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Botany Manor

Cultivate and research rare plants while reflecting on the interconnectedness of nature, no green thumb required.
Botany Manor Game Cover
87%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
replayability, grinding
94% User Score Based on 965 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 13 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchAndroidPlaystation 5Playstation 4Xbox Cloud GamingXboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStationXbox Series X|SPCTabletXbox Game PassCloudPhoneXbox OneMobile Platform
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Botany Manor Game Cover

About

Botany Manor is a single player quiz game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Balloon Studios and was released on April 9, 2024. It received positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Explore Botany Manor as botanist Arabella Greene in this 1890s-set first-person puzzle game. Discover clues, grow rare plants, and uncover Arabella's life and career through books, letters, and Victorian contraptions found throughout the manor and its grounds. Each plant species, inspired by real phenomena, requires unique growing conditions, making for challenging and engaging gameplay."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Botany Manor screenshot
Botany Manor screenshot
Botany Manor screenshot
Botany Manor screenshot
Botany Manor screenshot
Botany Manor screenshot
Botany Manor screenshot
Botany Manor screenshot
Botany Manor screenshot
Botany Manor screenshot
Botany Manor screenshot
+6
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94%
Audience ScoreBased on 965 reviews
story147 positive mentions
replayability10 negative mentions
  • Beautiful visuals and calming atmosphere that create an immersive experience.
  • Engaging puzzles that are challenging yet satisfying to solve, with a good balance of difficulty.
  • A charming story that highlights the struggles of women in science during the 19th century, adding depth to the gameplay.
  • The game is relatively short, taking around 3-5 hours to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
  • Lack of a feature to review clues in the journal, requiring players to backtrack to find previously discovered hints.
  • Some puzzles may feel too easy for experienced players, leading to a lack of challenge.
  • story
    345 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Botany Manor" is a charming and poignant exploration of a woman's journey in the male-dominated field of botany during the 19th century, conveyed through environmental storytelling and letters scattered throughout the game. Players appreciate the emotional depth and relatability of the protagonist, Arabella, as they piece together her struggles and triumphs while solving puzzles to grow various plants. While some find the narrative somewhat light or simplistic, many agree that it adds a meaningful layer to the gameplay, creating a cozy and immersive experience.

    • “The story has meaning and it was nice to see the main character's story develop while blooming flowers and exploring the environment.”
    • “Beautiful game design, art, storytelling, and puzzle mechanics all blended together to create an incredible and moving experience.”
    • “The story woven throughout was also incredible; a tale of a passionate woman of science, ignored, discouraged, and disrespected by many around her, who seeks to continue despite these setbacks and aims to be recognized, to contribute to the furthering of the scientific field of botany and to pass the knowledge to generations to come.”
    • “The story is never loud, and honestly, if you really wanted, it is entirely missable.”
    • “Story is told to you in the worst possible way; notes you read, and even the beats you get are flat and uninteresting to say the least.”
    • “The overarching story was... heavy-handed, to say the least.”
  • graphics
    200 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their beautiful, vibrant art style and immersive visuals that enhance the overall atmosphere. Players appreciate the attention to detail, with many noting the calming and cozy aesthetic that complements the gameplay. While some mention minor glitches and a simplistic design, the overall consensus is that the graphics contribute significantly to a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

    • “The game just takes you on a wonderful, relaxing journey with a beautiful score and sublime visuals.”
    • “The graphics are lovely, there's tons of items to interact with and each puzzle feels thoughtful.”
    • “The visuals are stunning and the music is relaxing.”
    • “The graphics quality of the vast majority of the plants is underwhelming to say the least.”
    • “Only negative I would say is the price for such a short game and with lower tier graphics quality.”
    • “I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re largely paying for the design of the manor and graphics rather than the gameplay.”
  • music
    131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and calming qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience. Reviewers appreciate the beautiful soundtrack that complements the vibrant visuals and tranquil environments, although some note that the music can be sparse at times. Overall, the combination of delightful music and engaging puzzles creates a relaxing and immersive gameplay experience.

    • “The atmosphere is lovely, and the music and sound effects do a lot to enhance the setting.”
    • “The music is perfect and reminds me a little of the music in the game 'Flower' by thatgamecompany.”
    • “The music gives a soothing experience as you explore the manor, as progressing further allows the music to develop and build to give yourself a sense of wonder uncovering the world of botany you'd left behind.”
    • “And since it's a short game, there isn't a lot of different music tracks either.”
    • “As far as the atmosphere goes, it would have been helped with more sound effects and background music; the game felt a little too quiet to me.”
    • “This may be more of a streamer issue than a standard player issue, but I'd have to play my own music to accompany the long stretches of silence, and the game music would only play just long enough that I had to pause my own music to experience it, only for the game music to fade away almost immediately after.”
  • gameplay
    121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by its charming puzzles and a peaceful atmosphere, offering a blend of exploration and problem-solving that many players find engaging yet relaxing. While the mechanics are generally well-received for their creativity and balance, some reviewers note that the game feels short for its price, with a playtime of around 3 to 5 hours, leading to concerns about its overall value. Despite these criticisms, the beautiful visuals and soothing soundtrack enhance the experience, making it appealing for those who appreciate a laid-back gaming style.

    • “The gameplay was very cute and had a nice flow on how the puzzles pieced together.”
    • “Beautiful game design, art, storytelling, and puzzle mechanics all blended together to create an incredible and moving experience.”
    • “Unique puzzles, nothing super difficult—the most satisfying part of the game is to see the solution literally bloom in front of you—gameplay becomes beauty.”
    • “It's a creative little puzzle game with a peaceful atmosphere and beautiful soundtrack, but given its short length (my playtime is half of what it says, I left it on pause for a while), gameplay only going so far, and the story being charming but barely there, there's no way it's worth the full $25.”
    • “At around 3 hours of gameplay for $25, it’s hard to justify the full price.”
    • “I love the game, but the price is definitely not worth the amount of gameplay.”
  • atmosphere
    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty and tranquility, featuring stunning visuals, a soothing soundtrack, and a cozy, immersive environment that invites players to relax and explore. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a peaceful ambiance, making it an ideal escape for those seeking a gentle, contemplative experience. While some note that the puzzles may be simplistic, the overall atmosphere compensates, providing a charming and engaging backdrop for the gameplay.

    • “The atmosphere is lovely, and the music and sound effects do a lot to enhance the setting.”
    • “Botany Manor is a gentle, atmospheric puzzle adventure that invites players into a meticulously crafted English estate filled with sunlight, quiet gardens, and scientific curiosity.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is breathtaking and it feels so immersive; I've been sitting a lot in the garden and just enjoying the scenery.”
    • “While it makes up for some of that shallowness in character and atmosphere, it is a middling experience with an inflated price.”
    • “As far as the atmosphere goes, it would have been helped with more sound effects and background music; the game felt a little too quiet to me.”
    • “The first few puzzles were straightforward in a way that I didn't find enjoyable, mostly staying for the art and the atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartwarming and wholesome narrative, centered around themes of empowerment and the struggles of women in a male-dominated field. Players report feeling a strong emotional connection to the characters, particularly Lady Arabella, and many describe the experience as soothing and comforting, often leading to happy tears by the end. The combination of beautiful visuals, calming music, and engaging puzzles enhances the emotional resonance, making it a deeply satisfying journey for those seeking a cozy escape.

    • “Everything—from the serene visuals and quiet soundscape to the thoughtful puzzle design and understated narrative—works together to create a gentle but emotionally resonant journey.”
    • “The story of Lady Arabella made me feel a vast range of emotions.”
    • “A charming, sweet, heartwarming puzzle game.”
  • replayability
    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with many players noting that it can be completed in just a few hours and offers little incentive to play again. While some enjoyed the experience and aesthetics, the consensus is that the short playtime and absence of new content or mechanics make it difficult to justify the price, especially for those seeking a more expansive or replayable gaming experience.

    • “Is the game extremely deep with a lot of replayability?”
    • “Even knowing the puzzles, the environment and music gives it a lot of replay value.”
    • “This would require creating a few new mechanics, but they would be ones that have a large replay value.”
    • “I bought this game as part of a bundle that came with multiple games, and I should say right out of the gate that I otherwise would not have bought this game at full price; having played and finished the game over the course of a couple of days for a collective total of 4 hours (including some extra 20-30 minutes for final achievement hunting), I'll reiterate that I still would not pay the full price of this game for the amount of content you receive and lack of replayability.”
    • “The gameplay is short and not very replayable (since you know all the puzzle answers), but I personally bought it for $20.”
    • “There's no replay value to speak of, making it a one-and-done experience.”
  • grinding
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, primarily due to the frequent back-and-forth movement required to gather clues and solve puzzles. While the puzzles themselves are generally enjoyable, the necessity to traverse large areas repeatedly can detract from the experience, leading to a sense of monotony. However, many appreciate the game's atmosphere and the rewarding nature of exploration, which helps mitigate the grind.

    • “The grinding aspect can take anywhere from 60 to 100 hours, making it a significant commitment.”
    • “Be prepared to invest a lot of time; you'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “First, many of the puzzles are extremely easy to solve once you've found the clues, but both finding the clues and actually putting the solution into practice are boring and tedious.”
    • “It looks beautiful but it's just really tedious having to walk all over to double check notes.”
    • “Having to walk around the entire manor to get here and there can feel very tedious, but it keeps the pacing very relaxed.”
  • optimization
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization received mixed reviews. While some players experienced solid performance on high-end systems, others reported issues such as inconsistent frame rates, stuttering, and a lack of fluidity in movement, particularly on lower-end hardware. A few users noted that with some adjustments, performance could be improved, but there is still room for further optimization and UI enhancements.

    • “Performance was good on my RTX 5090.”
    • “Tl;dr: lovely puzzle game with gorgeous graphics and sound, solid performance and respects your time!”
    • “I can't say too much about the performance as my system is overpowered for what this game is asking for, but it ran perfectly fine and never noticeably dropped below the 165fps I've set it to.”
    • “A note on performance: I played primarily via Crossover on an M1 MacBook Air, where frame times were extremely inconsistent.”
    • “Could use a few UI tweaks and performance improvements (selecting/deleting clues in the herbarium is a little wonky).”
    • “I had some pretty bad stuttering issues though.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is noted to be minimal and underwhelming, with some reviewers feeling it does not justify the $25 price tag.

    • “The humor in this game is brilliantly absurd, making every moment a delightful surprise.”
    • “I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and clever puns throughout the game.”
    • “The comedic timing is spot on, turning even the most mundane tasks into hilarious adventures.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, users report a highly stable experience with minimal to no glitches or bugs, indicating that the game runs smoothly and reliably.

    • “The game runs smoothly without any bugs.”
    • “I haven't encountered any stability issues during my gameplay.”
    • “The performance is consistent, making for a seamless experience.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the provided text, focusing instead on the gameplay mechanics involving puzzles and observational skills. Therefore, it remains unclear how monetization impacts the player experience or if it is a significant factor in the game's design.

    • “The monetization system feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
    • “It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
    • “The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency disrupt the gameplay experience and take away from the enjoyment.”
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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 13 critic reviews
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5h Median play time
5h Average play time
3-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Botany Manor is a quiz game with mystery theme.

Botany Manor is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Botany Manor.

Botany Manor was released on April 9, 2024.

Botany Manor was developed by Balloon Studios.

Botany Manor has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Botany Manor is a single player game.

Similar games include The Room, Toem, The Pedestrian, The Room: Old Sins, The Last Campfire and others.