Action MMO Wayfinder still makes room for cozy Stardew vibes

polygon.com:

Action MMO Wayfinder is entering early access on PlayStation and PC, and it’s an intriguing take on the fantasy post-apocalypse. It does have a typical gameplay loop: Exploring dungeons, slaying foes, finding loot, choosing upgrades, and collecting currencies. Combat is fast, fluid, and dynamic, allowing players to choose different character archetypes and playstyles. The other big draw of Wayfinder is that players have a customizable place to rest after a long day in the murder mines.

“One of the biggest influences was Lord of the Rings Online,” says design director Steve Madueria in a call with Polygon. “We had really fun memories, because they had shared neighborhoods. We went into neighborhoods together, picking up house plots, seeing what changes our friends made — that feeling is something we wanted to capture because it was such a strong social element.”

While the game is just entering early access, its developers at Airship Syndicate are already sketching out plans for the next few years of potential content. For now, players can claim and customize their own humble apartments in the city of Skylight. These apartments can be personalized and furnished to the player’s liking, and they can store powerful artifacts that provide buffs when players are away from home.

“The house being more of a house, being an extension of your character, something you build on and improve your character and friends — that was always part of the design,” adds AJ LaSaracina, marketing director at Airship Syndicate. Wayfinder provides the chill aspect of decorating a house and planning the perfect breakfast nook — plus, those housing benefits pay off in a tangible way through character buffs.

In the early stages of Wayfinder, the