Garden Guardian
- August 9, 2022
- Liam Allen-Miller
Get on Steam"Garden Guardian" is a modern take on classic LCD games, where you play as master gardener Snippy Shrubs. Your mission is to keep your garden safe from bugs, collect plant food, and grow fruit to gain points. The game features Trial and Endless modes, with increasing difficulty and a mounting difficulty system that ramps up the speed as you collect points. Watch out for MISSes, as three will end the game! Unlock extra features as you progress.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Charming and cute art style that evokes nostalgia for classic LCD games, with smooth and engaging gameplay mechanics.
- Offers a satisfying difficulty curve with a variety of challenges that keep the gameplay fresh and rewarding.
- Great for casual play, with quick sessions that make it perfect for on-the-go gaming, especially on devices like the Steam Deck.
- Some players found the difficulty curve to be steep, particularly in the later trials, which may frustrate less experienced gamers.
- A few minor technical issues, such as lack of built-in screen size options and occasional feedback problems with certain mechanics.
- Certain dialogue elements were criticized for being overly political or distracting, which detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- gameplay10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics that expand through a variety of challenging trials, creating a smooth and addictive loop that encourages repeated play. Players appreciate the fun art style and music, which complement the gameplay without being distracting, while the trial mode and different difficulty levels add significant replay value. Overall, the game successfully combines strong character design with enjoyable mechanics, making it a delightful experience.
“All the intricacies of the mechanics come together to form a smooth and challenging—but never unfair—gameplay loop, and I kept going back in for 'one more.'”
“Incredibly fun and addictive gameplay loop with a very surprising amount of content!”
“The simplicity of the controls is nice and snappy, the mechanics are fun, the trial mode adds a lot of playability, and the art style is cute and colorful.”
“The gameplay is inspired by classic Game & Watch LCD games, and it's all about positioning, timing, and managing your flow.”
“The mechanics are simple, but it fails to expand on its concept, leading to repetitive and uninspired gameplay.”
“While the art style is fun and the music is nice, the gameplay ultimately feels simplistic and lacks depth.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and cutesy aesthetic that evokes nostalgia for classic handheld games. The art style is fun and colorful, enhancing the overall experience with a clean and easy-to-read presentation that complements the simple gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the delightful visuals that maintain a lighthearted atmosphere, even amidst challenging gameplay.
“Cute little callback to those Game & Watch and Tiger Electronics handheld games with an even cuter art style.”
“The art style is fun, the music is nice and stays nicely in the background without grating, and the gameplay is simple.”
“The graphics and presentation are cute, charming, and encouraging even in the face of endless failure.”
“You will be beat down by some of the challenges in this game, repeatedly smashed in the skull by your own mistake, hissing as once again the enemies take a bat to your dead horse-like body, and yet behind you are the joyous barks of our protagonist and an easy, clean graphical style that's easy to read.”
“The simplicity of the controls is nice and snappy, the mechanics are fun, the trial mode adds a lot of playability, and the art style is cute and colorful.”
- music5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for being pleasant and unobtrusive, enhancing the overall experience without becoming annoying. It complements the game's tone effectively, contributing to a smooth and enjoyable gameplay atmosphere. Overall, the music is considered a strong point, encouraging players to return for more.
“The art style is fun, the music is nice and stays nicely in the background without grating, and the gameplay is simple.”
“Great music that does the opposite of grate on the ears, so going back for more is really easy.”
“Music also fits the tone of the game very well.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development for its strong and appealing design, highlighting the characters as cute and interesting. The combination of engaging gameplay and well-crafted character aesthetics contributes to an overall positive gaming experience.
“Great character design, fun gameplay, nice music; just a really good game overall.”
“The art looks nice, and the character designs are cute and interesting.”
“Strong character design combined with a great gameplay loop makes this game exceptional.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is minimal, focusing primarily on gameplay mechanics and skill mastery rather than a narrative. Players find the missions engaging but express frustration with certain tasks, such as inverted controls and slow progress in garden growth, which detracts from overall satisfaction.
“The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent narrative, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“Character development is minimal, leaving players feeling disconnected from the protagonists.”
“The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real emotional impact.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find that grinding in Darktide can be intense, but they appreciate the opportunity for a refreshing break with other games that offer a different pace.
“I've been grinding Darktide a lot recently, and this game was a great palate cleanser.”
