Wanderers

Overview

Wanderers, developed by Wanderlabs and founded by Nick Greenawalt and Jenna Greenfield, is the studio’s debut title. Set in a vibrant, cyberpunk-inspired universe, this rogue-lite combines intense action and strategic deck-building mechanics. The game immerses players in an epic sci-fi experience where they navigate dangerous dungeons, battle formidable enemies, and upgrade their abilities using the RAM system, which adds modifiers and boosts to gameplay. Wanderlabs secured $2 million in pre-seed funding in 2022 to bring the project to life, and it’s clear that the investment paid off.

The game is fully available for free on Epic Games, Wanderers offers a fresh take on the rogue-lite genre with customizable builds, a variety of weapons, and infinite stages. The game’s stunning visuals, featuring neon colors and smooth animations, draw players in, while the addictive gameplay loop keeps them coming back for more.

Gameplay

Wanderers is feeling a lot smoother now, and it’s definitely easier to navigate compared to its earlier versions. The game blends rogue-lite action with some pretty fun strategic deck-building elements, and it feels fresh each time you dive in. If you're a fan of Hades, you’ll find some familiar vibes (clear a stage, move on to the next) but with one major difference: in Wanderers, you’re in full control of aiming your shots. It’s not auto-lock, so you’ll need to actually aim at enemies. Plus, the stages are infinite, so you can keep going after you clear the bosses, which adds to the replayability.

When you first jump in, you're dropped into what feels like your HQ. Here, you can tweak your character, change weapons, equip your RAMs (NFTs), pick your map, and dive into the action. Before starting a battle, you’ll need to set up your RAMs, which act as in-game boosts and modifiers to level up your gameplay. But, of course, you’ll need to have RAM NFTs to use them.

Once you’re all set, you’ll be sent into a neon-drenched, cyberpunk-themed dungeon where the real fun begins. You’ll fight enemies, dash to dodge their attacks, and use either a ranged weapon or a melee weapon. It’s pretty simple on paper, but the mechanics are what set it apart. Here’s the cool part: if you’re using a ranged weapon, you’ll collect dash orbs dropped by enemies when you hit them. But if you’re using a melee weapon, you get ammo for your gun instead. If your HP drops below 50%, you can actually recover health by shooting enemies with your ranged weapon. They drop health orbs that you can pick up to heal yourself. There are also health boxes and ammo crates scattered around the map, which is super handy.

Gameplay-wise, it’s similar to other rogue-lites where you clear mobs, move on to the next stage, and repeat. But what makes it stand out is how the deck-building aspect influences how you approach each stage. After clearing a few levels, you'll encounter a terminal where you can manage your deck, pick up cards, and use Bytes (the in-game currency) to unlock new modifiers, abilities, and boosts. The coolest part? You can now fuse cards together to level up their effectiveness, which makes managing your deck way more strategic.

After a few stages, you’ll face a boss. And let me tell you, these bosses are tough. If you’re not careful, they can wipe you out in seconds, which makes every encounter a real test of skill. Once you defeat a boss, you're given the option to either move on to higher stages or stop. If you die or choose to exit, you get DATA, which is an in-game currency used to unlock new weapons. The game’s loop of entering a match, clearing mobs, progressing to the next stage, and unlocking new gear is addicting. But once you've unlocked all the weapons, you might feel like the progression slows down a bit, so I’m hoping they add more ways to level up.

Review

Wanderers has definitely carved out its own unique space in the rogue-lite genre. The mix of deck-building and action combat is a refreshing twist. The way you manage your RAMs and weapons adds depth to the gameplay, and the decision-making in between stages feels meaningful. That constant cycle of battling enemies, unlocking modifiers, and upgrading your deck keeps things fresh, especially as you dive deeper into each run. It's not just about clearing stages; it's about how you approach each challenge and tweak your strategy.

Visually, the game has come a long way. The maps are bursting with bright, futuristic colors that make each area feel alive and exciting. The graphics are smoother now, the animations are on point, and the colors are sharper. And hey, the glitches from the previous versions seem to be gone, so that’s a huge win. 

Compared to the earlier version, there are some subtle yet important changes. The way you get health, ammo, and dash orbs is different now. In the past, you could extract them even if enemies were still alive, but now they only drop once you kill them (except for bosses). Also, there’s a new slot added to the deck for Mods, which adds more customization to your build. Plus, new characters and weapons have been unlocked, giving you even more variety. The game also runs events like the furthest run in a particular map, and there are Guild War events where you can join your guild (or even other guilds) to compete. 

Overall, Wanderers shows a lot of promise. The gameplay loop is addictive, and there’s a lot of potential for growth, especially as they continue to refine the mechanics and add new content. The challenge, the strategic depth, and the overall vibe of the game make it a must-try for rogue-lite fans. But it’s clear that there’s still some work to be done before it becomes a true standout in the genre.