Wandersong

Wandersong is not a "slippery" game. It will not slide past you without friction, and it will at times be outright annoying to wrest with as you try to get to the next milestone.
Doing that, as I did at first, is missing the point of the game.
Wandersong is a game to be savoured. It isn't the cleverest game I've played, nor is it the prettiest, and certainly not the most "fun". But it's clever, pretty, engaging all the same, and any annoyances caused by dubious anti aliasing and counterintuitive controls are soon forgotten.
It's a game with heart above all else. And while that wouldn't be enough by itself, it's backed up by occasionally amateurish but always dedicated execution, and a score and story that will at their best make you cry, and at worst be pretty good.
Just give it a couple hours to find its footing, and it will give you a wonderful, colourful experience.

Some of the absolute best that twee indie game sensibilities have to offer, more mechanically eclectic and playful than a lot of games that are actually mechanically oriented can be, and generally just a game that instilled me with a sense of wonder like few others, Wandersong is an absolute joy through and through. There's an unmistakable kindness that feels core to the game feeling the way it does, and it's one that comes in many forms. The big thing is that above all else, it feels like a game where the most powerful force there is, is that of unwavering optimism and self-expression, something strong enough to disturb that natural order of the universe. What makes this feel especially important in Wandersong is with the way that the singing mechanic and most of the rhythm sections feel extremely janky and lacking in much that could be considered traditionally good in how they sound. I feel like this is one of the most meaningful elements of the game however, conveying how the act of artistic expression in itself is important and deeply beautiful, rather than only waiting until you think you're "good enough".
It feels very intentional as well, that the point is that The Bard in their complete commitment to their singing is able to get through so many situations despite not being super technically proficient. There's also a sense of comfort in a game that's got a world that is inherently kinder than it appears, in which even most seemingly towering threats are actually very reasonable and simply a tad misguided, which segues into the comparative hostility of the late stages of the game feel all the more oppressive. Fantastic character writing all across the board as well, playing very well into the "these characters just have one main trait that they embody to the fullest extent" with just enough moments of nuance with the main cast to have me adore them all.
The singing mechanic is a really cool part of the game as well for how many different ways it gets recontextualised, with each minuscule element that went into designing it having some big part in how you utilise it throughout the game. The cohesion that having this big central system brings makes the very playful and unique ways that each chapter progresses feel all the more interesting, evading the possibility of feeling weird and scattershot by everything being tied to this singing in some capacity. So many thoughtful touches going into the most minor of details further contribute to Wandersong feeling so lovingly handcrafted and fascinating to delve into the smallest of ideas, once you start realising things like Miriam's unique stuttering text crawl, or the way that being called by your real name is such a rare occurrence, everything starts feeling so cool to just, sit and think about for a second. A truly inspirational experience on many levels, this is what games are all about!
10/10

Fun little game. Super casual and cute. Maybe not worth the asking price, but try it on sale. Puzzles, music and casual fun.

I don't really tear up that often, but this game...

A charming story with fairly intuitive gameplay, a fantastic soundtrack and a beautiful ending. Definitely worth buying

This game changed my life. This music is amazing and the way I balled my eyes at a bunch of parts. Its a sad but lovely tale so please PLAY THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A lovely game, with easy and intuitive controls, a charming art style and a funny yet compelling story and characters. Definitely worth the price, and the time to dive into this gem.

Through Wandersong's use of immersion, well thought out characters, and its extremely touching, inspiring, and overall moving story, this game has proven by no doubt to earn a spot on my top tier list of games.