Grow Home

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 5,509 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Grow Home Game Cover
"Grow Home isn't awfully deep, nor does it provide any real story to hook you, but this game taps into the pleasure centers of seeing something and going there... however you may choose to do so."
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In Grow Home, players control a quirky robot named B.U.D., tasked with growing a massive plant to save his homeworld. Featuring unique climbing mechanics, players navigate the open-world of an alien planet, exploring and solving puzzles to further their progress. The game boasts a serene atmosphere, with soothing visuals and a calming soundtrack, making it a refreshing take on the platforming genre.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,509 reviews
gameplay475 positive mentions
grinding118 negative mentions
  • Charming and relaxing gameplay with a unique climbing mechanic.
  • Beautiful low-poly art style and vibrant colors create an inviting atmosphere.
  • Fun exploration and discovery elements, rewarding players for collecting crystals and interacting with the environment.
  • gameplay1,157 mentions

    The gameplay of "Grow Home" is characterized by its unique climbing mechanics and physics-based movement, which, while occasionally clunky, provide a satisfying and engaging experience. Players navigate a vibrant world by climbing, gliding, and growing plants, with exploration being a key element, though the game is relatively short, typically lasting around 3-5 hours. While some find the mechanics repetitive and the controls frustrating at times, many appreciate the game's charm, simplicity, and the sense of freedom it offers.

    • “The mechanics are simple yet satisfying, allowing you to climb, glide, and grow your way through the landscape.”
    • “The overall gameplay was incredible, exploring the tiny but vertical map was insane, the story was so short but really added to the lore triggering all my neurons to activate just for this game.”
    • “The gameplay flow of guiding the growth of each bud while you track down those delicious crystals and gain more and more mobility yourself is at once fully engrossing and totally relaxing.”
    • “It's only realistically 5 hours of gameplay - after you finish the main 'part', you can still do additional collectibles, but since the game gives you very little to go by, it becomes a bit of a scavenger hunt, and with these controls, it's not exactly fun.”
    • “The climbing mechanic, on top of being extremely tedious (right click/left click for each step), simply does not work, and even though you see the grab indicators, your clicks are ineffective and the robot just refuses to grab.”
    • “The gameplay just feels like a chore and all it really consists of is connecting a large plant to flying islands in order to make the plant grow, allowing you to reach your goal which is located 2km up in the sky.”
  • graphics751 mentions

    The graphics of "Grow Home" are characterized by a charming low-poly aesthetic that has aged well, featuring vibrant colors and a playful art style that enhances the exploration experience. While some players note the simplicity and minimalism of the visuals, many appreciate the game's unique and whimsical design, which effectively creates a relaxing atmosphere. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point, contributing to the game's appeal despite not being graphically intensive.

    • “The art style is charming, with a playful aesthetic that makes exploration feel like a joyous adventure.”
    • “The game's art style is a standout feature, with its vibrant colors and cartoonish graphics creating a fun and inviting world to explore.”
    • “The graphics are simplistic in nature but somehow still amaze you; it's very pretty down on the ground but as you get higher the sense of scale really comes into its own.”
    • “The game has graphics which would have been an embarrassment in the PlayStation 1 era; they’re ugly and unappealing, and the creatures in the game look terrible.”
    • “The visuals are minimalistic, verging on ugly and lazy, and the soundtrack isn't anything to write home about either.”
    • “The graphics are absurdly simplistic from up close.”
  • story488 mentions

    The story in "Grow Home" is minimal and straightforward, centering around a robot named Bud on a mission to grow a giant plant to reach his spaceship. While the narrative is short and lacks depth, it serves as a charming backdrop to the game's exploration and climbing mechanics, providing a light-hearted and relaxing experience. Many players appreciate the simplicity of the story, finding it endearing despite its brevity, and enjoy the focus on gameplay over plot.

    • “Through its art and other methods, Grow Home achieves an atmosphere that feels otherworldly, as if you really are a little robot on a mission on a foreign planet which, contrary to how the trope is usually played, is actually quite friendly, pleasant, and goofy.”
    • “A short but endearing little quest that will captivate and calm you, as you explore a miraculously tall world growing a strange plant.”
    • “The story is cute and simple with a great premise that gets you interested from the start, and the gameplay keeps you going.”
    • “The game has little to no story, which for me serves only to heighten the gameplay experience and put a larger focus on the interesting ideas for mechanics.”
    • “There is very little story to the game; there are a few bits of flavor text here and there, and mom – either an AI of some sort, or a fellow being who is elsewhere in the universe – occasionally gives you hints or makes 'wry' (non-voice acted) remarks on your progress.”
    • “The story was moderately flat and very quick, but I can easily overlook the story for the sheer enjoyment of free falling 1800 meters past previously discovered islands, past beautifully colored floating rocks.”
  • music337 mentions

    The music in "Grow Home" is widely praised for its calming and ambient qualities, enhancing the game's relaxing atmosphere and complementing its visuals beautifully. While some players noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive or is minimal during gameplay, many found it soothing and fitting for exploration. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's charm, making it a delightful experience for those who enjoy a serene gaming environment.

    • “The soundtrack complements the visuals beautifully, enhancing the overall experience.”
    • “The music is chill, the story's basic, there's no impending time pressure, no annoying enemies to deal with, and a fun little collect-a-thon side-thing you can mess around with if you finish it within a few hours.”
    • “A wonderful, relaxing game with a chill soundtrack.”
    • “There isn't really any music to speak of, which was a little disappointing, but ok I suppose.”
    • “With little in the way of music to speak of, Grow Home's weakest area is this by far.”
    • “The music gets annoying as it never changes, and the controls, oh the controls.”
  • atmosphere186 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Grow Home" is widely praised for its light-hearted, calming, and whimsical nature, creating an inviting escape from more intense gaming experiences. Players appreciate the game's unique art style, soothing music, and the sense of exploration it fosters, all contributing to a serene and immersive environment. Overall, the game is described as a delightful blend of charm and tranquility, making it a perfect choice for those seeking a relaxing gaming experience.

    • “Through its art and other methods, Grow Home achieves an atmosphere that feels otherworldly, as if you really are a little robot on a mission on a foreign planet which, contrary to how the trope is usually played, is actually quite friendly, pleasant, and goofy.”
    • “Grow Home boasts an intoxicatingly calm atmosphere and very satisfying controls.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game envelops you from the start, creating a great experience with excellent gameplay, music, and art.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game envelops you from the start, a great experience, great gameplay, great music, great art.”
    • “The sometimes-wonky camera, I suppose... but its positives (atmosphere, music, mechanics, characters) more than make it enjoyable, despite it having a fairly short completion time.”
    • “The atmosphere decreases (tougher gliding) but gravity doesn't as you go higher up, which makes platforming feel sluggish.”
  • humor174 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its light-hearted and quirky atmosphere, primarily driven by the clumsy antics of the main character, Bud, and the witty dialogue from the motherly robot boss. Players find joy in the game's physics-based mechanics, which lead to hilarious moments as Bud navigates the environment, often resulting in unexpected tumbles and amusing interactions with the world. Overall, the game is praised for its charming, innocent humor that provides a relaxing and entertaining experience, making it suitable for players of all ages.

    • “Your only form of communication is with your motherly robot boss, who injects bits of humor into the experience whenever you mess up, as well as words of encouragement throughout.”
    • “Bud is cute and clumsy; his awkward controls create hilarious and hair-raising situations.”
    • “The game encourages experimentation by providing multiple ways to recover from mistakes, and hilarious results when you discover something unexpected.”
    • “Pretty funny, but it loses its charm when you fall off the vines and have to climb back to where you were.”
  • replayability132 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting its short completion time of around 3-6 hours and limited content leading to low replay value. While some enjoy the core mechanics and collectibles enough to revisit the game, others find little incentive to play again after the initial experience. Overall, the consensus suggests that while there are enjoyable elements, the lack of diverse content and exploration options significantly hampers replayability.

    • “Completing the game took 3 hours but there's decent replay value.”
    • “It will only take you around 4-6 hours to beat the game from what I remember, but it has a lot of replayability with the various fun upgrades and crystals to collect.”
    • “This game is short but replayable, has great aesthetics, nice physics to glide and fly around in, and a relaxing atmosphere.”
    • “Unfortunately, it’s not got a large amount of replayability.”
    • “The game also has no replayability, unless you particularly enjoy the core movement mechanics, and egregious achievements designed to unnecessarily pad time.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game has limited replay value as little incentive to keep playing is given after reaching the ending.”
  • grinding124 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding certain achievements and collectibles to be tedious and time-consuming, particularly in the context of a relatively short gameplay experience. While some players appreciate the charm and exploration elements, they note that the mechanics, such as climbing and collecting items, can become frustratingly repetitive and poorly designed, leading to a sense of grind. Overall, completionists may find the pursuit of 100% completion rewarding, but it often requires enduring a significant amount of tedious gameplay.

    • “Slippery space physics, bouncing leaves, fun achievements, most of which aren't grindy, awesome growing mechanics, and relaxing soundtracks.”
    • “The collectables aren't boring and most of the achievements aren't tedious to do.”
    • “Could have been a nice game but terrible design decisions turned the game into a tedious and frustrating chore, and there is not much interesting going on to keep you engaged.”
    • “A very interesting experimental, physics-based platformer with novel traversal mechanics, Grow Home is unfortunately burdened by a number of flaws, ranging from poor level design (expect lots of tedious backtracking), anachronistic gameplay mechanics (expect lots of tedious hunting for hidden collectibles), and an overall lack of polish.”
    • “All in all, the game is a very tedious process of ascending the vine and growing it outwards, then upwards, then outwards again; less than half an hour into the game, you have seen everything it has to offer.”
  • stability65 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting various glitches and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, such as visual issues, control problems, and save file deletions. While some users noted that it runs well on multiple platforms, including the Steam Deck and older systems, others expressed frustration over persistent bugs that detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the game is enjoyable, it is clear that stability issues need to be addressed for a smoother experience.

    • “The game runs great on old systems.”
    • “It runs on pretty much everything and it's mostly bug free.”
    • “Runs great natively on Manjaro Linux, and that's always a plus.”
    • “Happened after a starseed fell into the ocean and started glitching out (doesn't seem to be an uncommon bug which also hardlocked me from getting the achievement for collecting them all unless I start a completely new game, which who knows if the same thing wouldn't just happen again.) The spot in which I presume it fell into the ocean starts getting very visually buggy after starting the game up and playing for a bit and then consistently crashes.”
    • “I bought this game for $7.99 and it glitches, and I can't play because everything is invisible or completely black. Please fix this.”
    • “I loved the game, but I had several glitches that randomly deleted my saves, so if you guys can fix that bug for other players and me, that would be great.”
  • emotional62 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is overwhelmingly positive, with players describing it as "wholesome," "heartwarming," and a source of nostalgia that evokes feelings of childhood joy. Many reviewers highlight its relaxing nature and ability to provide an escape from more intense gaming experiences, often mentioning moments that made them feel happy or even brought them to tears. Overall, the game is celebrated for its charming characters and simple yet effective storytelling that resonates deeply with players.

    • “This game was an emotional adventure for me.”
    • “Grow Home is an amazingly heartfelt game that doesn't overstay its welcome, and keeps evolving the gameplay as you progress.”
    • “This game honestly made me feel happy when nothing else would.”
  • optimization30 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing severe performance issues, including black screens and stuttering, particularly on initial loads. However, others report that recent updates have significantly improved performance, allowing for smooth gameplay and minimal bugs, though some still desire further fine-tuning. Overall, while the game can run well on certain systems, its optimization remains inconsistent, with a need for ongoing improvements.

    • “The game runs smoothly at all times and, for the 6-hour long 100% complete expedition I went through, I encountered no outstanding bugs or technical issues with the game.”
    • “It is beautiful and it even runs smoothly on my laptop; I absolutely love this game!”
    • “A laid-back, relaxing game with pretty optics and flawless performance.”
    • “This is one very poorly optimized game on a spotty engine that is known for having performance issues.”
    • “I never got more than a few minutes into the game because of the poor performance.”
    • “I refuse to ever play this game when the devs can't be bothered to fix performance issues.”
  • monetization10 mentions

    The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions and over-complicated monetization strategies, offering a refreshing experience free from the typical pitfalls of modern gaming economies. Players appreciate its straightforward approach, highlighting its indie charm and visual appeal without the burden of excessive in-game purchases or resource management.

    • “It has no microtransactions, no Uplay, no massive open world full of repetitive side missions, and no thousands of developers creating a two-hour-long credits sequence.”
    • “No over-designed in-game economies or resources to manage, with microtransactions on top of that.”
    • “It is visually appealing and has not fallen under the spell of over-the-top monetization.”
    • “Then comes along Grow Home, RKOing outta nowhere, when you find a video for the first time (yes Ubisoft, on YouTube, you know, where you get truckloads of advertising for minimal cost, kinda feels like no one has told you triple A a lot yet) 'it' looks janky, the animations are odd but... the colours.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is noted for its extraordinary and unique art style, which enhances the overall design and mechanics. However, the character design itself received a moderate score of 7.3/10, indicating room for improvement despite its visual appeal.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

73% average critic score

Buy Grow Home

Play time

6hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
3hMain story
8hCompletionist
4-7hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 54 analyzed playthroughs

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