How to Play Wanderers, Complete Beginner's Guide

What Is Wanderers?

Wanderers is a sci-fi roguelite game that combines space exploration, squad-based combat, and strategic deck-building. Players take on the role of a squad leader guiding a crew of pilots through dangerous planets, unpredictable wormholes, and hostile encounters. The game is available on the Epic Games Store and Steam, with optional NFT collectibles built on the Polygon and Treasure blockchain ecosystems.

Honest 2026 Status: Wanderers has made genuine progress compared to many blockchain games. It launched on both the Epic Games Store and Steam, a real achievement that puts it in front of mainstream gamers. The game takes a sensible approach to Web3 by making NFT collectibles optional rather than required. Following open beta testing, Wanderers deployed on Treasure's L2 blockchain. The core gameplay is a legitimate roguelite with real depth, though the player base remains modest. This is one of the blockchain games that actually prioritized making a good game first and layered blockchain features on top rather than the other way around.

Getting Started

What You Need

• A PC (Windows), available on Steam and Epic Games Store
• A decent gaming PC (the game has moderate system requirements)
• An internet connection
• Optional: A Web3 wallet for NFT features (not required to play)

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Purchase or download Wanderers from Steam or the Epic Games Store. Search for "Wanderers" in either storefront.
2. Install the game following the standard platform installation process.
3. Launch the game and create your pilot profile.
4. Complete the tutorial mission which teaches you movement, combat, deck-building mechanics, and squad management.
5. Start your first expedition, choose your starting pilot, select your initial deck cards, and enter your first procedurally generated planet.
6. Optional: Connect a wallet if you want to engage with NFT collectibles. The game will prompt you with instructions. This is entirely optional.

Core Gameplay Loop

Wanderers plays like a polished roguelite with the following cycle:

• Expedition Launch: Choose your squad of pilots, each with unique abilities and specializations. Select your starting deck of action cards.
• Planet Exploration: Navigate procedurally generated planets with varied biomes, encounters, and hazards. Each run is different.
• Combat: Engage enemies in tactical combat using your deck of action cards. Cards determine your attacks, defenses, abilities, and squad coordination. Positioning and card order matter significantly.
• Deck Building: Between encounters, acquire new cards, remove weak ones, and evolve your deck to handle increasing difficulty. Synergies between cards and pilot abilities create powerful combinations.
• Wormhole Navigation: Travel between planets through wormholes, encountering random events, shops, and story elements along the way.
• Permadeath and Progression: Like all roguelites, death sends you back to the start. However, permanent meta-progression unlocks new pilots, cards, and starting options for future runs.
• NFT Collectibles (Optional): Rare items and cosmetics can exist as NFTs. These provide cosmetic benefits and bragging rights but do not create pay-to-win advantages.

The game genuinely stands on its own as a roguelite. If you enjoy Slay the Spire, Hades, or FTL, you will find familiar and satisfying mechanics here.

Earning Mechanics

• NFT Collectibles: Optional NFTs exist as collectible items that can be traded on the marketplace. These include pilot skins, rare card backs, and cosmetic items.
• Treasure Ecosystem Integration: Deployed on Treasure's L2, the game participates in the broader Treasure gaming ecosystem. MAGIC token integration may provide additional economic layers.
• Secondary Market Trading: NFT items can be bought and sold on secondary marketplaces within the Treasure ecosystem.
• Tournament Prizes: Competitive events and seasonal challenges may offer rewards for top performers.

Earnings reality: Wanderers is not a play-to-earn game in the traditional sense. The NFT features are a secondary layer on top of a genuine roguelite experience. You will not earn meaningful income by playing. The game is best approached as a quality indie game that happens to have optional blockchain collectibles.

Beginner Tips & Strategy

1. Learn card synergies early. The difference between a good run and a dead run often comes down to how well your cards work together. Read card descriptions carefully and experiment with combinations.
2. Do not hoard cards. A lean deck with strong synergies beats a bloated deck with good individual cards. Remove mediocre cards when offered the chance.
3. Use pilot abilities strategically. Each pilot has a unique ability on a cooldown. Time these for maximum impact during tough encounters rather than using them immediately.
4. Explore thoroughly. Optional encounters, side paths, and hidden areas often contain the best rewards and card options.
5. Prioritize defense early, offense later. In the first few planets, survivability matters more than damage output. Once your deck is strong, shift to aggressive builds.
6. Do not worry about NFTs at first. Focus on learning the game and enjoying the roguelite loop. The blockchain features will be there when you are ready.

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Solution
Game performance issues	Lower graphics settings. Wanderers is moderately demanding. Ensure your graphics drivers are up to date.
Runs feel too short	Focus on defensive cards early and learn enemy attack patterns. Surviving longer comes with practice and better deck-building choices.
NFT wallet not connecting	Ensure you have a compatible wallet (MetaMask on Polygon or Treasure L2). The game will guide you through the connection process.
Cannot find multiplayer matches	The player base is modest. Check Discord for organized play sessions and events.
Steam achievements not unlocking	Some achievements may have bugs. Report issues through the Steam community hub or official Discord.

FAQ

Q: Do I need to own NFTs to play Wanderers? A: Absolutely not. The game is fully playable without any blockchain interaction. NFTs are optional cosmetic collectibles.

Q: What platforms is Wanderers on? A: Steam and Epic Games Store for PC. No console or mobile versions have been announced.

Q: Is this a roguelike or a roguelite? A: Roguelite, there is permadeath within runs, but permanent meta-progression carries over between runs, unlocking new content and options.

Q: What blockchain is Wanderers on? A: Wanderers deployed on Treasure's L2 blockchain (built on Arbitrum). The game was previously associated with Polygon.

Q: How long is a typical run? A: A complete successful run takes roughly 30-60 minutes depending on your pace and exploration thoroughness. Failed runs are shorter.

Q: Is there a competitive scene? A: There are competitive events and leaderboards, but a formal esports scene has not developed due to the modest player base. Community tournaments happen through Discord.