Here’s some tough news for fans of unique indie games: Ivy Road, the studio behind the cozy and heartfelt game Wanderstop, is closing down. They just couldn’t secure funding for their next big idea, Engine Angel, and that’s forcing the team to call it quits by March 31st, 2026.
Wanderstop was a little indie gem that deserved more
Wanderstop came out in 2025 and quickly became one of those rare indie games that quietly won hearts. It’s a cozy sim where you serve tea to quirky characters at a dreamy rest stop, all wrapped in a story about dealing with burnout and self-worth. It wasn’t just cute – it was surprisingly deep and got a solid 90% user rating on Steam. But despite the love, the sales just weren’t enough to keep Ivy Road afloat.
The studio was founded in 2021 by some indie heavyweights: Davey Wreden from The Stanley Parable, Karla Zimonja from Gone Home, and Daniel Rosenfeld, also known as C418, the original Minecraft composer. They had the talent and creativity, but as the team shared, raising money for games right now is brutal.
Engine Angel looked wild but couldn’t find a backer
After Wanderstop, Ivy Road poured their energy into Engine Angel, a totally different beast. Picture Twisted Metal meets a hack-and-slash from Platinum Games, with cars doing the fighting. Sounds cool, right? The team was excited about it, but when they tried to find a publisher, the doors just didn’t open.
In their own words, “It’s a particularly tough time for raising game funds, so while we weren’t necessarily surprised, we are disappointed that we won’t be able to bring Engine Angel to life together as a team.”
Despite the setback, the team still hopes Engine Angel might see the light of day someday.
One last gift for Wanderstop fans before the lights go out
Even though Ivy Road is shutting down, they’re not leaving Wanderstop players empty-handed. A final update is coming that lets you jump straight into any chapter without the usual busywork. You just enter a code on the title screen and boom, you can skip ahead to your favorite parts.
Plus, Wanderstop will stay available to play and buy on all platforms. Annapurna Interactive, the publisher, also hinted there’s “one last surprise brewing” to help the game reach new players. So, if you haven’t tried it yet, now might be a good time.
It’s a harsh reminder of how tough indie game funding is right now
Ivy Road’s closure is a big blow. It’s a studio made of indie legends, known for fresh and heartfelt ideas. But their story highlights how brutal the current funding climate is, especially for studios trying something new and different.
Making games takes more than just creativity and skill – it needs money, time, and a bit of luck. Ivy Road gave us something special with Wanderstop, and even though Engine Angel won’t be coming anytime soon, the hope remains that its spark might ignite one day.
For now, we send our best wishes to everyone from Ivy Road. Here’s hoping they land on their feet and keep making the games we didn’t even know we needed.
