Wayfarers

— 90s RPG Nostalgia Meets the Wars of the Future —

Zero Alvarez enlisted to help end the forever war, but when her tank gets blown up, she gets a new mission: Heal. The doctors promise her a second chance at life if she completes their experimental therapy.

Zero must rebuild her mind and forge new neural pathways while playing Wayfarers, a JRPG-style fantasy. Reluctantly, she teams up with fellow patient and player, the sarcastic and emoji-loving Ada. Together, they recover memories of the world they once loved.

When the final boss battle looms, Zero is alone again. Will she escape the labyrinth of Wayfarers or go back for her only friend?

This text-based piece of interactive fiction is for lovers of Final Fantasy, Ocarina of Time, and Chrono Cross. Wayfarers gets its title from my favorite translation of Antonio Machado’s poem, “Caminante, no hay camino.”

Wayfarer, there is no road, only foam trails on the sea.

🌟 — Wayfarers received audience awards for Best NPC, Most Nostalgic, and Best Writing in Spring Thing 2025. — 🌟

— Game Credits —

Story and Game
Gina Isabel Rodriguez
Built with Twine 2 / Harlowe 3
ginaisabel.com

Original Music
“Wake Up, Sleepyhead” (Wayfarers Theme) and “Dawn” by OSUKASU
Bandcamp

Art Assets
Photos by Mads Schmidt Rasmussen on Unsplash and Jeremy Doddridge on Unsplash

Additional credits included in the game