Plantera 2: Golden Acorn
- April 12, 2023
- VaragtP
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"Plantera 2: Golden Acorn" is a gardening simulation game where players build up a garden around a magical tree to attract round blue creatures called Mellows. These creatures help harvest plants and crops, which can be sold for money to buy more advanced crops and items. The goal is to grow the garden from a small plot into a sprawling sanctuary filled with cute animals and decorations.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Charming graphics and cute character design enhance the relaxing gameplay experience.
- Offers a variety of new crops, animals, and special items compared to the first game, making it feel fresh.
- Easy to play and perfect for idling in the background while doing other tasks, providing a satisfying progression loop.
- The game is quite short, with many players completing it and achieving 100% in under 5 hours.
- Gameplay can become repetitive quickly, lacking depth and long-term engagement after reaching the endgame.
- Some players experienced performance issues, particularly with low resolution and crashes when the garden becomes too cluttered.
- gameplay51 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Plantera 2 is characterized by its simple and relaxing mechanics, combining elements of idle, clicker, and farming simulation genres. While it offers charming visuals and satisfying progression, many players find it repetitive and lacking in depth after a few hours, with some expressing a desire for more complex mechanics and content. Overall, it is a casual experience that builds on its predecessor but may not hold long-term engagement for all players.
“The gameplay is very satisfying, so if you like idle games, you should definitely give this a shot!”
“With the game’s charming sprites, surprisingly well-animated pixel art, pleasant music, and relaxing laid-back gameplay, it immerses you into a magical garden.”
“The gameplay in Plantera 2 is very fun and addictive.”
“It is cute, but there is not enough content or mechanics... it gets too easy or simply just waiting too soon...”
“The game can also get repetitive and boring after a while, as there is not much variety or interaction in the gameplay.”
“Despite 'golden acorn' being in the title it brings no depth, mechanics or story to the game... it's literally just waiting for them to drop from a tree for a few hours.”
- music40 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its relaxing and soothing qualities, complementing the cute graphics and overall vibe. While many players find the soundtrack enjoyable and fitting, some note that it can become repetitive during long play sessions. Overall, the music enhances the game's charm, though a few players express a preference for the soundtrack from the previous installment.
“Overall a pretty great relaxing and cute game; all the creatures are quite adorable and the music is a chill bop that doesn't get old even after playing it to completion.”
“The game has a charming and colorful pixel art style, and a soothing soundtrack that fits the mood of the game.”
“The beautiful pixel art, relaxing music, and calm atmospheric sounds create an enjoyable experience.”
“The music can get a bit repetitive, especially if you play it in long sessions.”
“I play the old Plantera soundtrack and turn off Plantera 2's music; it makes it a much better experience.”
“I do miss the soundtrack from the first one though; it would be nice to have an option to include those songs in this one as well.”
- graphics38 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics in Plantera 2: Golden Acorn are widely praised for their cute and charming pixel art style, which enhances the game's relaxing and addictive gameplay. While many players appreciate the colorful and detailed visuals, some note that the graphics can become blurry when played in fullscreen mode. Overall, the aesthetic is considered delightful and fitting for fans of similar games, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The game has a charming and colorful pixel art style, and a soothing soundtrack that fits the mood of the game.”
“The graphics in Plantera 2 are excellent, with a lot of attention to detail.”
“The art style is very cute and I'm looking forward to any updates the game may receive in the future.”
“While the graphics are cutely presented, it is a pity that once the fullscreen option is toggled, they do not maintain quality any longer due to their size, which is a bit of a letdown to be quite honest as I would have preferred to view the whole in a fully enhanced game at this point, given how far the developers managed to push this little game from years ago.”
“Graphics get blurry at full screen resolution.”
“The cute visuals turn into visual noise pretty fast.”
- grinding26 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players appreciate that the game minimizes tedious grinding, allowing for a more relaxed experience while still providing opportunities for achievement completion. While some light grinding is necessary for certain achievements, particularly reaching level 100 or upgrading specific items, the game is designed to be enjoyable and engaging without overwhelming players with excessive tasks. The blend of idle gameplay and farming simulation contributes to a cozy atmosphere, making it a recommended choice for fans of the genre.
“However, the game is also very simple and shallow, and can get tedious and monotonous after some time.”
“The only 'grindy' part is to upgrade a tree with golden acorns for the level 25 achievement.”
“I followed this game for a while as I really enjoyed the first, including grinding out the original achievements.”
- story9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional story or campaign, focusing instead on enhancing gameplay with new items and features, which some players find enjoyable and addictive. While the absence of a narrative may lead to a sense of monotony and disappointment for some, the overall experience is characterized by cute graphics and calming music, making it a unique and fun environment. Ultimately, the game prioritizes gameplay mechanics over storytelling, which may not appeal to those seeking a deeper narrative.
“This isn't a continuation of any plot but more of a boost up from the original game, adding more animals, plants, and other great quality of life features that make Plantera such a unique and fun experience.”
“The graphics are cute, the music is calming and not overwhelming as you leave it open in the background, and the gameplay is really simple, but fun!”
“It's not like it's a story, but it was still a little surprise I enjoyed.”
“It doesn’t have a story or campaign, just new items and upgrades you can unlock as you progress.”
“The lack of a plot or story can make the game a bit monotonous and without a clear goal.”
“Despite 'golden acorn' being in the title, it brings no depth, mechanics, or story to the game... it's literally just waiting for them to drop from a tree for a few hours.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by vibrant pixel art and a soothing soundtrack, which together create a relaxing and cozy environment. Users appreciate the calming sound effects and music that enhance the overall experience, making it an engaging choice for longer play sessions despite its idle/clicker nature.
“Overall, this game is a good choice for an idler/clicker with its vibrant art and relaxing atmosphere.”
“The background music is on point, creating a soothing laid-back atmosphere, accompanied by soft sound effects like coin chimes and harvesting sounds.”
“The beautiful pixel art, relaxing music, and calm atmospheric sounds create an enjoyable experience.”
“Even though you can race through the game and get all the achievements pretty quickly, it still draws me back in because of the atmosphere.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game is described as cute and fun, but it suffers from significant performance issues, despite some noticeable fixes from the developers. Users express a desire for better UI optimization for PC, particularly regarding oversized buttons, and overall, while enjoyable, the game still requires further optimization to enhance the experience.
“Dev did indeed make some noticeable performance fixes.”
“Also would be nice to have more decorations, and I wish the UI was more optimized for PC; I don't need giant buttons all the time. Maybe it could change in settings when you disable full screen.”
“Had fun, some performance issues currently.”
“The performance and FPS issues are still a major concern.”
“The developers did make some noticeable performance fixes, but there's still room for improvement.”
“It would be nice to have more decorations, and I wish the UI was better optimized for PC. I don't need giant buttons all the time; maybe it could change in settings when you disable full screen.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has low replayability due to the absence of a prestige system and a lack of content beyond level 100, suggesting it was not designed for long-term engagement or repeated playthroughs.
“Low replayability, no prestige system, and I feel like the content should have at least continued to fill the gap through level 100.”
“It does not seem intended for longevity or replayability.”
- stability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game experiences frequent freezing and crashing issues, significantly hindering gameplay and causing frustration, particularly during simple tasks. However, it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, indicating some variability in performance across platforms.
“Runs great on Steam Deck.”
“I tend to place an item, the game freezes and then crashes. I reopen it and repeat the process, turning what would normally take 10 seconds into an endeavor that takes over 3 minutes.”
“The game is constantly crashing, making it nearly unplayable. I can't progress because of the frequent freezes.”
“Every time I try to save my progress, the game crashes. It's incredibly frustrating and ruins the experience.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a variety of humorous elements, including the quirky loot hero and random events like meteor showers and UFO invasions, which contribute to its lighthearted tone. Players have reported enjoying the comedic chaos, often finding themselves laughing while engaging in fast-paced activities like chasing foes and harvesting crops.
“The game also has some humorous elements, such as the occasional appearance of a loot hero, a pixelated knight that you can click rapidly to earn extra coins, or the random events that can affect your garden, such as a meteor shower or a UFO invasion.”
“I admit I spent quite a bit of time just laughing hysterically as I chased away foes, attempted to harvest my crops, and catch butterflies with flash-like speed.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development is highlighted by a charming and appealing character design that enhances the overall aesthetic and engagement of the game.
- monetization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's monetization model is positively received for allowing players to achieve a "100% completion" state without the pressure of repetitive content or microtransactions, offering a refreshing alternative to typical idler games.
“An idler that has a '100% completion' state instead of making you repeat the same content forever while pressuring you for microtransactions is a nice change of pace.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is perceived as wholesome and harmless, yet it falls short of establishing a distinct identity, resulting in a somewhat generic experience.
