Growbot
- October 21, 2021
- Wabisabi Play
"Growbot" is a single-player fantasy point-and-click game with an impressive plot, stunning graphics, and a captivating soundtrack. The game has been praised as a heart-warming, unique experience that immerses players in a vibrant, emotions-filled world, making it a must-play. With its soothing gameplay, "Growbot" is a memorable work of art that will leave a lasting impression on players.
Reviews
- The game features stunning artwork and charming character designs that create a whimsical atmosphere.
- The puzzles are creative and varied, with a unique focus on sound-based challenges that enhance the gameplay experience.
- The story, while short, is heartwarming and engaging, making it suitable for players of all ages.
- The game is quite short, typically taking only 3-4 hours to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
- Many puzzles can feel unintuitive or frustrating, with unclear instructions leading to confusion during gameplay.
- The narrative lacks depth, with characters feeling flat and the overall story failing to create a strong emotional connection.
- story37 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as cute and charming, often likened to a children's book, with heartwarming characters and vibrant art. However, some players found it to be thin or generic, lacking depth and engagement, while others appreciated its emotional resonance and creativity. Overall, the narrative is seen as a pleasant backdrop to the gameplay, though opinions vary on its execution and impact.
“While I didn't end up fully finishing the game, I got at least 75% of the way, and I think it's pretty clear that they put a lot of thought into the story as well as the surrounding lore of the world.”
“It's beautifully designed, the gameplay is easy enough to follow along with, and the story is really well thought out and made me so emotional!”
“Growbot is an amazingly adorable puzzle adventure with a surprisingly dark story.”
“Overall, I wanted to like this game, but I didn't enjoy the story or the puzzles enough to want to play through to the end, and the graphics—while stunning—often opted for beauty at the expense of clarity.”
“The story is your generic children's book type of short story.”
“The puzzles were random and tedious, the story was boring and the instructions were badly written.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning, whimsical art style and charming atmosphere, creating an enchanting visual experience. However, some players noted that the beauty sometimes compromises clarity, leading to confusion in gameplay, particularly in puzzle navigation. Overall, while the graphics are a highlight, they may require some adjustment to fully appreciate their intricacies.
“The art style is so beautiful & atmospheric.”
“The artwork in this game is incredible; it is just absolutely beautiful and full of whimsy and cuteness.”
“Growbot is a truly wonderful little adventure/puzzle game with stunning visuals and an enchanting soundscape.”
“The maze looked really cool, but there wasn't enough contrast between the puzzle and the background. I ended up repeatedly hitting dead ends that I didn't realize were dead ends because the graphics blocking the path blended too well with the background.”
“However, I think the visuals were a little bloated and you often have to read everything to understand the puzzle.”
“The art style might need getting used to.”
- music23 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and enchanting qualities, effectively enhancing the whimsical atmosphere and complementing the unique art style. Many players appreciate the integration of music into various puzzles, although some find the musical challenges to be difficult, particularly for those without a strong musical background. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant strength of the game, contributing to an enjoyable and immersive experience.
“The music is nice; I don't have a great ear for notes, so I'm happy they included the hints because I wouldn't have been able to do some of the more complex shields without it.”
“Gorgeous artwork, beautiful music, fun puzzles.”
“The puzzles are unique, the music is captivating, and the art is stunning.”
“The many puzzles where you have to identify and combine flowers by their heard musical signatures will perhaps seem too difficult to some.”
“I actually had to play with a hearing handicap because the notes on the music puzzles were too similar, but at least it has the option to see the words instead.”
“(Heads-up for auditory challenged people that this game is quite heavy on musical puzzles.) Update: I completely forgot about the 'hint' feature I was too stubborn to use, and after reading another review I found out that it doesn't really give you hints - it's a full-blown accessibility feature that tells you (in text) which sound is being played.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game features a mix of unique mechanics, such as collecting sounds to solve puzzles, alongside familiar elements like sliding block puzzles and mazes. While the whimsical design and emotional story are praised, players note that the gameplay can feel unpolished and convoluted, particularly towards the end, leading to frustration. Additionally, the game offers limited replayability and is considered expensive for its roughly three hours of content.
“In this whimsical point and click adventure, you play as a super cute bio-mechanical being who needs to save their space-garden home.”
“It's beautifully designed, the gameplay is easy enough to follow along with, and the story is really well thought out and made me so emotional!”
“Puzzles range from familiar mainstays such as sliding block puzzles and mazes to more inventive ones, like a puzzle involving musical flowers that serves as one of the main mechanics of the game.”
“The game introduces several mechanics, which are usable once, and then just linger in your UI until the end.”
“It was really cute and fun, but it is very expensive for the amount of actual gameplay, especially since there's no real replayability here.”
“As long as you understand that you're only getting about three hours worth of gameplay for the price point and you're okay with that, then I can recommend Growbot.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its heartwarming story and charming characters, evoking strong emotional responses from players. Its cute, quirky graphics and well-thought-out narrative create an immersive experience that resonates deeply, leaving players wishing for a longer adventure. Overall, it is regarded as a beautifully designed and emotionally impactful point-and-click game.
“Such a cute animated little game with a good story and such heartwarming characters!”
“Heartwarming story - feels like there should be a longer game to follow.”
“It's beautifully designed, the gameplay is easy enough to follow along with, and the story is really well thought out and made me so emotional!”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been criticized due to several reported glitches, including issues with text visibility and potential softlocks. While some users experienced significant problems, others expressed hope that these issues are not widespread and emphasized the need for fixes.
“I had two pretty big glitches; hopefully, I am the only one because nobody else mentioned it. I actually could not see the text for most of the game because of foreground bugs.”
“I already posted the info in the forum about the glitches. I could not read the top text for most of the game, and there might be a softlock at the end.”
“I had a few bad glitches. I'm not going to complain too much; it happens to everyone. Just fix it before anyone else gets them.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautiful art style and calming music, which together create an immersive experience. Players appreciate the engaging puzzles that complement the overall ambiance without being tedious or overly challenging.
“The art style is so beautiful and atmospheric.”
“Spectacular art, the music is calm and fuses well with the atmosphere. The puzzles are fun - not boring, repetitive, or tough.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game lacks significant replayability due to the absence of multiple endings and limited gameplay content, which some players feel does not justify its high price. While the puzzles are enjoyable and the overall experience is fun, the lack of incentives to replay diminishes its long-term value.
“The replayability is not there; there are no multiple endings, etc. I really did enjoy most of the puzzles.”
“It was really cute and fun, but it is very expensive for the amount of actual gameplay, especially since there's no real replayability here.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players found the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, citing random puzzles, a lackluster story, and poorly written instructions as contributing factors to their negative experience.
“The puzzles were random and tedious, the story was boring, and the instructions were poorly written.”