Growth

About

Growth is a single player casual strategy game. It was developed by VoodooDuck and was released on October 16, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

"Growth" is a single-player strategy game featuring cozy, idyllic hex grid-based exploration. Players utilize the unique abilities of 8 different animals to populate procedurally generated worlds, transforming barren landscapes into lush forests and meadows. With challenging navigation around obstacles and highly replayable content, this soft-strategy puzzle game offers points of interest that reward additional animals and special ones, along with 9 different tile types for beautifully crafted maps.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 190 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Growth is a charming and relaxing puzzle game that combines strategy with exploration, making it enjoyable for casual players.
The game features a unique mechanic of using animals to uncover and expand biomes, providing a satisfying gameplay loop that keeps players engaged.
Visually appealing with a calming soundtrack, Growth creates a cozy atmosphere that is perfect for unwinding after a long day.

The game suffers from a lack of replayability, as many players find that once they understand the mechanics, it becomes too easy and repetitive.
Some players have noted that the tutorial is not very effective in explaining key mechanics, leading to confusion during gameplay.
The final map and challenges can feel tedious and frustrating, especially when players run out of resources, which can detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
60%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of simple mechanics and strategic depth, offering a cozy puzzle experience that is both engaging and accessible. While the procedural generation provides unique playthroughs, many players find the mechanics can become repetitive and the tutorial insufficiently detailed. Overall, the game is enjoyable for its charm and addictive nature, but may lack long-term appeal due to its limited variety and depth.
- “Gameplay is challenging yet accessible.”
- “The gameplay revolves around making good decisions when sending animals and finding the best way to overcome obstacles in the terrain.”
- “The mechanic of exploring the map by sending animals to create and find new biomes is brilliant.”
- “In spite of being touted as a 'strategy' game, and the first part of any run showing you biome tiles, most of the gameplay is reliant on stumbling upon another road once yours ends and hoping you can find it while having the right type of unit, before you run out of the 'probe' animal.”
- “The mechanics are not fully explained and the interface as well as the controls are not as intuitive, smooth, and direct as they should be.”
- “However, its longevity is hampered by a lack of varied gameplay and audio-visual content.”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
52%
12%
The music in the game is described as calming and soothing, creating a relaxing atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. However, many users note that there is only one track, which can become repetitive over time, leading to a monotonous feel. While the music is pleasant and works well as background noise, its lack of variety and low volume can detract from the experience for some players.
- “The graphics, music, and audio cues are absolutely gorgeous, and the entire experience is tranquil, immersive, and calming.”
- “The music is equally soothing, making it a joy just to sit and take it all in.”
- “Simple polygonal biomes and animals, set against a palette of pleasant colors, create a visually relaxing environment, further enhanced by a soothing soundtrack and ambient sound effects.”
- “I think the music is just one track.”
- “This lack of variety, coupled with a single music track that loses its charm over time, can lead to a monotonous experience.”
- “The music is very fitting but might become a bit annoying after a while.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The graphics in the game are characterized by a charming, low-poly aesthetic with colorful visuals that create a tranquil and immersive atmosphere. While some players note that the detail may not match other titles in the genre, the simple yet appealing design, combined with atmospheric audio, contributes to a cozy and enjoyable experience. Overall, the graphics are well-received for their cute and engaging style, enhancing the gameplay without overwhelming it.
- “The graphics, music, and audio cues are absolutely gorgeous, and the entire experience is tranquil, immersive, and calming.”
- “The visuals are charming and calming, almost like stepping into a quiet piece of art.”
- “Smart and fun puzzle/strategy mix with great visuals and audio.”
- “The visuals are not as detailed as some other games in the genre I've seen, but they're fine.”
- “The graphics are very simple, and the grid is made of hexagons with slight gradients or simple 3D elements like trees or flowers.”
- “The simple graphics are charming, and the little sound effects are very atmospheric.”
replayability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
38%
31%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many users noting a lack of long-term engagement and minimal incentive to replay after completing key challenges. While some players found the initial experience enjoyable and highlighted certain aspects that encourage occasional play, the consensus leans towards a disappointing replay value, particularly for a puzzle game.
- “There is still plenty of content and replayability that makes it worth playing, and the general gameplay loop makes it a game that's easy to keep installed and pick up from time to time.”
- “Growth is an addictive puzzle game with loads of replay value.”
- “Not sure how much replayability it has but the first playthrough was fun and challenging!”
- “This is such a neat little casual game, but it lacks replay value.”
- “Honestly, there isn't much replayability value, which is kinda odd for a puzzle game.”
- “The game's replayability suffers as a result, demanding a level of commitment that might not appeal to all players.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have noted that the grinding aspect of the game can be quite tedious, particularly when pursuing the last few achievements, which require significant effort and time investment. The volcano map, intended as the endgame, has been described as challenging yet ultimately unsatisfying due to its grindy nature, leading to a less enjoyable experience for completionists. Additionally, some achievements are bugged, adding to the frustration of the grinding process.
- “Be forewarned though (if you're a completionist), that the last few achievements are pretty grindy.”
- “I was surprised by how tedious and unsatisfying this game became after realizing the volcano map was the endgame.”
- “And beware that there are some very grindy achievements.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game lacks a traditional story mode, focusing instead on individual runs with randomly generated maps. While there is a basic mission to "calm the volcano," players feel that introducing more varied and meaningful missions could enhance the gameplay experience and encourage strategic adaptation.
- “At the moment, there is a sort of mission to 'calm the volcano': this is a good and challenging goal, but it isn't actually worth any points!”
- “There is no story mode, only the option of making individual runs, and each time the map is randomly generated.”
- “What would take it to the next level is adding some variable missions.”
- “I can imagine alternate missions such as 'paint the desert' where you have to color all the barren land to green/yellow/blue/purple; or 'spread the habitats' where you need to introduce habitat for all 5 species onto each big hex, or 'save the unknown' where you need a continuous zone of undiscovered tiles linking across all big hexes. Then each game you would need to adapt a strategy.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its charming simplicity, with users highlighting the calming effect of the graphics and sound design. The ability to progress through the map by thoughtfully choosing approaches enhances the overall experience, creating a delightful and tranquil environment as players transform grey hexagons into vibrant landscapes.
- “I really liked the atmosphere and theme, and the way carefully choosing my approach allowed me to progress through the map.”
- “The simple graphics are charming, and the little sound effects are very atmospheric.”
- “Because it's so simple, I was able to enjoy the chill atmosphere and the simple joy of slowly converting grey hexagons into colorful forests, meadows, hills, and marshes.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report issues with stability, particularly noting buggy tile highlights that can disrupt gameplay.
- “The game is plagued by buggy tile highlights.”
- “There are frequent stability issues that disrupt gameplay.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs that affected the overall stability of the game.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its lightheartedness and unexpected challenges, often leading to hilarious situations, such as finding oneself in absurd predicaments with limited resources. Players appreciate the blend of simplicity and complexity that elicits genuine laughter.
- “Little brain power needed... until a lot is needed, and you start laughing hysterically when all you have is a duck and no water in sight.”