Product Info

Platform

Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X

Publisher

Fellow Traveller

Developer

Paper Castle Games

Genre

RPG

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

1.6 GB

Release Date (NA)

Sep 19, 2025

Purchase From

eShop

PSN Store

Steam

Wander Stars is an indie role-playing game (RPG) that pays homage to classic ‘90s anime and features an innovative battle system that sets it apart from other RPGs. This makes it a truly unique title to play.

Last Time on Wander Stars…

Meet Ringo, a young martial artist who lives with her grandmother and encounters Wolfe, a humanoid wolf from outer space searching for glowing pieces of the Wanderstar Map. These pieces have the ability to interact with each other and pinpoint the location of other pieces. Ringo’s older brother, who mysteriously disappeared, possesses one of these pieces and joins Wolfe on a journey to not only collect the map pieces but also locate Ringo’s missing brother.

Throughout their adventure, they meet a variety of unique characters who either assist them or hinder their progress. The game has a lighthearted tone with moments of comedy. The cutscenes are illustrated and animated in a style reminiscent of ’90s anime shows like Dragon Ball and Ranma ½. The story is divided into episodes, each focusing on different characters, creating an anime-like viewing experience. Additionally, each episode features a jingle accompanying the title card.

Players have the option to skip through cutscenes using a feature that simulates a vintage VCR fast-forwarding effect. This feature, referred to as “fast-forward,” can also be used to rewind scenes for a retro VHS feel. The transitions between scenes should be quick and seamless, allowing players to move through the dialogue at their own pace without feeling compelled to watch it play out in real time.

Dem’s Fightin’ Words!

You can carry a set of words that you can use in battles. These words range from attacks like “kick”, “claws”, or “punch” and use additional words to boost them along with elemental words. For example, you can combine words like “Big Amazing Fire Kick.” It would require four words to implement into the slots available for Ringo. Additionally, you can use words like “Big Block” to increase the amount of points you can block. In this example, if you have ten points added to your block points (BP) from the words you used and the enemy uses an attack that’s five damage points, not only do you only use half the BP but no damage is taken to your health points (HP). However, some attacks can bypass BP and take some of your HP or cause elemental effects such as “shock” or “burnt” that can cause damage to your next set of turns. If you use words like “Electric Block” or “Fire Block”, you can avoid elemental attacks to prevent status effects. Be warned, when you use words in your attacks, it takes a turn or more to cooldown. This means that words used before can’t be used for a short brief period. If you use words like “Fast”, this can help the cooldown for all the words used at once, except for “Fast”.

Only one action word (highlighted in green) and one elemental word (highlighted in blue) can be used. However, adjective words that are highlighted in red can be stacked, as long as you have enough slots to add words. You can increase them as you play so be sure to keep an eye out for the opportunity.

It would be more interesting if the game offered a boost in your word setup in a specific order. This could be a learning opportunity for players and a more in-depth system. Let’s say, for example, you use the words “Amazing Super Fire Kick” and it caused eight damage points. If you put it in this order instead, “Super Amazing Fire Kick,” it could increase by two more points. While it may not be necessary and definitely would create more development time for the developers to have to come up with a setup like this, it could generate a new layer of depth to this battle system.

Overall, the battle system is a unique system that lets the player determine how they want to battle in a variety of ways. This gameplay is the highlight of the game’s mechanics and it’s done quite well, something rare you see. It certainly stands out. It’s simple enough to learn and fun to mix around. It feels like you are taking magnetic letters from a refrigerator and arranging them to make something new. It’s a fun feeling that makes this game enjoyable.

Roaming on a Gameboard

Adventuring through Wander Stars is not a game where you can freely roam or follow linear paths like many RPGs. Instead, each area is laid out like a game board. You can land on spots that either do nothing or activate an event. These events can include a side story cutscene, an opportunity to make a multiple choice to earn a prize or lose something like health. Additionally, some spots will boost Ringo’s stats and skills, but only for the duration of the episode. You can also engage in battles, which are the only opportunity to increase honor points and acquire new items or skills.

Honor points are earned through battles. If you can reach a “Breaking Point” with a foe, where you lower their health points enough before knocking them out and leave the battle scene by using the “Peace” option, you can earn more points. Accumulating these points will help increase Ringo’s power and stats permanently after completing the episode. Additionally, you’ll be rewarded with “Pep Up” from the fighters you battled against and words to equip. Each “Pep Up” creates status effects such as starting off each battle with five BP or replenishing health by a digit on each “empty” spot you land on the map. Make sure to equip them.

The game autosaves when you enter a new board area but does not save progress you’ve made on the current board. For example, if you went through a couple of battles and wanted to stop, the game won’t save what you accomplished, and instead, you start at the beginning of the area’s board. When you reload a board, some events may change, so you won’t always get the same scenario as before. Ideally, the option to at least manually save your progress should be available.

You’ll go through a set of boards, each one with a goal and a potential boss battle. Boss battles are fun and last longer than the normal fights you’ve encountered. You can’t push these big battles into a breaking point, so you’ll need to deplete their health to zero.

All battles are done with Ringo. If her health drops to zero, the battle is over. Any allies who have accompanied you will jump in only if you use some of their words in battle. For example, Wolfe will use his attack if “Claws” was initiated in the attack.

While Ringo and her teammates animate when attacking, foes on the other side don’t show as much life as they don’t animate when attacking. Instead, they show a different character view when taking damage, in a breaking point situation, or knocked out. It would feel more animated if enemies could showcase attack poses.

Powering Up Your True Form

From the characters to the environment, Wander Stars feels like watching an anime from the 1990s. Character poses and postures give off that Dragon Ball and Ranma ½ vibe. It doesn’t have voice acting, but if it did, it could capture more of the anime theme by shouting out the words the player initiates, just like if Goku from Dragon Ball was yelling “Kamehameha!”. The goofy designs Ringo and Wolfe make when they are not serious are comical.

The game’s soundtrack by Sayth Vashra and Stijn Van Wakeren is great for this game. Its engaging battle theme, “Light Hearted Encounter,” is fun to listen to during every battle you engage in. The soundtrack carries not only energetic tunes but also symphonic, soothing tunes such as “Witch’s Lullaby”. Overall, it is a solid set of scores that fits with this style of game.

The Final Word

Wander Stars is a unique RPG title that allows players to craft their own attacks by mixing and matching words, creating an engaging and enjoyable battle experience with a nostalgic ‘90s anime vibe. With its anime episode-style storytelling and creative combat system, the game truly shines. It’s missing those vocal scream attacks that would make it a fulfilling anime experience.

A PlayStation 5 code provided for this review. Wander Stars is available now for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.