Reaching for Petals

About

"Reaching for Petals" is a poetic adventure game that explores themes of love, loss, and ambition in a desolate world. Players uncover the meaning of their travels by revisiting past memories, with dynamic music and breathtaking visuals bringing the story to life. The game features large, interactive environments and philosophical narration. A free VR edition and official soundtrack are available as additional content.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 119 reviews

story33 positive mentions

character development2 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and serene environments that enhance the overall experience.
The narration is well-delivered and emotionally impactful, contributing to a touching story about love and loss.
It's a relaxing and introspective experience, perfect for those who enjoy walking simulators and philosophical themes.

The gameplay is very slow-paced, which may frustrate players looking for more action or interactivity.
The story can feel vague and overly poetic, making it difficult for some players to connect with the narrative.
The game is quite short, lasting around an hour, which may not justify its price for some players.

story
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
60%
6%
The story in this walking simulator is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the human experience, delivered through beautiful narration and stunning visuals. While some players appreciate its philosophical depth and emotional resonance, others find the pacing slow and the writing at times tedious or clichéd. Overall, it offers a short, atmospheric experience that may appeal to those who enjoy narrative-driven games, though it may not satisfy everyone due to its simplicity and brevity.
- “The story is beautiful and sad, and yet happy.”
- “This game has everything you are looking for in a walking simulator story: deep meaning, voice acting, art style, and music. This is astonishing!”
- “A tear-jerking story about love, loss, and life itself.”
- “The bad: whilst technically good, the writing is incredibly boring and tedious, and the story is as cliché as it gets.”
- “The 'story' is walking while listening to a vague, somewhat overwrought series of reflections on... well, it is pretty vague.”
- “While there were lulls and confusing parts, the story was overall pretty engaging.”
graphics
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
39%
5%
The graphics in the game are generally described as beautiful and atmospheric, with many players appreciating the stunning visuals and scenery, particularly in a walking simulator context. However, there are mixed opinions regarding optimization and performance, with some users noting issues like texture pop-in and frame rate drops on lower-end systems. Overall, while the graphics may not be groundbreaking, they effectively complement the game's narrative and emotional experience.
- “This game has everything you are looking for in a walking simulator story, deep meaning, voice acting, art style, and music; this is astonishing!”
- “The graphics are beautiful (I took some screenshots and uploaded them to Steam).”
- “The graphics will mesmerize you and the story will draw you in and have you eager to experience each new chapter.”
- “The graphics are nothing special, objects phasing in on proximity, and it does reuse assets a lot, but it tries to make the most of what it does use.”
- “The game is yet another walking sim made by a developer that doesn't know how to optimize their game so that it's a slog on lower-end systems, even if those systems can run relatively new AAA games with much better graphics.”
- “Graphics are mediocre and optimization is really bad.”
music
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
42%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its emotional depth and fitting integration with the narrative. However, some players experienced issues with the audio mixing, where the music occasionally drowned out the narration, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these concerns, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive qualities.
- “Great music and narration makes up for the atmosphere.”
- “This game has everything you are looking for in a walking simulator story: deep meaning, voice acting, art style, and music. This is astonishing!”
- “The music slowly sways and edges until gradually building up with the final chapter to give the player a real enjoyable listen.”
- “My only complaint is that I wish I could go through without music or narration.”
- “Non-existent soundtrack and graphics that have nothing exceptional, indeed .. maybe with VR it's another thing but I don't feel like recommending this game.”
- “I don't think the music went on for long enough or didn't loop as you would get halfway through a level and the music would finish and it would just be silence for the rest.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The gameplay has been widely criticized for its lack of interactivity and depth, with many reviewers describing it as a walking simulator that offers minimal player engagement and repetitive environments. Issues such as high sensitivity controls, awkward movement mechanics, and a lack of meaningful choices detract from the experience, leading to a general consensus that the gameplay is bland and unsatisfying. Overall, players feel that the game fails to deliver a compelling interactive experience, often feeling more like an art piece than a traditional game.
- “With a little better tweaked controls, fast-paced gameplay, and without parts where we can pick between choices, this could have been a slightly better walking sim.”
- “At the heart of this debate are 'walking simulators,' a somewhat recent genre of game that has players walk around different areas and interact with objects without any real win/loss conditions or traditional gameplay elements.”
- “So far, the gameplay is bland and okay.”
- “I loved the narration and the scenery, but in terms of actual gameplay, it is lackluster.”
- “The gameplay is virtually non-existent - I would not mistake this for an 'adventure' game.”
- “The gameplay is a bit of a chore; you walk extremely slowly through the levels where 90% of the level looks the same.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its profound emotional impact, with many players expressing that it made them cry and feel deeply immersed in its heartfelt narrative about love and loss. While the poetic language and philosophical themes resonate strongly with some, others may find it requires a certain emotional investment that not everyone can relate to. Overall, it is considered a visually stunning experience that delivers a touching story, though it may not appeal to all players due to its simplicity and pacing.
- “This game made me cry with its ending, I am not going to lie.”
- “This short but heartfelt story truly captures what enduring love and loss represent.”
- “For those that enjoy a peaceful experience with fantastic visuals, a beautiful, emotional story told through amazing philosophical narration and accompanied by a wonderfully haunting soundtrack, this is a highly recommended playthrough.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is largely praised for its beautiful graphics, engaging music, and compelling narration, creating a relaxing and immersive experience. However, some users noted that visual artifacts, particularly in shadows and foliage, detracted from the overall ambiance, preventing the environments from fully realizing their potential. Overall, the game is described as a short yet impactful journey through detailed and alive surroundings, enhanced by a poignant narrative.
- “The graphics are great and the story with the narration will give you a 2-hour relaxing and atmospheric experience.”
- “A short, beautiful experience/interactive story/walking sim with atmospheric, detailed, and alive surroundings, great narration, a romantic plot with an unexpected ending, and poetic language.”
- “An atmospheric game with beautiful graphics and a chilling but somber narrative that helps you walk around a scenery that Bob Ross would be proud and happy.”
- “Visual artifacts, especially on shadows and some foliage, reduce the atmosphere and beauty of the landscapes.”
- “Great music and narration make up for the atmosphere.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
While the game offers an engaging overall experience, users have criticized its optimization, noting that performance issues are particularly pronounced given the mediocre graphics. Many feel that the game's performance does not align with its visual quality, leading to disappointment.
- “Amazing game! I don't normally write reviews for games, but this was one of the better games I've played in terms of overall performance for how it's supposed to be played.”
- “The optimization is impressive; the game runs smoothly even on lower-end hardware, which is a huge plus.”
- “Graphics are mediocre and optimization is really bad.”
- “If the graphics were insane, I could see it drop, but it doesn't look nearly as good to have such bad performance.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
Character development in the game is perceived as lacking depth, with some players finding the memory sequences impersonal despite the strong writing and narration. While the game offers engaging arcade action and crafting elements, it ultimately falls short in delivering a meaningful character growth experience.
- “I wasn't expecting anything more walking in, and I wasn't expecting to have some arcade action moments or a deep crafting and character development system.”
- “It has great writing, narration, and a wonderful soundtrack, but it’s dragged down by its handling of character development and its memory sequences that, at least to me, felt strangely impersonal.”
- “I wasn't expecting anything more walking in, and I wasn't expecting to have some arcade action moments or a deep crafting or character development system.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is intertwined with its philosophical themes, reflecting a deep understanding of the human experience that includes not only joy and laughter but also sadness and despair. This blend of humor and existential reflection adds a unique depth to the narrative.
- “The humor in this game is brilliantly woven into the narrative, making even the most serious moments feel light-hearted and enjoyable.”
- “I love how the game balances humor with deep philosophical themes, creating a unique experience that keeps you both laughing and thinking.”
- “The witty dialogue and clever puns throughout the game had me chuckling at every turn, making it a truly entertaining experience.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and uninspired, with a lack of engaging writing and a clichéd story contributing to the overall monotony.
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “I found myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which quickly became a chore rather than fun.”
- “The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the overall experience.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game "Reaching for Petals" is criticized for its lack of stability, with users noting it is plagued by bugs and overall feels unfinished, contributing to a bland and short gameplay experience.
- “Reaching for petals is an extremely bland, short, and buggy walking simulator.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experienced constant frame drops and glitches that ruined the immersion.”