I’m a huge fan of both video games and anime, but when I first got my hands on Wander Stars, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Early screenshots made the game out to be a clever vocabulary RPG with an old school anime aesthetic. That’s exactly what it is, but I severely underestimated it.
Game Name: Wander Stars
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5
Developer(s): Paper Castle Games
Publisher(s): Fellow Traveller
Release Date: September 19, 2025
Price: $24.99
The Anime RPG You Didn’t Expect
The anime art style and story, which feel like they were pulled straight from old Saturday morning cartoons, are great. But the true selling point of Wander Stars is its combat. The game combines vocabulary with classic RPG mechanics to create a virtually limitless move set.
Yell at Your Enemies
The world revolves around a martial art that uses words as the foundation for attacks. There are action words like Kick and Punch, modifier words like Wide and Super to enhance attacks, and elemental words like Fire to inflict status effects.
With more than 200 words to unlock, the system allows for thousands of possible moves. You can use a single action, like Kick, or build on it with modifiers to create something stronger, like Super Jab or Wide Super Punch. Adding elemental words multiplies the possibilities even further.
You can also choose whether to knock out or spare opponents. Sparing them unlocks Pep Up perks, which grant permanent buffs. This system is clever, fun, and rewarding, but it isn’t perfect. Words have cooldown timers, some lasting multiple turns, and without items to restore cooldown, combat can drag. It’s not game-breaking, but it can be frustrating at times.
Out of This World
Wander Stars follows Ringo, a young martial artist dreaming of entering a Kiai tournament. Kiai is the magical power that lets fighters use words as weapons. What starts as a simple errand for parsley quickly spirals into something much larger when Ringo crosses paths with Wolfe, a mysterious wolf searching for a powerful map. Their unlikely partnership drives the adventure forward.
Their personalities and banter make the story fun to follow, and even the NPCs have entertaining quirks. Over time, you’ll uncover plenty about Ringo and Wolfe’s backstories, which helps flesh out the world.
Since the game is styled after old school anime, the adventure unfolds across a “season” of ten episodes. Each episode is split into board game style maps, where every tile offers something different, enemy encounters, NPC interactions, treasure, or story events. Completing the season takes around 12 to 15 hours.
It’s an Anime!
Wander Stars doesn’t just take inspiration from anime, it feels like you’re living inside one. Between its bright art style, fluid animations, and stylish direction, it captures the energy of classics like Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Cowboy Bebop.
The animated sequences are surprisingly polished for an indie game, delivering standout moments that punch far above the game’s price tag. On top of that, the soundtrack, led by composer Marcos Villarejo, perfectly channels 80s and 90s anime vibes with over 50 tracks that keep the energy high.
Final Thoughts
Wander Stars delivers far more than I expected. Its unique word-based combat system, anime inspired presentation, and entertaining story make it stand out as one of the best indie RPGs of 2025. While the cooldown mechanic can slow things down, the charm and creativity easily outweigh the drawbacks.
I spent nearly 20 hours with the game and still found myself coming back for side encounters and missed content. It’s quirky, clever, and heartfelt, and my favorite indie of the year so far. Priced at $24.99, this is a fantastic value for RPG fans and anime lovers alike.
You can grab Wander Stars digitally for the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, or Steam.
Review Disclosure Statement: Wander Stars was provided to us by Fellow Traveller for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please see our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.
Affiliate Link Disclosure: One or more of the links above contain affiliate links, which means that, at no additional cost to you, we may receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Summary
Wander Stars is a quirky RPG that uses vocabulary to fight. It’s old school anime art style and soundtrack will transport you back to the 90’s and will live up to the expectations of those who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons.
Pros
- Simple combat mechanic that can grow into endless possibilities
- Art and music that transports you back to the 90s
- Fantastic blend of old school anime and RPG
Cons
- Cooldowns can cause the game to drag
- Some might find the story to be too simple
