Wandersong

Wandersong is a side-scrolling puzzle and adventure game that uses music as a puzzle-solving mechanic.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="Wandersong is a side scrolling adventure game where your ability is the wonder of music."}}{{Cite web|last=Frank|first=Allegra|title=Musical adventure Wandersong brings cuteness and quirk to Switch next year|url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/11/9/16624942/wandersong-nintendo-switch-trailer-release-date|website=Polygon|access-date=September 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907084327/https://www.polygon.com/2017/11/9/16624942/wandersong-nintendo-switch-trailer-release-date|archive-date=September 7, 2018|date=November 9, 2017|quote=A sidescroller with a combat system driven by music [...] To do this, he'll have to defeat enemies and solve puzzles using his singing voice alone. [...] Players spin around a colored wheel in specific orders to enter new areas and defeat bosses..|url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Rochefort |first1=Simone de |title=Wandersong is a musical game inspired by cartoons like Steven Universe |url=https://www.polygon.com/videos/2018/1/22/16919238/wandersong-musical-game-steven-universe |website=Polygon |access-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907093352/https://www.polygon.com/videos/2018/1/22/16919238/wandersong-musical-game-steven-universe |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |date=January 22, 2018 |quote=Wandersong is a whimsical puzzle-adventure game. The player character can sing a full octave of notes to solve puzzles. [...] the development team looked to cartoons that incorporate music, such as Steven Universe and Over The Garden Wall, for both the aesthetic and the non-intimidating tone and pace.|url-status=live}} The player character can sing to cause events to occur in the environment around them,{{Harvard citation no brackets|Chan|Lobanov|2017|loc="Most of the puzzles in Wandersong utilize music. [...] The Bard can sing whenever he wants to see how that interacts with the environment."}} using a coloured "song wheel" with eight directions, each representing musical notes spanning an octave, which is controlled by the mouse on a computer setup, or the right thumbstick on a controller.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Frank|Lobanov|2018|loc=1:55, "So, if you're playing on keyboard and mouse, it's the mouse, and if you're playing with a controller, its the right thumbstick."}}{{Cite web|last=Macgregor|first=Jody|title=Wandersong makes being a bard not suck for once|website=PC Gamer|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/wandersong-makes-being-a-bard-not-suck-for-once/|access-date=September 27, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20180927102633/https://www.pcgamer.com/wandersong-makes-being-a-bard-not-suck-for-once/|archive-date=September 27, 2018|date=September 15, 2018|quote=To sing you push the right-stick in one of eight directions that represent different notes which appear around you in a color-coded wheel (you can also use mouse and keys). Sometimes it's just the direction that's important [...] and sometimes it turns into a rhythm game where I have to match someone else's tune to impress them, or hit notes in time with sliding blocks of color to perform a specific song. [...] I've found no use for the dance button yet, but even if I never do, that's OK.|url-status=live}} Certain challenges in the game involve the player matching notes or tunes with a non-player character's song, similar to a typical rhythm game. Functions that allow the player to perform dances also exist, but do not actually serve a purpose in gameplay. The player character's goal is to gather the pieces of the "Earthsong", a composition that, when sung in perfect harmony with everyone on earth, will allow the universe to be preserved.

The protagonist, a bard, meets a messenger of the goddess Eya in a dream. The messenger tells them that the world is ending, and that the Bard is not "The Hero" of prophecy.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Chan|Lobanov|2017|loc="You play as The Bard, a cheerful musician who’s decided that they want to try to save the world. They wander throughout the land and attempt to find little pieces of what's called the Earth Song, which will allow existence to continue."}} However, they may be able to save the world by learning the "Earthsong". Each of the world's seven "Overseers" knows a piece of the Earthsong, and so the Bard is tasked with learning the songs corresponding to the Overseers. Each Overseer's song allows the Bard to travel to their domain in the spirit world and ask for their piece of the Earthsong.

The Bard travels around the world with a witch named Miriam, and they make friends in each location they visit as they search for the Overseers' songs. However, the third Overseer they meet is abruptly killed by a stranger before the Bard can learn the piece of the Earthsong. Eya's messenger reveals that the stranger, Audrey Redheart, is the prophesied Hero, chosen to bring about the end of the world by killing the Overseers. The Bard is able to learn the piece of the Earthsong from the dead Overseer, having gained the ability to speak to ghosts from the first Overseer.

The Bard and Miriam continue travelling in hopes that the completed Earthsong may still be able to save the world. Miriam, who was initially cynical and distrusting of the Bard, gradually grows to value their friendship. They meet Audrey several more times as she continues her quest to kill the Overseers. The Bard tries to convince Audrey to give up on her quest, saying that the title of "Hero" is not what makes her special. Audrey rejects this and kills the last Overseer before the Bard can learn the Earthsong.

The world fades to greyscale as it begins to die. The Bard sings, and all the people they met on their journey respond in harmony around the world. Color returns to the world, and its destruction is stopped. The messenger of Eya tells the Bard that their song was not the Earthsong, but something new that harmonized with Eya's song.

Wandersong was developed in GameMaker Studio by Greg Lobanov,{{cite web |last1=Chan |first1=Stephanie |title=YoYo Games will publish indie titles made with its GameMaker Studio engine |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/05/24/yoyo-games-will-publish-indie-titles-made-with-its-gamemaker-studio-engine/ |website=VentureBeat |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906234156/https://venturebeat.com/2018/05/24/yoyo-games-will-publish-indie-titles-made-with-its-gamemaker-studio-engine/ |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |date=May 24, 2018 |quote=Dumb and Fat Games used GameMaker Studio to develop its musical adventure Wandersong.|url-status=live}} who had also built a custom level editor and audio editor to create the game.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="...an important thing that I have to be mindful of is that I’m the only person doing art and animation and everything for the game, and so I need something that I could make a lot of easily. [...] So a lot of the style was a carefully managed design of something that looks really appealing but wasn’t super complicated to add more into, and there’s a level editor where I can draw the shapes that go into the game."}} It marks Lobanov's return to story-driven games, a milestone that had been a goal of his after years of learning game design skills developing games such as Perfection and Coin Crypt.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Chan|Lobanov|2017|loc="He’s developed other games before, like the puzzler Perfection, but Wandersong is different from all his previous titles. It’s a culmination of all the skills he’s taught himself over the last few years as an indie dev."}}{{cite web |last=Kline |first=Nicole |title=Coin Crypt: Interview with Local Indie Game Developer Greg Lobanov |url=http://www.geekadelphia.com/2013/12/17/coin-crypt-interview-with-local-indie-game-developer-greg-lobanov/ |website=Geekadelphia |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906231703/http://www.geekadelphia.com/2013/12/17/coin-crypt-interview-with-local-indie-game-developer-greg-lobanov/ |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |date=December 17, 2013|url-status=live}} Development on the game started in October 2015, and was inspired by a cross-country bike trip Lobanov took across the United States from October 2014 to March 2015.{{cite web |last1=Lobanov |first1=Greg |title=Wandersong (press kit) |url=http://dumbandfat.com/press/sheet.php?p=wandersong |website=Dumb and Fat |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906233855/http://dumbandfat.com/press/sheet.php?p=wandersong |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |date=2017 |quote=Wandersong was first made by Greg Lobanov, inspired by his 5,000 mile bike ride across the United States, and went into development in October 2015. [...] The game is made in Gamemaker: Studio [...] but expanded with a wide array of in-house dev tools including a shape-and-color based level editor and fairly advanced audio editor.|url-status=live}} Lobanov wanted to translate the "feel of that journey", where he had met various people and felt overwhelmed by their perceived kindness and generosity.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Chan|Lobanov|2017|loc="The inspiration for Wandersong came from Lobanov’s experiences on a cross-country bike trip. He wanted to capture the feel of that journey..."}}{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="..it exposed me to a lot of people, and a lot of people's kindness and generosity. I just met lots of different people across the country and was really overcome with appreciation for how nice people tend to be when you get down to it."}} Lobanov originally went for a more literal interpretation of the cross-country bike trip that inspired him, developing games about biking.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="The first things I did were (games) about biking, and they were really literal, but they felt like they actually were kind of missing the spirit of the trip. [...] It's kind of a really hippy, dopey, joyful rainbow message - I just wanted to make a game about that and like that.}} He was ultimately dissatisfied with these early concepts, feeling that they were "missing the spirit of the trip", and opted to create a game with a "really hippy, dopey, joyful rainbow message" that resembled his experiences on the trip. Lobanov's tenure in the "Indie House" in Vancouver, British Columbia early in development had an influence on the game's direction, as Lobanov shared his ideas with, and received feedback from, fellow game developers.{{cite web |last1=Bowman |first1=Mitch |title=Closing Vancouver's Indie House |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/1/16/14271442/closing-vancouvers-indie-house |website=Polygon |access-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907091723/https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/1/16/14271442/closing-vancouvers-indie-house |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |date=January 16, 2017|url-status=live}} Wandersong was funded through a Kickstarter campaign that successfully raised US$21,936 from 989 contributors in February 2016.{{Cite web|last=Usher|first=William|title=A New RPG Has Players Saving The World By Singing|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/games/RPG-Has-Players-Saving-World-By-Singing-113537.html|website=CinemaBlend|access-date=September 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911232932/https://www.cinemablend.com/games/RPG-Has-Players-Saving-World-By-Singing-113537.html|archive-date=September 11, 2018|date=January 24, 2016|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Hartling|first=Paul|title=Wandersong Will Have You Singing to Interact With the World!|url=https://www.bemanistyle.com/wandersong-will-have-you-singing-to-interact-with-the-world/|website=Bemanistyle|access-date=September 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911233306/https://www.bemanistyle.com/wandersong-will-have-you-singing-to-interact-with-the-world/|archive-date=September 11, 2018|date=February 8, 2017|quote=The Kickstarter was released for the game one year ago and was successfully funded with $21,936 pledged out of the $18,000 goal.|url-status=live}}

File:Wandersong (Gameplay).jpg or deaf players to solve the game's puzzles.]]

Lobanov invented the game's "song wheel" mechanic as a way to encourage the player to experiment with the environment, as opposed to the specificity of other music-related mechanics in games such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Chan|Lobanov|2017|loc="As opposed to games like, say, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, where you learn songs to use abilities, Wandersong takes a different tack. It encourages you to experiment..."}} The wheel was designed with accessibility in mind; Lobanov designed Wandersong so that the solutions to puzzles would always be hinted at through direction, rather than sound and colour alone, allowing players with color blindness or hearing loss to solve the game's puzzles.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Frank|Lobanov|2018|loc=12:31, "So, we never hint with just sound or just colour, and always with direction, usually. So, if you're colourblind or hard of hearing, you can still get everything."}} The introduction of new uses of the song wheel in each of the game's puzzle areas complements the absence of a consistently rising difficulty curve, allowing the game to also be accessible to players with a lower skill set in puzzle solving.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Frank|Lobanov|2018|loc=9:59, "Instead of going up in complexity, we'll just introduce something new..."}} Many puzzles in Wandersong were reworked from their initial, more complex iterations, after game testers and patrons at conventions, where the game was showcased during development, found them difficult or hard to understand.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Frank|Lobanov|2018|loc=8:45, "...there were earlier versions of all these screens where it was really more complicated and tricky, like 'you have to use this minor detail in the way that [the plant] grows' [...] no one ever got it..."}}

The game's "paper cutout" art style is primarily inspired by Kirby's Epic Yarn and its "physical feeling",{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="...other than the happy paper cutout visuals..."}}{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="Kirby’s Epic Yarn is probably the biggest visual inspiration. I just love the look of that game and I want more game that have that really physical feeling.}} the simplicity of which was also easier for Lobanov to work with as the game's sole programmer and artist. Characters flip over like paper when changing direction in the game's two-dimensional art style. The game's visuals have drawn comparisons by observers to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and the Paper Mario series.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="It has the flat design of Paper Mario or Wind Waker..."}} Its story, which Lobanov had planned the beginning and ending of from the start of development, is mostly constructed out of spontaneous ideas Lobanov had during development based on the game's core mechanic of singing, which were made easier to implement through the custom level editor and the minimalist art style.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="I have an outline of how I want the game to go, and I’m filling in the outline on the fly, so the best things in the game are when I have an idea and I think "what if this happened." [...] I write this text and get the scene going and suddenly it’s in. This would not have been in the game, and suddenly it’s in the game just like that."}} The apocalyptic setting of Wandersong is juxtaposed with an optimistic and positive atmosphere.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Chan|Lobanov|2017|loc="...the result is a game that’s unabashedly about optimism and positivity. That doesn’t meant that it shies away from the negatives. The world is about to end, and many of the characters The Bard encounters are mired in their own problems."}} Lobanov felt that a completely positive atmosphere would result in a "really empty experience", and decided to add tension through "really dark, scary, big things" to the game's story and opposing it with a "carefree, happy response" from The Bard.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Chan|Lobanov|2017|loc="If everything was happy all the time, it would be a really empty experience, I think. [...] There’s a lot of tension in the story with really dark, scary, big things that are happening, and then this kind of carefree, happy response to that."}} The game's non-intimidating tone and pace was informed by animated cartoons that incorporated music, such as Over the Garden Wall and Steven Universe.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="I was 0/3 on guessing which inspirations Greg noted he may have taken from, instead citing Earthbound, Over the Garden Wall, and Totoro as spiritual influences."}} The cartoons also served as a reference for the game's animations.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Frank|Lobanov|2018|loc=3:42, "I was definitely more inspired by comics animation than games when I was making this..."}}

The game's soundtrack was created by Lobanov and Gordon McGladdery, who is the director of A Shell in the Pit, a video game sound design and music production company known for their work on indie games such as Duelyst, Parkitect, and Rogue Legacy.{{cite web |last=Davenport |first=James |title=Listen to the best game music of the year |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/listen-to-the-best-game-music-of-the-year/ |website=PC Gamer |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906222101/https://www.pcgamer.com/listen-to-the-best-game-music-of-the-year/ |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |date=December 28, 2016 |quote=A good selection of the best game music of the last few years has all come from A Shell in the Pit, serving up lovely soundtracks for the likes of Duelyst, Rogue Legacy, Parkitect, and more.|url-status=live}}{{Harvard citation no brackets|Chan|Lobanov|2017|loc="[Lobanov] wrote a lot of the music and also had help from collaborators such A Shell in the Pit, who has worked on titles such as Night in the Woods and Rogue Legacy."}} Lobanov, who had not been traditionally trained in music, self-taught to compose and perform music for the game.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Chan|Lobanov|2017|loc="Lobanov isn't a classically trained musician, so he had to teach himself."}} Lobanov enlisted the help of McGladdery early in development after talking with and considering various composers.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="We had a lot of people coming in - we didn't even have open call for submissions because i had already 4 different musicians I was already talking to and looking at, but other people sent me stuff so I started considering more people..."}} Lobanov's admiration of McGladdery's musical style and the convenience of both of them being located in Vancouver had attracted him to McGladdery.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="A Shell in the Pit (Gordon) was someone I started talking to early on and I liked him a lot because he was local in Vancouver, and his music fit the game really really well. The sound, but also the way he makes music."}} Early in development, the composition of music for particular levels and scenes in the game would take place after the level or scene was completed, with changes to the level or scene also being implemented to better fit with the music composed.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="For now, the way it works is we have all this game play done and he kind of comes in and I show him the game and give him an idea of the way I think things sound like, and we have a conversation. He makes the music, we adjust the game to make it fit with it..."}} The game's sound design was produced in REAPER by A Shell in the Pit's Em Halberstadt,{{Harvard citation no brackets|Pillon|Halberstadt|2017|loc="My most important tool is my DAW [Digital Audio Workstation] Reaper."}} who previously worked on Night in the Woods as a sound designer.{{cite web |last=New |first=Daniel |title=GDC 18: The sound design of Night in the Woods |url=https://www.thumbsticks.com/gdc-18-sound-design-night-in-the-woods/ |website=Thumbsticks |access-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907021830/https://www.thumbsticks.com/gdc-18-sound-design-night-in-the-woods/ |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |date=March 23, 2018|url-status=live}} The game was a departure from Halberstadt's ambient style and Foley production for Night in the Woods and employed a more musical direction that also involved character voices.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Pillon|Halberstadt|2017|loc="In Night in the Woods I focused heavily on the ambiances and Foley because the world is based so much around the location. With Wandersong it's more about the music, and we'll also be doing character voices, which is a pretty big undertaking."}} For each sound effect in Wandersong, an entire scale of variations were created in Kontakt to fit the scale of the background music that it would appear with.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Pillon|Halberstadt|2017|loc="For musical sound effects instead of just a few variations I'll have to create the entire scale the music is in. I'll usually do that through a program called Kontakt, on a keyboard."}} An eight-track extended play featuring McGladdery's music for the game entitled Wandersong: Dreams & Wonder was released on November 8, 2017,{{cite web|last1=Cunningham|first1=James|date=November 9, 2017|title=Wandersong to Sing its Heart Out on Nintendo Switch|url=https://www.hardcoregamer.com/2017/11/09/wandersong-to-sing-its-heart-out-on-nintendo-switch/278811/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907030241/https://www.hardcoregamer.com/2017/11/09/wandersong-to-sing-its-heart-out-on-nintendo-switch/278811/|archive-date=September 7, 2018|access-date=September 7, 2018|website=Hardcore Gamer|quote=Wandersong released an eight track Dreams & Wonder EP on Bandcamp yesterday}} and a 7" single limited to 750 copies featuring the tracks "Sailing with the Coffee Pirates" and "Dreamscape" was released by Yetee Records on May 17, 2018.{{cite web|author1=rpbtz|date=May 17, 2018|title=The Wandersong EP is now available to order from Yetee Records|url=https://blipblop.net/the-wandersong-ep-is-now-available-to-order-from-yetee-records/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907030239/https://blipblop.net/the-wandersong-ep-is-now-available-to-order-from-yetee-records/|archive-date=September 7, 2018|access-date=September 7, 2018|website=Blip Blop}}

File:Nintendo-Switch-Console-Docked-wJoyConRB.jpg productions released on the Nintendo Switch.{{cite web |last=Manthorp |first=Ross |date=August 9, 2018 |title=Nintendo Switch Open Beta Now Available |url=https://www.yoyogames.com/blog/479/nintendo-switch-open-beta-now-available |website=YoYo Games |access-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907095008/https://www.yoyogames.com/blog/479/nintendo-switch-open-beta-now-available |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |quote=We’ve already seen the first wave of GameMaker Studio 2 titles announced for Nintendo Switch, including Hyper Light Drifter and Undertale...|url-status=live}}]]

Wandersong was showcased at GDC 2016, PAX West 2016, PAX West 2017, Day of the Devs 2017, and PAX West 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/wandersong-is-music-to-my-ears-521177.phtml|title=Wandersong is music to my ears|last1=Andriessen|first1=C.J.|date=September 9, 2018|website=Destructoid|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907095000/https://www.destructoid.com/wandersong-is-music-to-my-ears-521177.phtml|archive-date=September 7, 2018|access-date=September 7, 2018|quote=...and with an estimated 14 hour play time [..] Wandersong wasn't even on my radar before PAX West...}}{{Harvard citation no brackets|Emory|Lobanov|2016|loc="I first played Wandersong back at Game Developers Conference 2016, when it was part of The MIX, an annual celebration of indies."}}{{cite web |last1=Green |first1=Holly |last2=Douglas |first2=Dante |date=September 5, 2017 |title=The 10 Best Games at PAX West 2017 |url=https://amp.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/09/the-10-best-games-at-pax-west-2017.html |website=Paste |access-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907100129/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/09/the-10-best-games-at-pax-west-2017.html |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |url-status=live}}{{Harvard citation no brackets|Chan|Lobanov|2017|loc="Lobanov has demoed Wandersong at a few gaming events such as PAX West, and it'll be at Double Fine’s upcoming Day of the Devs gaming festival."}} The game was published by Humble Bundle's publishing imprint "Presented by Humble Bundle",{{cite web |last=Hayes |first=Matthew |date=November 9, 2017 |title=Humble Bundle Reveals Wandersong, a Musical Adventure Coming to Nintendo Switch and PC |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/2017/11/09/humble-bundle-wandersong-nintendo-switch/ |website=Comicbook.com |access-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907083308/https://comicbook.com/gaming/2017/11/09/humble-bundle-wandersong-nintendo-switch/ |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |url-status=live}} and released on September 27, 2018, on macOS and Microsoft Windows through the Humble Bundle Store and Steam, and on Nintendo Switch through the Nintendo eShop.{{Cite web|author=The Star staff|date=September 27, 2018|title=Video game releases: FIFA 19, Wandersong, Life Is Strange 2, Dragalia Lost, Pathfinder: Kingmaker|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2018/09/25/video-game-releases-fifa-19-wandersong-life-is-strange-2-dragalia-lost-pathfinder-kingmaker/|website=The Star|access-date=September 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927100950/https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2018/09/25/video-game-releases-fifa-19-wandersong-life-is-strange-2-dragalia-lost-pathfinder-kingmaker/|archive-date=September 27, 2018|quote=Wandersong For Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, MacOS from Sept 27|url-status=live}}{{cite web |last=Romano |first=Sal |date=September 6, 2018 |title=Wandersong launches September 27 |url=https://gematsu.com/2018/09/wandersong-launches-september-27 |website=Gematsu |access-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907083313/https://gematsu.com/2018/09/wandersong-launches-september-27 |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |quote=Musical side-scroller Wandersong will launch for Switch via the Nintendo eShop and PC via Steam and the Humble Store on September 27|url-status=live}} It was part of the first wave of games to be released with the GameMaker Studio 2 Nintendo Switch license, with Hyper Light Drifter and Undertale also being released for the Switch in September. The game was later released on PlayStation 4 via the PlayStation Store on January 22, 2019,{{Cite web|last=Romano|first=Sal|title=Wandersong coming to PS4 on January 22|url=https://gematsu.com/2019/01/wandersong-coming-to-ps4-on-january-22|website=Gematsu|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116195151/https://gematsu.com/2019/01/wandersong-coming-to-ps4-on-january-22|archive-date=January 16, 2019|date=January 16, 2019|quote=Wandersong is coming to PlayStation 4 via the PlayStation Store on January 22...|url-status=live}} Microsoft Windows via the Microsoft Store as a launch title for Xbox Game Pass for PC on June 9, 2019,{{Cite web|last=Brown|first=Matt|title=Xbox Game Pass PC Games List|url=https://www.windowscentral.com/xbox-game-pass-pc-list|website=Windows Central|access-date=June 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611081555/https://www.windowscentral.com/xbox-game-pass-pc-list|archive-date=June 11, 2019|date=June 9, 2019|quote=All the Xbox Game Pass PC titles available for Windows 10 [...] Wandersong|url-status=live}} and Xbox One via the Microsoft Store on December 6, 2019.{{Cite web|last=New|first=Daniel|title=This week's new Xbox One releases – December 2-6, 2019|url=https://www.thumbsticks.com/xbox-one-releases-december-2-6-2019-12022019/|website=Thumbsticks|access-date=December 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204072449/https://www.thumbsticks.com/xbox-one-releases-december-2-6-2019-12022019/|archive-date=December 4, 2019|date=December 2, 2019 |quote=Friday, December 6, 2019 [...] Wandersong|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Moyse|first=Chris|title=Wandersong brings its merry ballad to Xbox One and Game Pass this week|url=https://www.destructoid.com/wandersong-brings-its-merry-ballad-to-xbox-one-and-game-pass-this-week-574164.phtml |website=Destructoid|access-date=December 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229232733/https://www.destructoid.com/wandersong-brings-its-merry-ballad-to-xbox-one-and-game-pass-this-week-574164.phtml|archive-date=December 29, 2019|date=December 4, 2019 |quote=Furthermore, it will be made available via subscription service Xbox Game Pass. [...] Wandersong launches on Xbox One December 6...|url-status=live}} On Xbox One, the game was also made available through Xbox Game Pass for Console.{{Cite web|last=Madan|first=Asher|title=The Division, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, and more join Xbox Game Pass soon|url=https://www.windowscentral.com/division-naruto-boruto-shinobi-striker-and-more-join-xbox-game-pass-soon|website=Windows Central|access-date=December 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229233240/https://www.windowscentral.com/division-naruto-boruto-shinobi-striker-and-more-join-xbox-game-pass-soon|archive-date=December 29, 2019|date=December 4, 2019|quote=Wandersong should join Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One on December 6.|url-status=live}}

Wandersong saw a troubled release on Steam, as the game was erroneously tagged for review under Valve's policies against games that intentionally inflated users' statistics, such as achievements and trading card progression.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Frank|2019|loc="It's the victim of a policy that launched last June, made to explicitly combat games that were intentionally “inflating achievement and game counts for users to display on their profiles."}} Trading cards and achievements for Wandersong were inaccessible to players, who could not add the game to their "favorite games" lists as a result of the policy until January 9, 2019,{{Cite web|last=Tarason|first=Dominic|title=Steam may have flagged Wandersong and others as 'fake' for months |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/09/steam-flagged-wandersong-and-more-as-potentially-fake/|website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116203345/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/09/steam-flagged-wandersong-and-more-as-potentially-fake/|archive-date=January 16, 2019|date=January 9, 2019|quote=...it wouldn’t be eligible for full Steam store perks such as offering trading cards [...] Lobanov has since been contacted directly by Valve, who say that this was a bug...|url-status=live}}{{Harvard citation no brackets|Frank|2019|loc="...leaving players unable to access regular Steam features for it, like trading cards and achievements. [...] The list includes limitations on achievements and items, as well as preventing players from adding it to their favorite games lists.}} when Valve, the developers of Steam, contacted Lobanov via email, describing the error as a glitch in which Steam did not update the game's store page correctly.{{Harvard citation no brackets|Frank|2019|loc="In this case, we uncovered a bug for some games where the actual access to developers was updating correctly, but the store-page notice wasn’t — that is now fixed."}} Sales of the game on Steam were not impacted by the error.{{Cite web|last=Grayson|first=Nathan|title=Steam Bug Keeps Popular Indie Game From Being Recognised As 'Real' For Five Months |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/01/steam-bug-keeps-popular-indie-game-from-being-recognized-as-real-for-five-months/|website=Kotaku|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116204526/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/01/steam-bug-keeps-popular-indie-game-from-being-recognized-as-real-for-five-months/|archive-date=January 16, 2019|date=January 10, 2019|quote=...he learned from Valve that his game’s visibility was not impacted by the bug...|url-status=dead}}

{{Video game reviews

| MC = PC: 82/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/wandersong/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Wandersong for PC Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=January 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823022134/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/wandersong |archive-date=August 23, 2020 |url-status=live}}
PS4: 79/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/wandersong/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4 |title=Wandersong for PlayStation 4 Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=January 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812130444/https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/wandersong |archive-date=August 12, 2020 |url-status=live}}
NS: 82/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/wandersong/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch |title=Wandersong for Switch Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=January 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901230043/https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/wandersong |archive-date=September 1, 2020 |url-status=live}}

| Destruct = 9/10{{cite web |url=https://www.destructoid.com/stories/review-wandersong-524463.phtml |title=Review: Wandersong |last=Andriessen |first=CJ |website=Destructoid |access-date=January 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106090700/https://www.destructoid.com/stories/review-wandersong-524463.phtml |archive-date=January 6, 2021 |url-status=live}}

| GI = 7/10{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/review/wandersong/adrift-in-the-land-of-whimsy |title=Review: Wandersong |last=Gwaltney |first=Javy |magazine=Game Informer |access-date=January 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019154206/https://www.gameinformer.com/review/wandersong/adrift-in-the-land-of-whimsy |archive-date=October 19, 2020 |url-status=live}}

| PCGUS = 88/100{{Cite web|last=Savage|first=Phil|date=2018-10-24|title=Wandersong review|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/wandersong-review/|access-date=2021-01-06|website=PC Gamer|language=en-US}}

| Edge = 7/10

}}

Wandersong received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic. Reviewers praised the game's story, music, visuals, and attention to detail, but found the gameplay lackluster by comparison.

Writing for Destructoid, CJ Andriessen gave the game a score of 9/10, calling it "a rollercoaster ride through the spectrum of feelings, all wrapped up in a lovingly crafted construction paper world". Giada Zavarise of Rock, Paper, Shotgun wrote that Wandersong "wants to make you smile" and noted its accessibility for players who are colorblind or deaf, but remarked that the puzzles and platforming make it "less instantly accessible than, say, [...] Night in the Woods".{{cite news |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/19/wandersong-review/ |title=Wandersong review |last=Zavarise |first=Giada |website=Rock Paper Shotgun |date=November 19, 2018 |access-date=January 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028025211/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/19/wandersong-review/ |archive-date=October 28, 2020 |url-status=live}} Phil Savage of PC Gamer praised the characters, saying that "it's the smaller character details—the people you meet along your journey—that ultimately resonate". Javy Gwaltney's review for Game Informer criticized Wandersong{{'s}} platforming and rhythm segments, stating that the gameplay "isn't much fun" and lacks depth or challenge, though the characters are "charming enough to keep things engaging".

Wandersong was named the 9th best Nintendo Switch game of 2018 and the 13th best PC game of 2018 by the magazine Paste.{{Cite web|last1=Martin|first1=Garrett|author2=Paste Games Writers|date=December 21, 2019|title=The 15 Best Switch Games of 2018|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/12/the-15-best-switch-games-of-2018.html|website=Paste|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116210537/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/12/the-15-best-switch-games-of-2018.html|archive-date=January 16, 2019|quote=9. Wandersong|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last1=Green|first1=Holly|author2=Paste Games Writers|date=December 9, 2019|title=The 15 Best PC Games of 2018|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/12/the-15-best-pc-games-of-2018.html|website=Paste|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116210526/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/12/the-15-best-pc-games-of-2018.html|archive-date=January 16, 2019|quote=13. Wandersong|url-status=live}} At the 2019 Independent Games Festival, Wandersong was nominated for Excellence in Narrative,{{Cite web|last=Ramée|first=Jordan|date=January 4, 2019|title=IGF Awards Finalists Revealed; Winners To Be Announced At GDC 2019|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/igf-awards-finalists-revealed-winners-to-be-announ/1100-6464157/|website=GameSpot|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190116211936/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/igf-awards-finalists-revealed-winners-to-be-announ/1100-6464157/|archive-date=January 16, 2019|quote=Excellence in Narrative|url-status=live}} and received honorable mentions for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize, Excellence in Visual Art, and Excellence in Audio.{{Cite web|last=Nunneley|first=Stephany|date=January 5, 2019|title=Grand Prize finalists for 2019 IGF Awards include Return of the Obra Dinn, Minit|url=https://www.vg247.com/2019/01/05/2019-igf-awards-finalists/|website=VG247|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116211314/https://www.vg247.com/2019/01/05/2019-igf-awards-finalists/|archive-date=January 16, 2019|quote=$30,000 Seumas McNally Grand Prize; Excellence in Visual Art; Excellence in Audio|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Fogel|first=Stefanie|date=January 3, 2019|title='Return of the Obra Dinn' Leads IGF Awards Nominees|url=https://variety.com/2019/gaming/news/igf-awards-2019-nominees-1203098551/|website=Variety|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116211317/https://variety.com/2019/gaming/news/igf-awards-2019-nominees-1203098551/|archive-date=January 16, 2019|quote=Seumas McNally Grand Prize; Excellence in Visual Art; Excellence in Audio|url-status=live}} It was also nominated for the "Game, Original Family" award at the 2019 NAVGTR Awards,{{Cite web|last=Milligan|first=Mercedes|date=February 13, 2019|title='God of War' Leads NAVGTR Awards Nominees with Record 22 Nods|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/events/god-of-war-leads-navgtr-awards-nominees-with-record-22-nods/|website=Animation Magazine|access-date=February 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216051625/http://www.animationmagazine.net/events/god-of-war-leads-navgtr-awards-nominees-with-record-22-nods/|archive-date=February 16, 2019|quote=Game, Original Family; Wandersong|url-status=live}} and for Most Fulfilling Community-Funded Game at the 2019 SXSW Gaming Awards.{{Cite web|last=Singletary Jr|first=Charles|date=February 11, 2019|title=2019 SXSW Gaming Awards nominees announced|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/109831/2019-sxsw-gaming-awards-nominees-announced|website=Shacknews|access-date=February 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216051642/https://www.shacknews.com/article/109831/2019-sxsw-gaming-awards-nominees-announced|archive-date=February 16, 2019|quote=Most Fulfilling Community-Funded Game; Wandersong - Greg Lobanov / Humble Bundle|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Scalzo|first=John|date=February 11, 2019|title=Celeste, God of War, Spider-Man, Red Dead 2, Smash Ultimate will compete for "Video Game of the Year" at 2019 SXSW Gaming Awards|url=https://www.warpzoned.com/2019/02/celeste-god-of-war-spider-man-red-dead-2-smash-ultimate-will-compete-for-video-game-of-the-year-at-2019-sxsw-gaming-awards/|website=Warp Zoned|access-date=February 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216051630/https://www.warpzoned.com/2019/02/celeste-god-of-war-spider-man-red-dead-2-smash-ultimate-will-compete-for-video-game-of-the-year-at-2019-sxsw-gaming-awards/|archive-date=February 16, 2019|quote=Most Fulfilling Community-Funded Game; Wandersong (Greg Lobanov / Humble Bundle)|url-status=live}} At the 2019 G.A.N.G. Awards, Wandersong was nominated for Best Interactive Score and Best Sound Design for an Indie Game.{{Cite web|last=Lagumbay|first=Emmanuel|title=2019 G.A.N.G. Awards Finalists|url=http://www.audiogang.org/2019-g-a-n-g-awards-finalists/|website=Game Audio Network Guild |access-date=17 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217213451/http://www.audiogang.org/2019-g-a-n-g-awards-finalists/|archive-date=17 February 2019|date=14 February 2019|quote=Best Interactive Score; Wandersong - Greg Lobanov; Best Sound Design for an Indie Game; Wandersong - Greg Lobanov|url-status=live}}

• {{Portal-inline|Video games}}
• List of puzzle video games

Sources

{{Refbegin}}

1. {{Cite web|last1=Emory|first1=Chris|last2=Lobanov|first2=Greg|title=Wandersong - An Interview With Creator, Greg Lobanov|url=http://uniquedrops.com/blog/2016/9/20/wandersong-an-interview-with-creator-greg-lobanov|website=Unique Drops|access-date=September 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907063932/http://uniquedrops.com/blog/2016/9/20/wandersong-an-interview-with-creator-greg-lobanov|archive-date=September 7, 2018|date=September 21, 2016|url-status=live}}
2. {{Cite web|last1=Chan|first1=Stephanie|last2=Lobanov|first2=Greg|title=Colorful musical platformer Wandersong is coming to the Switch in 2018 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/09/colorful-musical-platformer-wandersong-is-coming-to-the-switch-in-2018/ |website=VentureBeat |access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906222439/https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/09/colorful-musical-platformer-wandersong-is-coming-to-the-switch-in-2018/ |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |date=November 9, 2017|url-status=live}}
3. {{Cite web|last1=Pillon|first1=Amanda|last2=Halberstadt|first2=Em|title=This Sound Designer Behind Night in the Woods Reveals What Sound Design Is All About|url=https://www.sweetyhigh.com/read/em-halberstadt-sound-design-interview-041317|website=Sweety High|access-date=September 7, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20180907020936/https://www.sweetyhigh.com/read/em-halberstadt-sound-design-interview-041317|archive-date=September 7, 2018|date=April 13, 2017|url-status=live}}
4. {{Cite AV media|last1=Frank|first1=Allegra|last2=Lobanov|first2=Greg|date=January 22, 2018|title=WANDERSONG: Allegra Goes On a Musical Journey|language=English|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xWiLu4VyS4|access-date=September 12, 2018|publisher=Polygon}}
5. {{Cite web|last=Frank|first=Allegra|title=Valve slaps Wandersong, a very real game, with fake-game restrictions|url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/1/8/18173722/wandersong-steam-fake-game-restrictions|website=Polygon|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116201735/https://www.polygon.com/2019/1/8/18173722/wandersong-steam-fake-game-restrictions|archive-date=January 16, 2019|date=January 9, 2019|url-status=live}}

{{Refend}}

Citations

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2018 video games

Category:Fictional bards

Category:GameMaker games

Category:Indie games

Category:Kickstarter-funded video games

Category:LGBTQ-related video games

Category:MacOS games

Category:Music video games

Category:Nintendo Switch games

Category:PlayStation 4 games

Category:Puzzle video games

Category:Single-player video games

Category:Video games developed in Canada

Category:Windows games

Category:Humble Games games

Category:Xbox One games

Category:Video games designed by Greg Lobanov