Wanda: A Beautiful Apocalypse

While the linear experience harms replayability, Wanda is overall one of the most beautiful, poetic, compelling, and masterful examples of the narrative potential of video games.

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In "Wanda: A Beautiful Apocalypse" , accompany two robots in a desolate, post-apocalyptic world in this short and simple story that focuses on companionship, love, and hope. Solve mini-puzzles, immerse yourself in a children's book-inspired art style, and enjoy delightful soundtracks. Reviewers praise Wanda for its beauty, poetry, compelling narrative, and masterful storytelling, making it a memorable experience despite its linear nature - 8/10 .

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 79 reviews

story28 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game features beautiful hand-drawn graphics and an amazing soundtrack that enhances the emotional experience.
The story is heartwarming and touching, focusing on the friendship and journey of two adorable robots in a post-apocalyptic world.
The puzzles, while sometimes challenging, are well-designed and can be skipped if players find themselves stuck.

The game suffers from excessively long, unskippable cutscenes that detract from the gameplay experience.
There is a lack of a proper menu and save system, making it frustrating for players to manage their progress.
The dialogue is presented in a fictional language that can be confusing, and the pacing of the game is often too slow.

story
106 mentions
26 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story is a short, emotional narrative centered around two robots navigating a post-apocalyptic world, conveyed primarily through expressive cutscenes and visual storytelling rather than dialogue. While the minimalist approach and soundtrack enhance the experience, the lack of player interaction and unskippable cutscenes can detract from engagement, leading to a slow pacing that some players find cumbersome. Overall, the story is appreciated for its heartwarming themes of friendship and hope, despite criticisms regarding its delivery and depth.
- “The characters are expressive, the story is heart-warming, and the minimalist style really lets the soundtrack shine.”
- “[i]Wanda - a beautiful apocalypse[/i] is a touching story about two little robots finding each other in a seemingly lifeless world.”
- “The story evokes so many thoughts and feelings without ever saying a word.”
- “While you can put together the gist of the story and background lore off of watching the cutscenes, having all the dialogue in the robot language keeps you somewhat disengaged and confused for as much time as the slow and unskippable cutscenes take place.”
- “Unfortunately, it's let down by the lack of story interaction and the unskippable cutscenes.”
- “The story is meaningless; puzzles are boring and juvenile.”
music
46 mentions
61 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the minimalist art style. Many players find the soundtrack captivating enough to listen to independently, highlighting its integral role in the storytelling. While the puzzles receive mixed feedback regarding their difficulty, the consensus is that the music significantly elevates the emotional depth and immersion of the game.
- “The characters are expressive, the story is heart-warming, and the minimalist style really lets the soundtrack shine.”
- “The music is very lovely, and fits in well with the game.”
- “I could listen to the soundtrack all day.”
- “Usually I turn off the music for video games and listen to my own, but 'Wanda' isn't really a game you're supposed to do that with.”
- “Frankly, I am not a big fan of puzzle games, but I played this game for the reason of the art style, the soundtracks, the story, and of course the amount of effort put into this game by the devs.”
- “Soothing music and brain-teasing puzzles.”
graphics
32 mentions
31 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a beautiful hand-drawn art style that effectively conveys the post-apocalyptic setting, with many players appreciating the simplistic yet aesthetic visuals that complement the atmospheric soundtrack. While some reviewers noted the graphics as somewhat old school, they still found them charming and fitting for the game's narrative, allowing players to grasp the story even without dialogue. Overall, the developers' dedication to the visual and audio elements is evident, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The hand-drawn art style of the post-apocalyptic world is beautiful.”
- “Beautiful hand-drawn graphics, amazing soundtracks, and an interesting story.”
- “To me, both the backgrounds and normal in-game graphics are nicely drawn and embody the spirit of the game.”
- “I don't really want to mention graphics with the game made of RPG making tool, but I strongly recommend you guys to play a masterpiece like 'To the Moon' instead of this piece of crap; it is a far better game made out of the same tool, and it still has great heartwarming stories and interesting gameplay.”
- “The graphics of the game are a bit old school, but I found myself enjoying them.”
- “The graphics?”
emotional
28 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming story and expressive characters, particularly the touching friendship between two robots in a post-apocalyptic setting. Many players find the narrative immersive and deeply moving, often describing it as a heartfelt experience that can evoke strong emotions, especially towards the end. While some critiques mention frustrating puzzles, the overall sentiment is that the emotional journey makes the game worthwhile, especially for those seeking a simple yet impactful adventure.
- “The characters are expressive, the story is heartwarming, and the minimalist style really lets the soundtrack shine.”
- “I'm recommending this game because it's the most heartwarming experience I've had in the last week or so.”
- “[i]Wanda - A Beautiful Apocalypse[/i] is a touching story about two little robots finding each other in a seemingly lifeless world.”
gameplay
20 mentions
20 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The gameplay in [i]wanda[/i] is minimal, with a significant portion of the experience dominated by unskippable cutscenes, leaving only a small amount of actual puzzle-solving and exploration. While the game features intriguing mechanics and RPG elements, many players feel that it lacks depth and would benefit from a standalone, longer puzzle-focused experience. Overall, the gameplay is simple and often feels secondary to the narrative.
- “I would suggest the developers to release a standalone and longer puzzle game with the nice mechanics they hint at in [i]wanda[/i].”
- “Back to the game, the RPG elements and the story tell us of two robots in a post-apocalyptic world, and they will be your two protagonists - you'll need both to get over puzzles and such.”
- “And this thing comes out with the skip function, not available in any part of the game except for the puzzles, so that even the hardest ones after some tries can be skippable - probably the developer themselves wanted to put everything in the adventure theme rather than in the mere 'puzzle' one, although the puzzle element still remains the most important for what concerns the gameplay.”
- “There isn't a whole lot of gameplay in this game.”
- “In fact, there are more cutscenes than gameplay itself (solving puzzles and searching for collectible data shards).”
- “50% of the gameplay (10% of the whole game) is optional.”
grinding
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with a mix of frustrating puzzles and slow-paced interactive movie segments that can feel monotonous. While some appreciate the depth of the dialogue and the effort required to decipher the language, the overall experience is marred by the repetitive nature of grinding for experience and loot.
- “Kingdom of grinding experience points and farming loot for your character.”
- “It is a bit tedious to do, but at least the dialogue and signs can be understood.”
- “Beside the puzzles, the other half of the game is more an interactive movie, sometimes really slow-paced to the point of being tedious, where you watch the robots wandering around the devastated world and talking to each other in an unknown language.”
atmosphere
8 mentions
50 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highlighted as a strong point, with users praising its charming graphics and emotive background music that enhance the overall experience. Despite some technical flaws and a lack of polish, players find that immersing themselves in the narrative and ambiance can lead to an enjoyable experience, especially for fans of puzzle RPGs.
- “If you're into a puzzle RPG with lots of narrative and emotive elements, and if you think that you'll want to spend some afternoons diving into the game's atmosphere, in my opinion this game deserves to be bought and played despite its flaws.”
- “Both the graphics and music are nice and atmospheric.”
- “I did not expect much from it, but I was pleasantly surprised by how atmospheric the background music is and how charming the little robots are!”
- “The game lacks polish and a proper menu, which makes it frustrating to navigate. While it has a short playtime, if you can overlook the slowness and immerse yourself in the atmosphere and plot, you might find some enjoyment.”
- “If you're looking for a puzzle RPG with a strong narrative and emotional elements, you might want to invest time in the game's atmosphere. Despite its flaws, it has potential, but the developers could have made improvements.”
- “The game has limitations due to RPG Maker, and while it offers a narrative-driven experience, the atmosphere could have been enhanced significantly. It's worth playing, but it feels like it falls short in several areas.”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, particularly with game freezes occurring after lengthy cutscenes, often resulting in lost progress due to the lack of recent saves. This has led to frustration among players, highlighting a critical need for improvements in the game's stability.
- “It's pretty annoying when you sit around watching a cutscene for 10 minutes and then the game freezes up afterwards with no saves since before the last puzzle.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it impossible to enjoy the experience.”
- “I lost hours of progress due to constant stability issues; it's incredibly frustrating.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is balanced with emotional depth, featuring a mix of both sad and funny moments that contribute to a nuanced storytelling experience.
- “Sometimes there are sad moments, sometimes funny ones.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted through the intriguing designs and emotional expressiveness of the robots, which effectively convey feelings despite the lack of verbal communication. This unique approach allows players to connect with the characters on a deeper level.
- “The character designs are very interesting, and it is amazing how emotive these little robots can get, even though I can't understand a word they are saying.”
replayability
1 mentions
200 % positive mentions
-400 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
While the linear structure of the game limits its replayability, players still find it to be a stunning and masterful narrative experience that showcases the artistic potential of video games.
- “The game offers multiple endings and choices that significantly change the outcome, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
- “With its diverse character builds and strategies, every run feels unique, encouraging players to experiment and explore different playstyles.”
- “While the linear experience harms replayability, Wanda is overall one of the most beautiful, poetic, compelling, and masterful examples of the narrative potential of video games.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to return, as the story doesn't change and the gameplay feels repetitive.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and branching paths makes replaying the game feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”