I've often found myself wishing certain games would borrow ideas from one another. Why can't a survival game have a proper story to follow? Why can't a life sim give you more reasons to interact with the people living in your town? So when people started talking about Wonderia, this new and upcoming game that would be a mashup of multiple genres, I have to admit that I was intrigued.
Thankfully, the team at Rock&Dash didn't disappoint and created a cozy experience that I've been missing since the Animal Crossing COVID days. In this top-down survival adventure, you explore an alien planet and gather resources to build your own settlement. But that's not all. Between its quest system and the way you can develop relationships with NPCs, there's always a reason to do something beyond collecting materials. Wonderia is still in Early Access, so it's bound to have some rough edges that need polishing, but the truth is that its foundation is already extremely solid.
More Than Just a Survival Game
Wonderia In-Game ScreenshotWonderia In-Game Screenshot
Wonderia's world is built on a grid, with individual blocks you can dig up to reveal water underneath. The landscape has gaps separating different areas, so you'll need to build bridges to reach places that would otherwise be inaccessible. It's a simple idea, but it gives you more to think about as you explore and develop your settlement.
There's also a story to follow as you explore this strange planet and uncover ancient alien temples. Missions and quests give your adventures a sense of direction, while the dungeons offer puzzles to solve and secrets to uncover.
Building a Community of Your Own
Wonderia Official Screenshot
The settlement system is where the game really caught my attention. NPCs can visit your base, and completing their quests increases your friendship levels. Eventually, you can build permanent homes for them, turning your settlement into a place where characters actually live rather than just somewhere you return to between adventures.
At first glance, this might seem like a trivial system that exists in many other games. However, this is where Wonderia goes above and beyond to separate itself from the pack. These aren't the Animal Crossing: New Horizons type of NPCs where you simply get them a house and give them gifts now and then. In Wonderia, every person you meet has unique quests that affect your progression, shape the story, and give the community a real sense of purpose.
It's a nice addition to the usual survival gameplay, and one that makes me want to keep expanding my settlement.
Tweaking the Difficulty
Wonderia Official Screenshot
Wonderia gives you plenty of control over how challenging you want your adventure to be. The game includes familiar survival mechanics , food, stamina, equipment durability, and a day-night cycle , but you can adjust these settings or turn certain mechanics off altogether. This is perhaps one of the biggest wins for the game, as it lets you decide how much you want to focus on survival rather than having these systems dictate every part of your adventure.
Personally, I focused more on the building and exploring side of things, but that's not to say the combat is lackluster. The couple of times I had to fight, I found it very straightforward, intuitive, and enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
Wonderia Main Menu
Wonderia scratches an interesting itch. It brings together the crafting and exploration mechanics found in most survival games with the kind of quests and NPC relationships you'd expect from a life sim. These different systems complement one another really well and make it a worthwhile experience.
The UI still needs work, and there are a couple of rough edges here and there. However, the foundation is solid, and I'm curious to see how much further the game takes these ideas. Having launched into Steam Early Access on July 23, 2026, Wonderia is available now for everyone who wants to delve into this new and mysterious world.
