REVIEW: ‘Wayward Strand’ Tells A Delightful Story In A Tidy Package (PC)

Wayward Strand takes players back in time on a wonderful journey seen through the eyes of the main character, Casey. Developed by ghost pattern, Wayward Strand manages to tell a succinct story while giving players the freedom to unravel the story themselves.

Wayward Strand takes place aboard an airborne hospital in 1978 and follows Casey Beaumaris as she is forced to spend her weekend holiday with her mom, who works at the hospital, aboard the ship. The relationship between Casey and her mom seems strained at first, with Casey incredibly reluctant to go on the trip. She decides she will use the trip as an opportunity to write an article for her school paper about the airship, something her mom believes is a waste of time. Instead, Casey’s mom asks her to spend time with the various patients on the ship to keep them company. This approach opens up the story in any direction the player wants to take it.

There is no convoluted game mechanics to worry about; players instead only have to make their way around the ship using button prompts to interact with the patients, employees, and guests aboard. The simplicity of gameplay allows for more focus on the conversations and the atmosphere aboard the ship. I did have a few issues with the camera view in certain locations since there is no option to control the camera, but it was never game-breaking. The only real gameplay complaint is a lack of manual saving, which was a problem when my computer shut down mid-game at one point.

I absolutely love the fact that Wayward Strand does not steer players in a specific direction. Instead, there is complete freedom to explore the ship and interact with the residents, which opens up multiple avenues for the story to take. It also adds incredible replay value since several story routes close off as players steer Casey in their chosen direction. The various characters throughout the ship all feel incredibly unique, helped by the fact that they are all fully voiced and given their own identity. There were moments when I wanted to choose a specific dialogue option to progress the story in a particular direction. And there were other interactions with different characters that had me on the fence about whether I wanted to follow my chosen path or go off-track based on how a conversation was going. But I had the freedom to do just that. Balancing player freedom and narrative direction is hard, but Wayward Strand nails it.

The main story path, however, revolves around discovering the mystery, or mysteries, behind the airship. Every character you meet helps unlock the secrets, although some are more helpful than others. While I appreciate the freedom the game provides, the story’s conclusion felt relatively lackluster. I found myself slightly disappointed by the end, if only because I loved the interactions aboard the ship much more than I enjoyed the overarching story itself. It’s not that the story is terrible, far from it; it was just not nearly as satisfying as interacting with the characters.

Despite some minor disappointments with Wayward Strand‘s story, the aesthetic appeal is immaculate. Each scene and character is beautifully crafted to bring the airship to life. I really felt like I was in Casey’s shoes, exploring the highly stylized world, and I never wanted to take my eyes away from the screen. The music in the background also helped drive home the more heartfelt moments in the story, bringing an even stronger impact to what was already an emotional story at times.

Wayward Strand isn’t a perfect game, but it is darn near close. It doesn’t overwhelm players or force their hand but allows plenty of freedom within the confines of the closed-in space of the airship. I will absolutely be replaying Wayward Strand several times to explore the rest of the story options, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Wayward Strand is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC.