Wayward Strand

An experience that touches the soul and the heart, about the most precious present we can make to other people: our time.

Wayward Strand offers up a uniquely Australian take on the narrative adventure game with a gorgeous art direction and moving portrayal of hard-working people in a harsh system. Despite a couple of pacing issues and an unforgiven save system, Wayward Strand is an approachable and hugely enjoyable little world to explore and find some catharsis in.

Wayward Strand is a delightfully grounded game, despite its foreign setting. In this small, cozy space there is genuine hope, sadness, anger, and love. These are real people and Casey is a young girl learning how to grasp the world in new ways. Players have the ability to be an active part of this experience and let the world envelop them, or buck responsibility for personal gain. Like Casey, like Tomi, or Mr. Avery, or Dr. Shen, or Esther, or like Joe, I wish I had more time to see and do everything all at once. Alas, in life you do not get a repeat performance. At least here there are bountiful opportunities to make friends, to be compassionate, to listen, to sit, to breathe, and to exist. Each day and each run a chance to do something more valuable than the last.

Finding the quiet yet poignant moments among the personal human dramas unfolding aboard a flying hospital, Wayward Strand is a chilled out and beautiful game. The world itself progresses unabated even without your involvement which means each player will likely experience something different and unique to them. It has a few visual bugs but they do little to detract from this game’s strong narrative core.

Playing like an interactive theatre experience, we’re won over by the huge heart of this production, even if the set doesn’t half wobble. [Issue#20, p.91]

Wayward Strand is a lovely graphical adventure with the feel of a whodunit in some ways. The charming Aussie voice cast conveys a great sense of place, just as the design does a good job recreating that awkward waiting around in hospitals feeling. It's recommended by us, but it might not be your cup of tea either.

Wayward Strand is a great narrative experience but not a game for everybody. The lack of clear direction and rewards can make its simple gameplay loop feel overwhelming, and the grounded themes it tackles aren’t always easy to get through. For those willing to give it a look, though, it’s a game that offers characters who players won’t be able to keep from falling in love with, and the experience it offers will stick with whoever plays it long after the credits roll.

Wayward Stand tells an intimate story that you discover at your own pace. The non-linear design gives you the freedom to personalize your journey through a long weekend at work with your mother. The in-game clock makes the world feel alive and pushes you to follow story arcs rather than meander. While the conclusion is a little lacklustre and there is an absence of gameplay, this is a wonderful passage through a moment in time.

With a lovely cast and setting, Wayward Strand is sure to land into your heart even if it does lack gameplay essentials such as more frequent save points or, at the very least, a skip button.