Ivy Road Studios, the team behind last year’s well-received narrative shop simulator Wanderstop, is closing its doors tomorrow, March 31. The team announced the news this past Friday.
The studio was founded by Davey Wreden, known as the creator of The Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide. In a website post, the team explains that it was unable to secure funding for its next project, known as Engine Angel. Because of this, the studio must shut down. “It’s a particularly tough time for raising game funds, so while we weren’t necessarily surprised, we are disappointed that we won’t be able to bring Engine Angel to life together as a team,” reads a section of Ivy Road’s post. The team also provides a link to a 35-second concept video showing off what looks like a whimsical car combat game.
As for what this means for Wanderstop, the game will remain available for purchase on each platform it’s listed on, and owners will still be able to download and install it. Ivy Road also reveals that it has been working on one final surprise for the game to help it reach new players. Publisher Annapurna Interactive will share more about what this is in the future.
In the meantime, Ivy Road shared a chapter select code that will allow players to revisit specific chapters in Wanderstop or serve as a remedy to players who get stuck. This is activated by typing in the following command at the game’s main menu screen using the d-pad: UP, LEFT, DOWN, RIGHT, UP, B (RMB), UP, RIGHT, DOWN, LEFT, UP, B (RMB), UP, DOWN, UP.
Wanderstop stars a retired warrior named Alta who begrudgingly helps manage a tea shop in a magical forest. Although the game sports cozy mechanics, such as harvesting ingredients to brew teas and managing the store and its whimsical customers, it’s a narrative-focused adventure that centers on Alta’s mental health stemming from her fighting days.
Executive Editor Kyle Hilliard scored Wanderstop an 8 out of 10 in his review, in which he writes, “I admire the game for being able to use video game genre conventions to tell a pensive, funny, and surprising story set in a charming location with enjoyable characters. Watching Alta grow and accept her limitations will stick with me and make me reflect on my own inability to turn off and just relax. I appreciate any art that makes you think in that way, and Wanderstop is successful in that goal.”