It’s not as engaging as Stardew, not as exciting as Legend of Zelda, and doesn’t have the sweep of Animal Crossing. There is nothing here to be wowed by, and it doesn’t have the depth, story or compulsion of so many of its forebears. While Garden Story is nice, it is also perfectly happy to pull up a deckchair in the middle of the road. It doesn’t stray into the negative aspects of the word by becoming twee, and we can feel the day’s worries wash off us as we play. It’s the abiding, non-committal word that keeps buzzing in our head as we play Garden Story. Get those done and a new tool will be tucked into your backpack: perhaps a dowsing rod, which acts like a fishing rod in all but name or a scythe, for chopping down reeds. You must abandon all of the other towns to visit this one (presumably to keep your focus from straying), as you are quickly given a place of residence and some initial chores to complete. A new town is made available to you, themed to one of the seasons. While there is an easy-going comfort to interactions in Garden Story, they don’t really capture the heart or mind.Ī pattern begins to form as you play through Garden Story. It’s a warm, cuddly message that does work, but it replaces any high-concept stories, plots or even particularly interesting characters (only a frog, Rana, really registered with us). There’s a civic feel to Garden Story, as you learn the benefits of helping each other and working together to a common goal. They’re in various states of ruin, and often share animosity with each other. Being a Guardian means that you will be fixing bridges, clearing out water supplies and boshing the odd slime on the head with a hammer. This is a rather important title in the Grove, as it effectively positions you as one of the four towns’ champions. But they are soon seconded by a giant plum called, um, Plum, to become a ‘Guardian of the Grove’.
It's a unique blend of Zelda-like exploration, combat and puzzle-solving paired with the simple charm of RPGs and games like Stardew Valley that make it a unique offering in the gaming space and can help to create spaces for conversation about the natural world and our responsibility for it.You play Concord who, as mentioned, is the custodian of a tiny garden. There is also little difficulty increase as you progress, so it is accessible to a wider range of players. At the end of each village's primary quest, there's a dungeon with puzzles and a boss battle. There's a deep combat system, skill tree and potions, each of which offers different advantages to you. As well as nurturing the four seasonal towns (one for each season) in The Grove by helping their residents, you need to fight against the rot invasion with the help of your friends Rana, Elderberry and Fuji.Īlthough on the surface, the game appears similar to other tend and befriend titles, where you complete side quests and daily missions for the inhabitants, the primary gameplay is actually more complex.Īs you defeat rot in each of the four towns, you discover each responds differently to attack. You play Concord, the youngest grape in The Grove, who must become the guardian of the land after the previous protector vanishes. It has prevalent themes of environmentalism and care for nature, and its unique pastel pixel-art style combined with its relaxing music and whimsical story create an aura of calm and differentiate the game from others. You defend your garden-home from an invasion on malignant rot monsters and restore peace to the land and its inhabitants, all of which are fruit. It also features combat, dungeons and puzzles similar to the Zelda games. Garden Story is a role-playing adventure, crafting and farming game similar to Stardew Valley.
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