Wayward Strand

2022 adventure game

2022 video game

Ghost Pattern

Platform(s)

Microsoft Windows
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Xbox One
Xbox Series X/S

Release15 September 2022Genre(s)AdventureMode(s)Single-player

Wayward Strand is a narrative adventure game by Ghost Pattern. It was released in September 2022 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S.

Gameplay

Set in 1978, the player controls 14-year-old Casey Beaumaris, who explores a hospital airship above Victoria, Australia and interact with the residents and staff, while the game world changes in real-time.

Development

The game was developed by Melbourne-based team Ghost Pattern, formed in 2016.^[1]

Reception

GamesHub said its exploration of the theme of growing old is heartfelt, while they encountered moments unsure what to do.^[2] GamesRadar+ lauded the writing for connecting the "innocence of youth" and "candidness of old age" and compared it to a soap opera.^[3]

It won Best Narrative at the Freeplay Independent Games Festival in 2024.

References

^ Lucas, Rachael (4 March 2024). "Generations take to the air in new Australian-made digital adventure game". ABC News (Australia).
^ Spindler, Emily (15 September 2022). "Wayward Strand review - The clock keeps ticking". Gameshub.com.
^ Loveridge, Sam (9 December 2022). "Have you tried... getting lost in the stories aboard a floating hospital in Wayward Strand?". GamesRadar+.