Associate editor Lauren Morton chose Roadwarden as her game of the year personal pick for 2023, saying it "nails the intersection between novel and adventure game in a way that, for the first time, doesn't make me wish it were just one of those other things instead." It's also acclaimed over on Steam, where more than 1,600 user reviews have conferred upon it an "overwhelmingly positive" rating.
All those fans will no doubt be happy that more is on the way: Developer Moral Anxiety Studios says Windy Meadow—A Roadwarden Tale is a "familiar-yet-new ‘slice of life’ adventure where every decision matters on the quest to forge a noble path."
Windy Meadow isn't a sequel to Roadwarden, but an "official counterpart" in which a trio of characters from the quiet village of Windy Meadow will navigate their way through three interwoven stories. Each choice made will have an effect on dialog, events, relations with NPCs, and ultimately the ending of their tale.
"Will talented huntress Vena depart the harmonious but harmless village and leave her family behind in pursuit of riches with a merchant guild? Can Fabel finally embrace his talents, ditching the figurative shackles of his difficult past as he chases his dream of becoming a famous bard? And will outsider and herbalist Iudicia take hold of her love life, choosing not to marry a man she doesn’t really love at the risk of leading a lonely future?"
Windy Meadow isn't entirely new—it's actually a remake of Tales From Windy Meadow, which arrived on Steam in 2018 and remains available there as the "legacy edition." It also appears to be a different sort of narrative experience: Roadwarden is, at its heart, an illustrated text adventure, while Windy Meadow appears to lean more heavily into art, animation, and dialog.
A release date for Windy Meadow hasn't been set but you can get a sample of what it's all about courtesy of the demo that's now available on Itch.io. The demo will be available on Steam in April.
