Reach for the Sun

64%
Game Brain Score Based on 181 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • replayability
Reach for the Sun Game Cover
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"Reach for the Sun" is a strategy game where you grow flowers and collect resources to reproduce before winter. Version 1.2 introduces a new strategy mode with a set number of turns and added bees for pollination. The recent update also allows players to grow the prickly pear cactus, which has enlarged stems for photosynthesis.

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Reviews

64%
Audience ScoreBased on 181 reviews
gameplay6 positive mentions
replayability6 negative mentions
  • The game features charming graphics and a relaxing soundtrack, making it a pleasant experience for casual players.
  • It serves as a simple educational tool, providing basic information about plant growth and photosynthesis, which can be beneficial for younger audiences.
  • The addition of two gameplay modes (Classic and Strategy) offers some variety, allowing players to choose between a fast-paced clicking experience or a more thoughtful turn-based approach.
  • The game is very short, with most players completing it in under two hours, leading to low replayability and a feeling of being overpriced for the content offered.
  • Gameplay primarily revolves around repetitive clicking, which can become tedious and lacks depth or meaningful strategy, making it feel more like a flash game than a full-fledged title.
  • Technical issues such as sluggish controls, lack of fullscreen mode, and limited content (only a few plants and upgrades) detract from the overall experience.
  • gameplay46 mentions

    The gameplay of this title has been criticized for its simplicity and lack of depth, often feeling more like an interactive educational tool than a fully-fledged game. Players report that the mechanics are repetitive, primarily revolving around clicking, with minimal variation between different plant types, leading to a short overall experience. While the game has potential and offers a pleasant aesthetic, many feel it falls short due to its limited content and shallow mechanics, leaving players wanting more engaging gameplay and longer playtime.

    • “Besides that, Reach for the Sun has a pleasant appearance, smooth gameplay, and nice ambient music.”
    • “It is a short game, but with nice mechanics - there is a 'strategy' mode and an 'action' mode; the first is turn-based, the last one is RTS-like and requires quite some timed clicking to collect the resources.”
    • “Overall, the gameplay is solid for the limited levels available, but it just seems too short, and an expansion would make this a must-buy.”
    • “In all seriousness, there is little to no reason to call this video game anything but an interactive biology teaching resource due to its lack of gameplay and minimal attempt at demonstrating botany and gardening through edu-entertainment.”
    • “The most obvious problem is that the gameplay is all about clicking - even in strategy mode, it's all about the clicking.”
    • “Gameplay for all four plants is exactly the same; you just keep clicking.”
  • music26 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and calming qualities, enhancing the overall relaxing experience. Many players appreciate the pleasant soundtracks that complement the visuals and gameplay, often describing it as a perfect backdrop for a casual gaming session. While some find the music enjoyable and fitting, a few note that it can become repetitive over time.

    • “Really lovely relaxing music that I felt was almost taking me away to a meadow - complements the game perfectly and is great to relax with.”
    • “The music is fantastic, and I sometimes booted up the game just to listen to its excellence.”
    • “Each plant's own soundtrack encourages growth apace, to the tune of both peaceful and stirring music for each season of the year (mostly stringed instruments, which fits very well).”
    • “Gets horribly dull after the second plant... music okay.”
    • “The music was so soft and relaxing.”
    • “Sound: 8, the music is actually decent.”
  • replayability25 mentions

    Overall, the game is criticized for its low replayability, with many users noting that it is short, repetitive, and lacks depth. While some find it enjoyable for casual play, the consensus is that it does not offer enough content or variety to warrant multiple playthroughs. A few users mention potential for replayability with future updates, but currently, it is seen as limited.

    • “I do recommend buying this game as it has lots of replayability with all the different plants, upgrades, and variables such as droughts, etc. The only thing I do not like about this game is that it's windowed and does not have an option for fullscreen.”
    • “The science geek inside of me loves the concept; it just seems like more time could have gone into creating more replayability and more of a challenge.”
    • “While it was fun while it lasted, it lacks replay value (as there are only one or two ways to build each plant) and is fairly easy.”
    • “Replay value is just very low.”
    • “The game is repetitive and has very little replay value.”
    • “Nice concept, but lacks depth and replayability.”
  • graphics18 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as charming and visually appealing, with a lovely aesthetic that enhances the relaxing experience. However, some users noted issues such as control lag due to slow mouse pointer tooltips and graininess in fullscreen mode, which detracts from the overall fluidity of gameplay. While the visuals are considered good, there is a consensus that they could be improved further, especially given the game's potential as a casual timewaster.

    • “It has pleasant horticulturally paced music and appealing graphics which successfully replicate some of the beauty of living growing plants.”
    • “All in all, if you're looking for a casual, relaxing experience with pretty visuals and great music, this game is for you.”
    • “The visuals and production values are pretty good, and she does enjoy seeing the flower grow and bloom.”
    • “For $5, you can experience rasterized graphics that only a flash website could love and compete against garden pests and an eventual winter.”
    • “Can't adjust graphics options, no option to save progress in multiple files, and in fullscreen it looks grainy.”
    • “Also the mouse pointer graphical tooltips are a little slow to appear creating control lag and they also appear to shift the mouse pointer location marginally or delay its movement under user direction, enough to move it off target making clicking on a target an unnecessarily difficult and delayed process which is unfortunate given that the realtime game is played within fairly tight time constraints.”
  • story4 mentions

    The story aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with users noting that it is short and repetitive, primarily involving clicking without a meaningful narrative. While some appreciate the educational potential, they feel it falls short due to limited content and a need for more informative interactions. Overall, the game is seen as fun but lacking in a compelling storyline.

    • “The story is engaging and adds depth to the gameplay, making it a fun experience overall.”
    • “I appreciate the educational elements of the story, but I wish there were more informative interactions to enhance learning.”
    • “The narrative could be improved with more diverse content and settings to enrich the player's experience.”
    • “The game is short; there's a lot of clicking involved, and there's no storyline or anything.”
    • “If you want to teach through a game, it better have more informative interactions because every plant is the same old story: click, click, click.”
    • “This game is very buggy with Steam notifications, and it lacks a very educational story.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game is visually appealing but suffers from poor optimization, requiring a powerful computer for smooth performance. Players noted minimal differences in graphics quality between low and ultra settings, primarily affecting speed rather than visual fidelity.

    • “The game runs smoothly on high settings, but it does require a powerful computer to achieve optimal performance.”
    • “I didn't notice much difference between low and ultra settings, aside from the speed, which is impressive for optimization.”
    • “Very pretty, very simple, very badly optimized.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game is praised for its immersive and pleasant atmosphere, enhanced by soothing music and a visually appealing environment. Players appreciate the opportunity to engage with the game's science elements while enjoying a serene progression as the sun interacts with the game's visuals.

    • “Very atmospheric and pleasant game to play.”
    • “I could enjoy the music and atmosphere, plan ahead, watch the progression, and read up on the science as the sun slowly bathed my leaves.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game is generally enjoyable, but players report significant stability issues, including bugs and problems with Steam notifications. There is a desire for more content and features, such as multiplayer options and additional plant varieties, which could enhance the overall experience.

    • “I love the game, but it is very buggy, especially with Steam notifications disrupting gameplay.”
    • “The game has great potential, but frequent crashes and glitches make it frustrating to play.”
    • “While the concept is fun, the stability issues really detract from the overall experience.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The game is praised for its wholesome nature, effectively combining gardening and science, which evokes a positive emotional response from players.

  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect to be a monotonous and mindless activity, lacking meaningful choices or strategic planning, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “It's ultimately a tedious click-fest without any real thought, choice, or planning.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making the game more of a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
    • “I found myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which quickly became boring and frustrating.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized as both cute and genuinely funny, appealing to players with its lighthearted and charming comedic elements.

    • “It's really cute and really funny.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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