The Garden Path
- July 30, 2024
- carrotcake
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"The Garden Path" is a relaxing slice-of-life gardening simulation where you discover a secret garden and interact with friendly characters. The game's time system mirrors the real world, showing you all four seasons in 28 days, and offers new activities and discoveries with each visit. Create your own tranquil space and build relationships with the charming cast of vegetable companions.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The Garden Path features beautiful art and calming music, creating a relaxing atmosphere that players find enchanting.
- The game encourages exploration and self-discovery, allowing players to engage with the world at their own pace without the pressure of strict objectives.
- Many players appreciate the cozy, meditative experience it offers, likening it to a warm hug or a peaceful walk in nature.
- The game lacks clear guidance and tutorials, leaving players feeling lost and frustrated as they try to figure out its mechanics and objectives.
- There are numerous bugs and performance issues that detract from the overall experience, making it difficult for some players to enjoy the game fully.
- The gameplay can feel grindy and tedious, with convoluted systems that may not appeal to those looking for a more straightforward farming or life simulation experience.
- graphics20 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and charming art style, evoking a cozy and whimsical atmosphere reminiscent of children's storybooks. Many players appreciate the hand-painted aesthetics and character designs, which contribute to the game's overall vibe, although some note that the execution of gameplay mechanics can detract from the visual experience. Overall, the visuals are a standout feature, enhancing the game's appeal despite some frustrations with gameplay.
“The aesthetic of this game is so beautiful and so cozy — it gives me such strong 'Over the Garden Wall' vibes, and I adore the art style of the world, particularly that of the characters.”
“With a wonderfully beautiful art style reminiscent of children's storybooks, the garden path is a whimsical land full of mystery and wonder!”
“I love the hand-painted aesthetics and the entire kitchen witch vibe.”
“Art style is good, not great, and overall mechanics are very buggy.”
“That being said, as much as I adore the visuals and the foundation of the game, the core mechanics are so frustrating and off-putting that turning it on to play has begun to feel more like a chore than a treat, and more days are starting to pass in between my play sessions.”
“All in all; some great ideas; nice visuals and sound design, but somewhat poor execution of what could potentially be some fun relaxed gameplay.”
- gameplay15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a cozy and laidback experience, appealing to those who prefer a slower pace. However, players have noted a lack of clarity in mechanics and objectives, leading to frustration with inventory management and a steep learning curve due to insufficient tutorials. While the visuals and sound design are praised, the overall execution of gameplay mechanics has been described as buggy and occasionally annoying, detracting from the enjoyment of what could be a relaxing game.
“If cozy, laidback gameplay is your thing, check into this title, you won't regret it.”
“The art style is wonderful, the soundtrack is awesome, and the gameplay is very simple in the best way.”
“I am only an hour in, but I love how it is set up to be casual as my current schedule allows for small chunks of gameplay, so this fits perfectly.”
“There are tons of harvestables and collectible resources, but it’s not very clear what anything is for, so you end up with a backpack full of random stuff you don’t want to discard in case you figure out you want to do something with it. The storage mechanics are punishing (walk slower with a full backpack??? Is this a survival game???).”
“It's just really bad at offering direction, and a lot of the game's menus and mechanics make it feel a bit... annoying to play.”
“I never thought I would complain about a game not having enough of a tutorial, but it took me days to figure out some base aspects of gameplay because it either wasn’t clearly explained or just wasn’t even mentioned at all.”
- music11 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful and calming qualities, enhancing the overall ambiance and creating a peaceful atmosphere that complements the art style. Many players find the soundtrack and ambient sounds captivating, making the experience enjoyable and immersive, even if the gameplay itself may feel simplistic or boring at times. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's charm and exploration.
“Rustling of leaves and the melody of birdsong weave together naturalistically, and the beautiful music channels all the promise and mystery of going on an off-track walk in the countryside.”
“The music and ambience alone is worth playing the game for, and it complements the pleasant earthly colors of the garden to the point of lulling you to sleep.”
“I'd recommend it just for the music and the ambient sounds; it's so calming!”
“The artwork and music drew me in with their magical ambiance, and I was hooked by the vast amount of exploration and things to discover!”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is presented in a fragmented manner, encouraging players to piece it together by collecting journal pages, which adds an element of exploration and mystery. The lack of traditional quest markers allows for a more organic experience, particularly in co-op mode, where players can tackle different missions collaboratively. While some players appreciate the whimsical art style and open-ended narrative, others find the absence of clear objectives and explanations potentially frustrating.
“My favorite bit is definitely the fragmented story you’re putting together by collecting all the journal pages.”
“With a wonderfully beautiful art style reminiscent of children's storybooks, the garden path is a whimsical land full of mystery and wonder!”
“I would warmly recommend this game as a co-op experience, even more so than single-player as it's easier to solve the puzzles and missions when you have someone to discuss them with.”
“I could have sworn I had a quest about an encyclopedia that either a) disappeared or b) didn’t actually exist and I’m crazy.”
“I still have a couple of quests that I can do but have no clue how to do them to complete them and some of these have to do with how it’s explained.”
“Most games nowadays are designed with a clear goal in mind and a chain of quests like 'do this, do that' — and people are so used to it that when a game doesn't have that, it's seen as 'boring'.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of "Garden Path" to be frustrating due to its convoluted trading system and minimal guidance, which contrasts sharply with the more accessible gameplay of traditional farming games like "Animal Crossing: New Leaf." While the game has a charming vibe, many feel that the limited gameplay sessions do not fulfill the expectations of a satisfying farming experience, making it feel more challenging yet less rewarding.
“I always felt like I could do so much in ACNL in a short amount of time, whereas Garden Path feels grindy thanks to its convoluted trading system.”
“30-minute gameplays here and there don't really satisfy the itch of a farming experience.”
“Game has a great vibe to it, but doesn't really offer much of a farming experience.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as distinctive, mysterious, and richly immersive, encouraging players to explore and unravel its threads. Many users find it so engaging that they enjoy simply wandering around for extended periods.
“The atmosphere is incredibly rich, and I enjoyed just wandering around for more than an hour.”
“Overall, the atmosphere of the game makes me want to curl up on my couch, following and unraveling threads.”
“Distinctive and mysterious atmosphere.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game on the Switch has received negative feedback, with users reporting poor performance characterized by blurriness, lag, and intense stuttering during gameplay.
“I initially bought a Switch copy, but performance-wise, it wasn't doing too well and looked blurry.”
“I've had the game start to lag quite a bit and stutter very intensely.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized due to numerous bugs affecting overall mechanics, despite a decent art style.
“The art style is good, but the overall mechanics are very buggy.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and glitches that ruined the experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the artwork and character designs received high praise, the reviews do not provide specific insights into the depth or progression of character development within the game.
“The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
“The depth of the characters and their backstories adds so much to the overall experience of the game.”
