Gardenscapes
- April 26, 2017
- Playrix Entertainment
- 800h median play time
Get on Play Store
Get on Apple StoreGardenscapes is a single-player simulation game with a good plot, awesome game mechanics, and fantastic graphics. In the game, you restore a neglected garden by beating match-3 levels, unlocking new areas, and making friends with various in-game characters. However, the game can be quite grinding with too many ads and is reported to have bugs.
iPad
iPhone
PC
Phone
Android
Mobile Platform
Nintendo 3ds
Nintendo Ds
Tablet
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and engaging gameplay that keeps players entertained.
- The mini-games and side quests add variety and fun to the overall experience.
- Players appreciate the lack of ads during gameplay, allowing for uninterrupted play.
- The game becomes increasingly difficult at higher levels, often requiring in-app purchases to progress.
- Many players feel misled by the advertising, which showcases a different style of gameplay than what is actually offered.
- The game can be frustrating due to the limited number of moves and the frequent occurrence of hard levels.
- monetization354 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism for its misleading advertising and aggressive in-app purchase strategies. Many players express frustration over the disconnect between the gameplay shown in ads—often featuring engaging puzzles—and the actual match-3 mechanics that dominate the experience, which frequently require spending money to progress. While some appreciate the lack of intrusive ads during gameplay, the reliance on microtransactions and the perception of a "cash grab" model have left many feeling disappointed and misled.
“It's great there aren't ads in gameplay, but it would be nice to have the option to watch one for an item rather than spending cash.”
“No glitches, no ads, tons of mini-games and side challenges, and a spin-the-wheel lottery every day where you can win various boosts or money.”
“I like the variety of challenges, the side stories, and no ads.”
“The microtransactions never end and it's coded in such a way to make most levels impossible without paying money.”
“It's a shameless cash grab.”
“The game is nothing like what I was promised in the ads and you have to pay to play in order to win any of the hard or extremely hard levels.”
- story110 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its charm and engaging plot, while others find it tedious and overly reliant on match-3 gameplay to progress. Many users appreciate the graphics and character interactions, but express frustration over the slow pacing and forced side quests that detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the storyline has its moments, it often feels like a secondary element to the gameplay, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction among those seeking a more immersive narrative.
“The butler is very funny; I have enjoyed going through the storyline.”
“I enjoyed the concept of completing match-3 levels to help restore your garden and, by proxy, further the story.”
“The highlight of this title is the engrossing story that just captivates you to beat levels to advance its plot.”
“The story is almost non-existent, and it's so bad it physically hurts.”
“The storyline is inconsistent and painfully slow, regardless of difficulty each level only earns 1 star, it sends you back to the garden after each level instead of just letting you continue playing.”
“It's basically a variation of Candy Crush with storytelling.”
- gameplay60 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a match-3 puzzle format, which many players find enjoyable, but it is heavily criticized for being misleadingly advertised, as the actual mechanics differ significantly from what is shown in promotional materials. While the game features power-ups and a visually appealing environment, players express frustration over the reliance on in-app purchases to progress, particularly at higher levels where difficulty spikes. Overall, the disconnect between advertised gameplay and the actual experience has led to disappointment among users, with many feeling that the game prioritizes monetization over genuine gameplay enjoyment.
“There's power-ups that add to the gameplay that you can buy, but there's also tons of ways to get them for free.”
“Thanks for 2,000 levels of awesome gameplay!”
“Gameplay is good, and being able to see different parts of the garden rebuilt is satisfying.”
“Passed this to friends and family to all try and they have the same conclusion: bait and switch type gameplay to get you hooked then force you to spend money.”
“The gameplay is not what is advertised.”
“Very misleading as the actual gameplay is a match 3 puzzle where you get to rebuild a garden.”
- graphics56 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game receive high praise for their quality and aesthetic appeal, with many users describing them as beautiful, detailed, and engaging. However, some players express disappointment with the gameplay experience, noting that while the graphics are impressive, the increasing difficulty of levels can detract from enjoyment. Despite these concerns, the visuals are consistently highlighted as a strong point, contributing to the game's overall charm.
“The graphics are really wonderful.”
“Great graphics, enjoyable levels, of varying degrees of ease/difficulty.”
“The graphics and design are beautiful and it keeps getting better.”
“The visuals are rudimentary; every aspect is a knockoff.”
“Graphics are nice, but overall it gets boring quickly.”
“I can still play it, but the lack of visuals can mess up some gameplay at times.”
- stability18 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent glitches and freezes that disrupt gameplay, particularly after completing challenging levels. While some players appreciate the lack of ads and enjoy the mini-games, the overwhelming presence of bugs and performance issues has led to frustration, with many considering uninstalling the game if these problems persist. Overall, the game's stability is described as too unreliable for a smooth gaming experience.
“No glitches, no ads, tons of mini-games and side challenges, and a spin-the-wheel lottery every day where you can win various boosts or money.”
“But at the moment, on a certain decoration I'm trying to do, it freezes.”
“It is definitely too buggy to play now.”
“This game freezes and crashes repeatedly.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and frustrating, with many feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment. The repetitive nature of completing levels for minimal rewards, combined with the increasing difficulty, has led to a sense of monotony and boredom. While the game features beautiful design and engaging elements, the grinding has become a significant drawback for many users.
“Current merge event is super annoying grinding, monetized, boring, almost impossible.”
“It becomes tedious and boring quickly.”
“I used to love this game but it has become tediously frustrating.”
- humor9 mentions
- 89 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as endearing and entertaining, particularly through characters like the butler, which adds a lighthearted touch to the storyline. However, players express frustration with the game's monetization strategies, feeling that the humor is overshadowed by the pay-to-win mechanics and repetitive gameplay, especially after reaching higher levels. Overall, while the game has its funny moments, the humor is often marred by the challenges posed by its design and monetization.
“The characters are endearing, funny, and real!”
“The butler is very funny; I have enjoyed going through the storyline.”
“I mean the ad is everywhere and looks funny.”
“Spending half a day to reach the next level in a puzzle game that is supposed to be funny?”
“The jokes fell flat and felt forced, making the humor more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
“I expected clever wit, but instead, I was met with tired clichés and unoriginal gags.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as pleasant and chill, contributing positively to the overall experience, although some find the background music to be needlessly sad. While the graphics are praised, the disconnect between the music and the game's storyline is noted by a few users.
“Nice graphics, pleasant music, interesting storyline.”
“The music's lovely though.”
“The music is chill and the visuals are appealing.”
“The background music is needlessly sad.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the game's performance to be smooth and enjoyable, though some express frustration with unnecessary mechanics that complicate gameplay, such as excessive star requirements for simple tasks. Additionally, there are concerns regarding the optimization of animation effects and transitions, which detract from the overall experience.
“I'm genuinely impressed by the performance of this game.”
“I really like this game; it runs smoothly and it's really fun.”
“The animation effects and transitions are not optimized at all.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game compelling, as the portrayal of a suffering lady and child in the ads evokes a strong sense of empathy. The vastness of the game map, which players must "fix," adds to the feeling of being overwhelmed, enhancing the emotional weight of the experience.
“I only started playing because all the ads showing the lady and child suffering were really heartbreaking.”
“Just seeing how big the game map is that you have to 'fix or gardenscape' already made me feel overwhelmed.”
