Paradise Marsh

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 377 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Paradise Marsh Game Cover
A bug-catching game with a stylish design and incredible vibes.
Starting at $0.71Buy now
Get on Steam Get on itch.io Store Get on Xbox Games Store

"Paradise Marsh" is a serene, narrative-driven game where you explore a procedurally generated wetland to solve the mystery of the fallen stars. Catch various critters, meet celestial characters, and discover hidden messages. With its calming atmosphere and no time limits, it encourages players to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 377 reviews
story18 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • Beautiful art and sound design that creates a calming atmosphere.
  • Engaging story with meaningful themes about life, death, and introspection.
  • Charming characters and dialogue that add depth to the gameplay experience.
  • Some frustrating gameplay mechanics, particularly with catching certain critters like tadpoles.
  • Lack of a map or clear navigation can lead to getting lost in the world.
  • Encountered bugs, such as broken achievements on Steam Deck, which can detract from the experience.
  • story65 mentions

    The game's story is described as charming and profound, often touching on themes of life, death, and self-reflection, with players appreciating its subtlety and emotional depth. While some found the narrative engaging and beautifully intertwined with the gameplay, others felt it was overshadowed by gameplay mechanics or lacked clarity. Overall, the story is seen as a relaxing and meditative experience that enhances the game's aesthetic appeal, despite some criticisms regarding its execution and pacing.

    • “The story that slowly unfolds is bittersweet, but filled with love and humor.”
    • “The story has such beautiful messages behind it, which pairs very well with the pretty graphics.”
    • “Paradise Marsh has to be one of the most beautiful games you could play, from graphics to audio to gameplay to storyline - it brings a deep feeling of sonder to the player, and you feel nothing but blissful calm while playing - except for the range of emotions the storyline makes you feel.”
    • “The story can be completed within a couple of hours and only took me about 3.5 hours to 100%.”
    • “The game looks like a cozy bug collecting game but has an overarching story that I didn't see coming and that didn't really fit the rest of the game.”
    • “It's sort of a walking simulator, but it's more than just that - exploring the wild while trying to catch things, I kind of ignored the story and just had a blast exploring.”
  • gameplay53 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and charm, focusing on bug-catching in a visually appealing world with a cute art style and meaningful dialogue. While the mechanics are engaging and the exploration is relaxing, some players find the gameplay repetitive and shallow, particularly towards the end, as the need to catch all critters can lead to a sense of emptiness in the environment. Overall, the game is best enjoyed for its vibes and aesthetics rather than deep gameplay mechanics.

    • “The gameplay is motivating, pretty, and minimalistic in a good way.”
    • “A remarkably chill narrative-based collectathon with inbuilt randomization and sandbox mechanics.”
    • “I really enjoyed both the exploration-focused mechanics of the game and the writing contained within.”
    • “The gameplay itself is a bit boring after a while, and it took me a lot longer than I thought it would to get the motivation to keep playing.”
    • “Gameplay consists of hopping around and collecting bugs, bottles, a couple of minigames, and that's about it really, so it's a shallow collector/adventure game with bad graphics and worse subtext.”
    • “A very pretty game that is extremely short with absolutely no guidance, mildly-to-very frustrating mechanics and gameplay.”
  • graphics52 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their calming and cute art style, reminiscent of titles like "A Short Hike" and "Animal Crossing." Players appreciate the beautiful, pixelated 3D visuals that create a serene atmosphere, complemented by a soothing soundscape. While some critiques mention minor issues like frame rate and color transitions, the overall aesthetic and emotional depth of the visuals contribute significantly to the game's charm and appeal.

    • “The visuals and the soundscape add the final touches to the chill whole.”
    • “Beautiful graphics, beautiful music, and I found the story very interesting.”
    • “Paradise Marsh has to be one of the most beautiful games you could play, from graphics to audio to gameplay to storyline - it brings a deep feeling of sonder to the player, and you feel nothing but blissful calm while playing.”
    • “Overall, it's kinda boring after a bit, even though the graphics are pretty.”
    • “Gameplay consists of hopping around and collecting bugs, bottles, a couple of minigames, and that's about it really, so it's a shallow collector/adventure game with bad graphics and worse subtext.”
    • “The art style and overall game feel are by far the highlights of this game, but I can't help but see past it and see nothing behind the curtain.”
  • music31 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful, soothing, and immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience. Composed by disasterpeace, the soundtrack is noted for its ability to adapt to the environment, creating a calming backdrop that complements the game's visuals and themes. Players appreciate the blend of chill melodies and poetic undertones, often returning to the game just to enjoy the music and scenery.

    • “The music really set the mood, and it just felt like a real nice time playing it.”
    • “Wonderful game with a surprising amount of detail put into it, absolutely fantastic how the music is adaptive and linked directly to the environment in a way that is enticing and enjoyable.”
    • “With its gorgeous pastel color palette and soothing synth soundtrack (by disasterpeace of ‘Fez’ and ‘Hyper Light Drifter’ fame), Paradise Marsh transports you to a much calmer headspace.”
    • “It feels more like the dev wanting their poetry and deep thoughts heard and weren't sure how to accomplish that without a game behind it, kind of like how ConcernedApe talks about his music in Stardew.”
    • “A lot of the times I don't really notice the music even though it's there.”
    • “The audio/music is very cute, very chill, and very much in the background.”
  • emotional28 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its touching and meaningful dialogue, which balances lightheartedness with introspection, creating a heartfelt experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to address simple yet profound themes of life, self-acceptance, and coping with grief in a gentle manner, often leading to moments of reflection and even tears. Overall, it is described as a cozy, wholesome adventure that resonates deeply with those seeking emotional connection and comfort.

    • “The writing can range from fun and light to touching and introspective, and just well spaced out enough to not interrupt the gameplay loop.”
    • “I'm scared of [spoiler]death and grief[/spoiler], hence why I cried, but the game handles it in a gentle way and shows you different ways that people think about it, prompting you to create the best perspective and life for yourself.”
    • “This game made me feel things.”
  • atmosphere15 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique biomes, beautiful visuals, and immersive sound design, creating a relaxing and contemplative experience. Players appreciate the cozy, charming style that encourages exploration and engagement with the environment, enhanced by soothing music and a bittersweet narrative. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both captivating and inviting, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “Cute and relaxing game with a fantastic atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere built is beautiful; Disasterpiece's immersive and soothing music meshed so well with the simple but engaging exploration of the marshlands in all their stunning colors.”
    • “Best played in a quiet atmosphere where you can enjoy poetry and contemplation in between jumping on lily pads and eating strange mushrooms.”
    • “Relaxing, with a mysterious atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere, dialogue, sound design, music.”
    • “You can tell the developer poured their heart and soul into the game, especially the atmosphere and bittersweet narrative.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by witty dialogue from charming bug characters and clever interactions with the environment, creating a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the blend of humor with a bittersweet narrative, highlighting the developer's attention to detail and emotional depth. Overall, the game is described as both funny and relatable, enhancing its appeal as a delightful adventure.

    • “If you are looking for a relaxing adventure at your own pace, with funny dialogue by the bugs, and stunning visuals and sound design, this is for you.”
    • “The story that slowly unfolds is bittersweet, but filled with love and humor.”
    • “The writing is funny and witty, and manages to ask compelling questions about where you are and the net you were given.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, especially in the later stages where catching multiple creatures becomes a chore due to the mechanics that remove entire groups after capturing one. While some appreciate the charm of the game, the overall sentiment leans towards the grinding feeling excessively long and monotonous.

    • “I had caught everything, done all the NPCs, and was now just running around for over an hour looking for one creature to stock up on (because you have to catch them multiple times to complete the constellation, but once you catch one from a group, the whole group goes away, so it can become very tedious).”
    • “The game becomes repetitive and a bit tedious towards the end with that 'catch them all' vibe.”
    • “Later game feels insanely grindy.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it lacking due to its short length and limited unique content, others appreciate the atmospheric experience that encourages revisiting the game for relaxation and exploration.

    • “I beat this game in one sitting, and likely will play it far more in the future, just for zen replay value.”
    • “Re-playable to some extent in that way.”
    • “For me, that's a little much considering it's a short game and I'm unlikely to come back to it in the future, as it doesn't have a lot of replay value.”
    • “I guess as there's no replayability as such, a handcrafted map would have been better with more unique landmarks.”
    • “This game is pretty short to beat, but I can see a lot of replay value for just getting lost in the game and enjoying the atmosphere.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game exhibits some stability issues, including minor bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as getting stuck or unintended actions. However, most problems can be resolved by restarting the game, leading to an overall satisfactory experience despite the occasional frustrations.

    • “It's a little buggy; I got stuck with two fish on my hook and couldn't drop an item because my notebook kept opening instead. However, any issues were easily fixed by just exiting the game and continuing from the menu.”
    • “The game was cute but very buggy and felt like I was walking around in circles doing the same things over and over.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

56% average critic score

Buy Paradise Marsh

Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
2-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News