Garden Story

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 995 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Garden Story Game Cover
Garden Story is a wonderful and unique take on the sim-adventure genre, and it’s definitely worth a look
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In "Garden Story," players assume the role of a helpful grape named Concord, who sets out to revitalize a once-thriving garden community. They'll meet and aid various anthropomorphic inhabitants, engage in peaceful activities like farming and fishing, and defend their friends from invasive Rot. With a focus on relaxing gameplay, Concord's journey promotes cooperation, restoration, and resilience.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 995 reviews
story221 positive mentions
grinding130 negative mentions
  • The art style is adorable and the game mechanics are engaging.
  • The story is charming and heartfelt, with lovable characters.
  • The game offers a relaxing experience with a good balance of combat and exploration.
  • The combat can feel clunky and unresponsive at times.
  • Daily quests can become repetitive and tedious.
  • The game lacks depth in its building and farming mechanics.
  • story634 mentions

    The story of **Garden Story** is a charming and heartwarming narrative centered around a sentient grape named Concord, who embarks on a quest to restore four seasonal towns plagued by an invasive rot. While the storyline is generally well-received for its cuteness and emotional depth, some players find the quest structure repetitive and the pacing slow, with a mix of fetch quests and combat that can detract from the overall experience. Despite these critiques, many appreciate the game's engaging characters and the cozy atmosphere it creates, making it a delightful adventure for fans of light-hearted RPGs.

    • “The story is interesting, and each character is unique, although a farming mechanic would've been great considering how the cast of Garden Story consists of nothing but plants.”
    • “The story is captivating, the art is adorable, the music is great.”
    • “Garden Story is a charming, cozy pixel art game where you play as Concord, a little grape tasked with saving a world overtaken by the invasive rot.”
    • “The story progresses with unskippable boss fights rather than cozy quests.”
    • “Honestly, towards the end of the game, I couldn't be bothered with the storyline, but I still had to sit through the dialogue and cut-scenes due to the inability to skip.”
    • “The main downside is that quest design is very repetitive with the same few tasks being recycled over and over.”
  • gameplay227 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a charming art style and simple mechanics, but it often suffers from repetitiveness and a sluggish pace due to a stamina system. While some players appreciate the cozy atmosphere and engaging story, many find the core gameplay loop tedious, with a reliance on fetch quests and limited combat depth. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable mechanics and frustrating elements, making it a mixed experience for players seeking depth and variety.

    • “The gameplay is intuitive, yet takes some practice to master, and the story surprised me with its complexity.”
    • “The game has a very nice mixture of cozy gameplay and fight mechanics used in simple request completion, with the main quest, story, and boss battles winding seamlessly throughout.”
    • “The gameplay is enjoyable for me but maybe some people will feel like it's monotonous because every day you have to complete similar quests to upgrade the villages.”
    • “Everything being tied to a stamina bar makes gameplay really sluggish, and the combat and progression are fairly repetitive... there's just a lot of little things that add up and make an otherwise cute-looking game really clunky.”
    • “Unfortunately, however, the gameplay loop turns out to be a mix of inconvenient, repetitive, and bland mechanics.”
    • “I would personally wait for a sale to get this game; it's cute but the gameplay is repetitive and it feels like most of the time in development was spent on the art and not the game design.”
  • music182 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and soothing quality, enhancing the overall experience with a delightful soundtrack that complements the cute art style and engaging gameplay. Many players find the music relaxing and fitting for the game's atmosphere, often describing it as a standout feature that adds to the game's immersive and cozy vibe. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant strength, making it a joy to listen to while playing.

    • “The music is probably the biggest strength of this game; the tracks are really good.”
    • “The art style and music are also so lovely and really bring a nice vibe to the game; I love it so much.”
    • “The soundtrack is phenomenal.”
    • “It would have worked well as a cute music video or a visual novel because gameplay-wise it's really lacking.”
    • “I saw that this game is praised for the visual and music but critiqued for underwhelming gameplay, but while I agree that the gameplay is repetitive, I personally think it allows for a relaxed gaming experience - this isn't a game to be finished in one sitting.”
    • “The music fits and is suitable, but I don't think it sticks to me quite as memorably as tracks from arguably comparable games like Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing do.”
  • graphics160 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and adorable pixel art style, which creates a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Players appreciate the vibrant colors, cute character designs, and the overall aesthetic that enhances the gameplay experience. The visuals, combined with a soothing soundtrack, contribute to a relaxing and enjoyable adventure, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The art style is beautiful, due to the astounding color coordination and usage of mostly pastel colors.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and so cute, and the music is solid.”
    • “The art style and music together are awesome and really makes the world come alive.”
    • “The graphics are very busy and cluttered despite the simple art style; I can never really tell where the paths are - this is especially problematic in the second town and surrounding areas.”
    • “The capped 30 fps makes the game feel 'chunky' and blocky in its moments and visuals, so much to the point that I thought something was wrong with my graphics card and/or monitor and was getting motion sickness/nausea from playing the game.”
    • “Nothing wowed me, nothing was new or different than expected outside the aesthetic.”
  • grinding133 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "Garden Story" has received mixed feedback from players. While some find the resource collection and leveling tasks enjoyable and manageable, many others describe them as tedious and repetitive, particularly when aiming for 100% completion. The farming mechanics, introduced late in the game, are often seen as underdeveloped and primarily serve as a means to gather resources for upgrades, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction for those expecting a more robust farming experience akin to titles like "Stardew Valley."

    • “Nice cozy game that's not farming.”
    • “It's not grindy at all!”
    • “There is no farming or mining or decorating or anything like that.”
    • “It's just so unnecessarily tedious, especially considering the next issue.”
    • “Most of your time is just grinding/fetching materials and fulfilling very surface level missions for NPCs that blur together.”
    • “The farming aspect of the game is poorly developed and largely useless.”
  • emotional77 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its heartwarming and wholesome narrative, which resonates deeply with players, often evoking tears and a sense of nostalgia. Reviewers highlight the charming characters, engaging storylines, and soothing soundtrack that collectively create a cozy atmosphere, making it a perfect choice for those seeking a relaxing and emotionally fulfilling gaming experience. Overall, the game successfully combines cute aesthetics with meaningful storytelling, leaving a lasting emotional impact on its audience.

    • “Not only is this game adorable, but the story made me cry.”
    • “The storyline itself is also really sad, but cute and heartwarming.”
    • “I have been loving this game so much; it is so soothing to play and it is incredibly wholesome and cute.”
  • atmosphere19 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its unique charm, with each area offering a distinct yet cohesive vibe, enhanced by lovable NPCs, cute pixel art, and a delightful soundtrack. Players appreciate the cozy, relaxing environment that evokes nostalgia and encourages exploration, making for a satisfying and immersive experience. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.

    • “Each area has its own unique atmosphere, and the NPCs are lovable in their design and dialogue.”
    • “I absolutely adore the art style and that each town is based on a different season, giving everything a distinct atmosphere while still feeling like a cohesive world.”
    • “The story, characters, graphics, atmosphere, music, all of it comes together to create an absolutely amazing experience overall.”
    • “The devs clearly hit the mark on vibes and atmosphere, and failed literally everywhere else.”
    • “The aesthetic, atmosphere, and music is all very relaxing, making it a cozy calming experience.”
    • “Good mix of classic (Zelda/Pokemon)-esque world exploration with the atmosphere and world building of Animal Crossing, all with a hint of Earthbound.”
  • humor11 mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending charming dialogue and funny moments with deeper themes like coping with loss. Players appreciate the lightheartedness and comedic elements, which enhance the overall experience, despite some technical issues with controls. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it both entertaining and emotionally resonant.

    • “Now that I've played it, I can say that it's more than just visuals, since it offers a story with funny, serious, and even emotional moments in equal parts, as well as a deeper gameplay than it seems at first glance.”
    • “I got my first computer in March of this year and this was the first game I bought for it, and it did not disappoint. I love the color schemes and all of the fun, funny little friends you get to make along the way.”
    • “While there's funny and charming dialogue too, this game portrays coping with death/loss incredibly well.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Overall, opinions on replayability are mixed; while some players find significant value in revisiting the game for missed content and enjoyable experiences, others feel it lacks depth and offers limited incentive to play again. The game is described as cute and engaging, but many reviewers note that it feels incomplete, resulting in low replayability for some.

    • “I see a lot of replayability for me as I missed some memories.”
    • “Great replayability, this game never gets boring!”
    • “Replayability: 9/10”
    • “Maybe it's more optimized for PC gaming, but replayability is low and I won't try it.”
    • “However, while there isn't that much there in terms of replayability, the main story that it does provide gives you a few hours of cute and joyful gaming, which is exactly what I picked it up for.”
    • “The game feels incomplete and has little to no replay value.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Reviewers praise the character development for its charming and diverse designs that effectively reflect each character's personality, contributing to a lighthearted RPG experience. The art style and character dialogue are highlighted as standout features, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game. Additionally, the variety in character designs aids in navigation and memorability within the game world.

    • “From the character designs to the soundtrack and the world building, there is nothing I didn't love about the game.”
    • “The art style, character dialogue, and character design were my favorite things about this game.”
    • “The character designs are also great; they are simple, yet reflect each character's personality well.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for poor performance, with users reporting issues such as low or locked frame rates and noticeable stuttering during combat. This has led to a diminished replayability experience, suggesting that the optimization may be more suited for PC gaming but still falls short in delivering a smooth gameplay experience.

    • “The performance is impressive, showcasing a well-optimized experience for PC gaming.”
    • “As others have noted, combat feels like frame drops are happening, which might be a flaw with optimization or simply with how hit stop is designed.”
    • “The game seems to have some kind of low or locked frame rate issue that makes it feel like it's perpetually stuck in a state of stuttering or lagging.”
    • “Maybe it's more optimized for PC gaming, but replayability is low and I won't try it.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report a well-made experience with no significant issues, others encounter glitches and bugs that detract from the gameplay. Specific concerns include map border glitches that allow players to go out of bounds, leading to a lack of recommendation for those sensitive to stability issues.

    • “Other than that, a very well-made game with no glitches, force closes, or any other discrepancies.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or bugs, providing a seamless experience.”
    • “I appreciate the stability of the game; it has been consistently reliable during my playtime.”
    • “Can't recommend a buggy game.”
    • “Despite some glitches, this game is great.”
    • “A few map section border glitches (Concord can go out of bounds).”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

Buy Garden Story

Play time

17hMedian play time
45hAverage play time
10-35hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 11 analyzed playthroughs

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