Mini Review: The Wandering Village (PS5)

Onbu we go

Version Reviewed: PS5 (Standard) / European

review by Jade Sayers Yesterday, 9pm

Set atop a colossal beast called an Onbu, The Wandering Village takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where poisonous spores have wiped out the world as we know it. Originally released on Steam in 2022, the popular city building simulation has now released on PS5.

The Onbu itself is made up of different terrain where inhabitants can find resources; wood, clay, and stone are plentiful, and through a research tree different manufacturing buildings can be unlocked to develop these raw materials further.

While it seems simple, the Onbu traverses a diverse map which creates its own set of challenges. Deserts aren’t good for growing certain crops or collecting atmospheric water; the sea gives plentiful water resources but makes the Onbu tired more quickly.

It’s these additional challenges outside of the standard city building experience that makes The Wandering Village really stand out. You really have to keep an eye on everything, from the stats of the Onbu to the path it’s taking through the world map. You can ask the Onbu to travel in certain directions but, of course, like any animal, it won’t always listen.

There’s a vast strategic element to The Wandering Village that lends itself to multiple playthroughs: unlocking research branches differently, leading Onbu to advantageous terrains, sending scavengers to unique spots, and so on. Each of these elements has a different outcome and gives a different overall experience, adding longevity that other city builders perhaps lack.

With beautiful Studio Ghibli-esque aesthetics, The Wandering Village is a city building sim with real soul. Beneath it all, there is a really beautiful metaphor at play with a wider message regarding the relationship between a civilisation and its environment.

Jade has grown up on PlayStation, and spent far longer finding those pigeons, completing those jumps, and chasing those Trophies than she cares to admit. She’s never happier than when she’s in Junes, Hope’s Peak, or collecting Wumpa Fruit.

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