TENDY: Robot Gardener
- May 16, 2022
- Too Much Tomato
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreIn "TENDY: Robot Gardener," players nurture and grow a virtual garden using a customizable robot assistant. Complete various tasks to maintain the garden, such as watering, trimming, and planting seeds. Unlock new items and customization options as you progress, while learning about plant care and ecology in a fun and engaging way.
Windows
Reviews
- Charming art style and unique visual presentation that enhances the overall experience.
- Engaging puzzle mechanics that encourage strategic planning and offer a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.
- Relaxing atmosphere complemented by a good soundtrack, making it a pleasant game to play.
- The randomization of actions can lead to frustration, as players may need to restart levels frequently to achieve desired outcomes.
- Limited number of levels (only 15), which may leave players wanting more content and variety.
- Some players found the user interface confusing and difficult to navigate, detracting from the overall experience.
- gameplay15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a unique puzzle mechanic reminiscent of programming games, where players give randomized instructions to complete tasks. While the aesthetic is praised for its nostalgic charm, the puzzles are generally easy, catering to casual players, and the game lacks depth due to its short length and reliance on luck. Overall, the experience is enjoyable but could benefit from more challenging mechanics and levels.
“The aesthetic of this one was really strong with this deformed play-dough style of the 90s, and the puzzle mechanic was very unique, albeit the puzzles were mostly too easy.”
“Interesting mechanic, nice and gentle difficulty curve that's nonetheless satisfying, lovely atmosphere and presentation.”
“Really fun and weird aesthetic, a very nifty programming mechanic that is easy to understand but still has a wide possibility space.”
“The puzzle mechanic is similar to some basic 'program a robot' type games, where you give it a set of instructions to complete a task, except it has this weird gimmick that your instruction set is randomized and then hidden in sets of three, which makes no sense.”
“It adds nothing to the gameplay, not even additional challenge, as you can just keep resetting until you get the order you want.”
“I get the sense that this was not the gameplay the developers intended, but rather than pivot or rethink it, they slapped on a few band-aids like the 'lock' mechanic.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique and charming art style, reminiscent of claymation and 90s play-dough aesthetics, which contribute to a lively and bizarre atmosphere. Players appreciate the idle animations and sound effects that enhance the visual experience, although some note a lack of cohesion between the graphical design and controls. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, adding to the game's appeal.
“The art style is very cool and the game is bizarre in a charming way.”
“Best thing about this game is easily the weird but oddly satisfying art style.”
“The art style is very reminiscent of claymation, and the way everything has a sort of idle animation while standing still adds to this being my favorite game in the Cosmos 9 bundle, visuals-wise.”
“I get that it's an aesthetic, but some legible text would go a long way.”
“And there's no real cohesion between the graphical design or the controls meaning the whole 'console' gimmick doesn't really hold up.”
“The aesthetic of this one was really strong with this deformed play-dough style of the 90s and also the puzzle mechanic was very unique, albeit the puzzles were mostly too easy.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its chill and enjoyable soundtrack, particularly the drum and bass elements that enhance the overall experience while solving puzzles. Reviewers highlight the combination of great music and art as a key reason to engage with the game.
“Really appreciated this game; it's chill and easy with a good soundtrack.”
“The chill drum and bass OST made sitting down and working through puzzles an extremely pleasurable experience.”
“Check it out for the art and music alone!”
- story3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's story unfolds gradually after each level, providing both narrative and gameplay insights, and is characterized by a charming visual style that complements its hopeful and human themes. While the puzzle mechanics are somewhat constrained by a nine-move limit, the intriguing narrative adds depth and engagement to the overall experience.
“After each level you complete, you receive additional exposition that explains both the story and how to play.”
“It's a bit of Sokobond, a bit of card-based randomness, wrapped in a visual style and score that ooze charm and wonderfully support its hopeful and deeply human story.”
“The puzzle space is somewhat limited due to the 9-move constraint, but the game makes good use of its concept, and there's an intriguing element of story to boot.”
“After each level you complete, you receive additional exposition that explains both the story and gameplay mechanics.”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters or care about their journey.”
“While the visuals are charming, the narrative fails to engage, leaving players feeling disconnected from the overall experience.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and often unmotivating, as it requires extensive analysis of random outcomes to achieve guaranteed success in puzzles. While some games in the pack have potential, many are considered underdeveloped or overly repetitive, leading to a general recommendation to avoid the bundle.
“I suppose you could spend extra time trying to find the lock configuration that guarantees victory 100% regardless of randomization, which apparently exists for every puzzle according to the game. However, I was rarely motivated to do so because it often felt like that would involve tediously analyzing various random outcomes.”
“If you do have to get any games in this pack, Triga is probably worth full price, Linelith and Ifo are pretty cool albeit a bit underdeveloped and probably worth it on sale. However, Tendy and Frequency Dissonance are hard to recommend otherwise, and the other four are either too tedious or too underdeveloped to be worth your time, so I'd give the bundle as a whole a pass.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a lovely and relaxing presentation, complemented by a gentle difficulty curve that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the friendly ambiance, making it an enjoyable puzzle game.
“Interesting mechanic, nice and gentle difficulty curve that's nonetheless satisfying, lovely atmosphere and presentation.”
“A nice puzzle game with a friendly and relaxing atmosphere.”
