Botany Manor

About

Botany Manor is a single-player Mystery Adventure game set in 19th century England. As retired botanist Arabella Greene, players explore her estate and gardens to discover the ideal habitats for a collection of forgotten flora. With fabulous game mechanics, phenomenal visuals, and an outstanding soundtrack, uncover the mysterious qualities of each plant and immerse yourself in this beautiful, wholesome story.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 562 reviews

story88 positive mentions

replayability6 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and soothing music create a relaxing atmosphere.
Engaging and thought-provoking puzzles that are satisfying to solve.
Charming story that explores themes of women's struggles in the 19th century.

Game is relatively short, taking around 3-5 hours to complete, which may not justify the price.
Lack of a journal feature to review clues without backtracking can be frustrating.
Some puzzles may feel too easy for experienced players, lacking challenge.

story
198 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
54%
2%
The story of "Botany Manor" is a beautifully crafted narrative centered around Arabella Greene, a passionate woman botanist in 19th-century Britain, who faces societal challenges in her pursuit of scientific recognition. Players uncover her journey through environmental storytelling, letters, and clues, creating a deeply engaging experience that intertwines with the game's puzzles. While some reviews note the story's simplicity and brevity, many appreciate its emotional depth and the charming atmosphere it creates, making it a memorable backdrop for the gameplay.
- “The story woven throughout was 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 told between soft lighting, crackling fires, and vibrant flora is gut-wrenching, beautiful, and relatable.”
- “Arabella's story is so heartwarming to follow, and walking around the gorgeous manor solving plant puzzles was the perfect way to spend the afternoon.”
- “The overarching story was... heavy handed, to say the least.”
- “It's hard to fit much subtlety in a game this short, but every other story note was basically spelling out the theme of the story, which had little to do with the gameplay.”
- “The story is not particularly complicated or compelling.”
graphics
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful, vibrant, and stylized aesthetic, creating an immersive and relaxing atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlight the charming art style, detailed environments, and soothing music, which collectively evoke a cozy and inviting ambiance. However, some critiques mention that while the visuals are lovely, they may not be groundbreaking or realistic, and the game's relatively short length raises questions about its value.
- “The graphics are lovely, there's tons of items to interact with and each puzzle feels thoughtful.”
- “The game's vivid art style and the variety of unique flowers create an immersive, picturesque world.”
- “Beautiful graphics, nice chill atmosphere and puzzles that are challenging, but have plenty of hooks so you're never stuck for long.”
- “For a game about botany, 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.”
gameplay
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The gameplay is characterized by a cozy atmosphere and engaging puzzle mechanics, with players appreciating the innovative elements and beautiful visuals. However, many reviewers noted the game feels short for its price, with completion times averaging around 3 to 6 hours, leading to concerns about value for money. While the puzzles are enjoyable and thought-provoking, some players felt that the gameplay could benefit from additional mechanics and depth.
- “The gameplay loop is perfect; unlock area, find seeds, search for clues, fill in notebook, grow flower.”
- “Beautiful setting, engaging gameplay, and a captivating story.”
- “I really enjoyed the research-based puzzle mechanic where you figure out how to proceed by finding and reviewing documents, drawings, and other artifacts.”
- “It's hard to fit much subtlety in a game this short, but every other story note was basically spelling out the theme of the story, which had little to do with the gameplay.”
- “I have finished the story and gotten all of the achievements in just over 5 hours of gameplay, so keep that in mind when thinking of whether to get this game.”
- “To expect people to pay $38 for 3 hours of gameplay is a big ask.”
music
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
43%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and relaxing qualities, enhancing the overall ambiance and gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the orchestral and folk-inspired soundtrack as perfectly suited to the game's setting, creating a tranquil atmosphere that complements the beautiful visuals and engaging puzzles. While some noted occasional stretches of silence, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and immersive quality.
- “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.”
- “The atmosphere, the music, and the pacing were all so lovely and warm and calming but not boring or repetitive!”
- “Beautiful music, environment, and the puzzle element intertwines amazingly with the story and level design.”
- “I also noticed that there was no music most of the time except when there was a delivery or a clue was found.”
- “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.”
- “The music is fine and doesn't overstay its welcome.”
emotional
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartwarming and wholesome narrative, which touches on themes of empowerment and the struggles faced by women in the 1800s. Players find the story both comforting and poignant, often evoking a range of emotions, from joy to frustration, as they engage with the charming puzzles and the touching journey of Lady Arabella. Overall, the game is described as a beautifully crafted experience that combines enjoyable gameplay with a meaningful and relatable story.
- “It's incredibly wholesome and comforting in feel, and I just wanted to play it for longer.”
- “The game is beautiful, and the story is very touching with a tinge of frustration.”
- “The story of Lady Arabella made me feel a vast range of emotions.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
18%
11%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its relaxing and cozy qualities, complemented by beautiful visuals, soothing music, and engaging environmental storytelling. Players appreciate the immersive experience that encourages exploration and unwinding, often likening it to the serene ambiance of games like "The Witness." Despite its brevity, the tranquil setting and charming art style create a memorable and enjoyable environment for casual puzzle-solving.
- “The atmosphere, music, colors, and art style are all impeccable.”
- “The atmosphere is also really nice to just hang out in; a couple of times I found myself sitting down on a bench to just soak in my surroundings.”
- “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.”
- “The first few were straightforward in a way that I didn't find enjoyable, mostly staying for the art and the atmosphere.”
- “The environmental storytelling and the relaxing atmosphere made me want to explore every nook and cranny of the manor.”
- “A short set of casual puzzles in a pretty manor and its gardens, with a very light story and a comforting atmosphere.”
replayability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
47%
35%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many players noting that it offers a short, linear experience that doesn't encourage multiple playthroughs. While some appreciate the aesthetic elements and find enjoyment in the environment, the consensus is that the game feels overpriced given its limited content and minimal replay value. Players express a desire for additional mechanics or downloadable content to enhance 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.”
- “While the plants are fantastical and fun and the graphics and music were enjoyable, I don’t feel there’s enough on offer or enough replayability to warrant a price greater than $20.”
- “I do wish there was more replayability in this game, especially at its price point.”
- “There's no replay value to speak of, making it a one-and-done experience.”
- “I finished this game in about 3 hours and unfortunately there isn't really much of a replay value; for those reasons, I think the game is a bit overpriced.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
13%
63%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with many noting the slow pace of movement and repetitive tasks that can detract from the overall enjoyment. While the puzzles are engaging and thought-provoking, the lengthy grind (often cited as 60-100 hours) can make the experience feel drawn out and occasionally boring.
- “The game is quite grindy, requiring around 60 to 100 hours to fully experience everything it has to offer.”
- “Be prepared to invest a significant amount of time; you'll need a second life for grinding!”
- “☐ grindy (60 - 100 hours)”
- “☐ you'll need a second life for grinding”
- “The speed of walking made that a bit tedious at times.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Overall, the game's optimization is decent, allowing it to run smoothly on low-end GPUs, though some users report stuttering issues and less fluid movement. While performance is generally stable, particularly on high-end systems, there are suggestions for UI tweaks and improvements to enhance the experience further.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “The horizontal movement and performance in general isn't the most fluid.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report that the game is largely bug-free, indicating a high level of stability.
- “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
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the provided text, focusing instead on the puzzle-solving mechanics and the use of various clues. However, it suggests a potentially engaging experience that may or may not involve monetization strategies, depending on how these elements are integrated into the gameplay.
- “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.”