The first time I The Wandering Village I didn't know what to expect. Sure, I'd seen the pictures - settlements on a huge, wandering creature, a colorful world that somehow seemed a bit Chihiro's Journey to the Magic Land and a bit of post-apocalyptic dreariness at the same time. But what I didn't know was that this game would touch me in a way that very few city builders have managed to do. I built, planned, traded resources - always listening to the slow breath of this gentle giant on which my little world rested. A city on a living being. A symbiosis that is not just mechanically conceived, but works emotionally.
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The basic idea alone is strong enough to arouse curiosity: In a poisoned world where mysterious plants spread toxic spores, a group of survivors flee on the back of Onbu, a gigantic creature that looks like a cross between a dragon and a dinosaur. As they travel with him through different biomes, they build a functioning settlement, adapt to new dangers and eventually decide: do we live with him or just on him?
The Wandering Village is a balancing act between "little space" and "great responsibility"
Building on Onbus' back is a constant compromise. Space is limited, resources are scarce. I realized early on that you can't just build haphazardly here. Instead, it's about establishing sensible production chains and keeping distances short. If you build inefficiently, you will quickly be overtaken by hunger, thirst or disease. And Onbu is not a neutral area - it is a living being with needs. If I don't look after it, my settlement suffers. If I treat it badly, it can turn against me. And that's exactly what makes it so attractive: I'm not building a city. I'm building a relationship.
This becomes particularly clear in the later stages of the game. When I'm traveling through deserts, my water supplies are running low and I have to decide whether to lead Onbu through a poisonous zone or take a detour - then it becomes clear that it's not just Onbu that carries a lot of weight, but every decision I make. And yes, you can also consciously decide against the animal's welfare. But doing so not only has technical consequences, it also has moral consequences. I tried it out. And then quickly restarted. Very often, by the way... it's harder than it seems.
Graphics, music and a feeling all of its own
The Wandering Village lives not only from its gameplay, but also from its atmosphere. The style is a successful mixture of hand-drawn 2D elements and clear 3D models. Everything looks harmonious, never overloaded, but never too plain either. The colors change to match the biomes, sometimes warm and inviting, sometimes cold and threatening. Onbu also changes, sometimes appearing powerful, sometimes exhausted. I often just watched him breathe, move or rest.
The soundtrack is calm, driving, melancholic - it adapts to the way I play without ever being intrusive. There were moments when I simply enjoyed the flow of music while my settlement was running. Music that not only accompanies, but - attention linguist joke - carries.
The Wandering Village is a city builder that is second to none
The game offers more than just construction and administration. It lets me explore, research and tactic. I send out scouts, find old technologies that open up new possibilities. Progress is not an end in itself - some tools make life easier, others bring risks. If you automate your production, for example, you have to expend more energy, which in turn can affect Onbu's exhaustion. Everything is intertwined. And that's what keeps me going.
Who the creators behind Stray Fawn Studio knows that the ideas behind the game mechanics can be very profound and scientific.
There are also different game modes - from the classic build-up scenario to a story mode that adds an emotional charge to the journey. There are also regular challenges, random events, new biomes, flying traders and even changeable skins for Onbu. So it never gets boring.
Technically clean and lovingly cared for
I also noticed something positive: The Wandering Village runs stably, even on longer sessions - even from the beginning of the Early Access version. I myself have not been able to discover any serious bugs over the last few months. However, the development team at Stray Fawn Studio reacted quickly to feedback from the community and has implemented many improvements and fixed bugs over time. The community was actively involved and many suggestions found their way into the game.
I can only think of a few games off the top of my head that could be considered examples of very good Early Access... there are Grounded and just The Wandering Village. The game is therefore not only a showcase for creative game design, but also for good community management. And you can see that in every detail.
The Wandering Village - An indie gem for the coming years
For me The Wandering Village one of the best games of recent years. It's a small, wandering world in which I lose myself anew every time. It is construction and survival, relationships and morals, music and atmosphere. Who City-Builder will feel at home here - but anyone else who simply wants to experience something new should also pay Onbu a visit. I do it again and again. And will continue to do so - now more than ever for the full release on 17.07.2025.
