes.

Farming

When you are ready to settle down, you can always farm. Plants and trees you collect will sometimes drop seeds you can plant and tend. Grab your hoe and watering can, and build your steady supply of ingredients. For those of you who enjoy games like Stardew Valley, you might want to give Wonderia a bit of your attention.

Crafting

Players start their adventure with sticks and rocks, but slowly uncover new recipes as they explore more of Wonderia’s alien planet. Crafting is a simple button press, so long as you have the required materials. You might need a guide for some of the more advanced recipes, but most of the crafting is strait forward. I would go in blind. There really is no way to brick your run, although I might have gotten lucky.

Does it work on the Steam Deck?

Wonderia works great on the Steam Deck. It doesn’t take much space, which is fantastic because I have no memory. It doesn’t kill your battery or max out your fans which is a plus for me. I do like playing these types of cozy games on the Steam Deck because I can chill on the couch or lay in bed, but I wasn’t too crazy about the controller support. It isn’t bad, but there there are some dungeons that were hard because of how the joystick moves the character. I would have liked if I could use the Dpad for some of the puzzles, but this could be a skill issue. Personally, I prefer using a keyboard and mouse, but I’ll still be playing this game on the Steam Deck for its overall convenience.

Review

I love Wonderia for its cozy vibes and gameplay. I would have gotten this review out sooner, but I didn’t want my adventure to end. I am addicted and find it almost impossible to put the game down. If you enjoy survival farming games, you have a home in Wonderia.

Aesthetic

The art in this game is fantastic. I love the simple, cartoonish design of the world and characters. It gives the game its unique and memorable world, and one that is a lot of fun to explore. What sets this game apart from other games in the genre is the overarching silly tone that exists everywhere. The monsters that throw up rainbows, the cute dangerous smiles, and the dialogue and world building make Wonderia a place you want to sit with and wander. I have a soft spot for 2D cartoon games because I’m old, but games don’t need to have crazy realistic graphics to be good. Dungeons & Kingdoms had more realistic looking world, but that game was boring.

Gameplay

I appreciate the amount of content that exists in this early access game. I was able to dive into whatever I wanted based on my mood, and it is the reason why I stuck with the game so long. It reminds me a lot of Fantasy Life, and played to much of that game. You can explore, fight, farm, fish, and it always kept things fresh. I only played solo and can’t speak on the multiplayer or creative mode experiences, but there was enough to keep me addicted. At least long enough to justify the price point.

It is always hard to recommend early access games because there is that roughness that might scare off the more casual or busy gamer, but I didn’t feel like that was the case with Wonderia. I’ve played early games like the Cycles of Aylorea alpha that had cool ideas, but it was hard to justify a recommendation. Even if it is free to play. Wonderia has some roughness to it, it doesn’t matter. There is enough to do to keep you busy, and the devs seem to be working on making the experience even better.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a new survival game to shamelessly sink hours into, check out Wonderia. The game looks good, plays better, and it has enough content to justify at Early Access. You can pick it up now on Steam Early Access.

If you like these 2D survival games, make sure you check out one of my personal favorites: Core Keeper. I also have a soft spot for Pathless Woods, if you are looking for something a little more cozy.

Trailer