The Gardener and the Wild Vines

About

The Gardener and the Wild Vines is a single player platformer game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Finite Reflection and was released on September 9, 2021. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"The Gardener and the Wild Vines" is a challenging platformer where you leap and slash through handcrafted towers, using flowers and vines to propel yourself upward. Search for the missing Prince, battle environmental hazards, and experience a touching fairy tale of love and risk. With 28 challenging levels and a separate Challenge Mode, there's plenty of content to master.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

The Gardener and the Wild Vines screenshot

+10

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98%

Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews

story13 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and satisfying platforming mechanic that involves cutting flowers to create vines, making for engaging gameplay.
It has a charming and wholesome story with LGBTQ+ representation, which is refreshing and adds depth to the characters.
The visuals are beautifully polished, with a cute art style and delightful sound design that enhance the overall experience.

Some players found the vine growth mechanics to be arbitrary and difficult to predict, which could lead to frustration during gameplay.
The game may feel repetitive after a while, with some levels looking similar and a desire for more variety in challenges.
While the story is cute, some reviewers felt it was predictable and wished for more depth or time spent with the main characters.

story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
56%
8%
The story of the game is widely praised for its cute and wholesome narrative, featuring themes of love, self-discovery, and friendship, often resonating with players on a personal level. While some find the plot predictable, it is described as engaging and touching, with well-developed characters and humorous dialogue that enhance the overall experience. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ representation and social themes adds depth, making it a delightful and meaningful journey for players.
- “The storytelling is great, quite touching.”
- “It has really amazing feeling movement with interesting levels, all while telling a short but sweet story about self-discovery and, in a way, the importance of a functioning support system when one struggles with doubts.”
- “The story made me cry many times, and I think it's a perfect mix of storytelling and play, and has great parallels to real-life situations that people may be struggling with.”
- “For a price as low as this, I was expecting a game that could be finished in half an hour and not give the slightest toss about plot resolution or characterization.”
- “The plot could be wholly about a gardener trying to rescue a prince from an evil magician without anything else tied to it and it would've worked very well, especially as it removes some of the plot threads at the end.”
- “The story is cute too.”
gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
48%
11%
The gameplay is characterized by its unique and satisfying mechanics, particularly the platforming and flower-cutting elements, which are easy to learn yet complex to master. Players appreciate the game's balance of simplicity and depth, with engaging puzzles and challenges that keep the experience fresh without overstaying its welcome. While some mechanics, like flower combos, feel less integral to the story mode, the overall gameplay is smooth, enjoyable, and offers opportunities for speedrunning and skill development.
- “So mechanically rich and interesting, but really simple to understand and master.”
- “The action mechanics and movement are so tight and feel really good to play.”
- “The combo mechanic feels out of place and encourages you to spend time cutting flowers rather than progressing the level, even though there is no point in doing more than the bare minimum.”
- “The mechanics kind of remind me of swinging in the Spider-Man games, which I really like.”
- “The platformer mechanics are simple to learn but complex to master, as well as unique!”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartfelt storytelling and relatable themes, which resonate deeply with players, often evoking tears. Reviewers appreciate the cute and wholesome narrative, particularly praising its representation of LGBTQ+ characters and experiences, making it both touching and enjoyable. Overall, the game is described as charming and fun, successfully blending humor with emotional depth.
- “The story made me cry many times, and I think it's a perfect mix of storytelling and play, and has great parallels to real-life situations that people may be struggling with.”
- “The storytelling is great, quite touching.”
- “This game is very heartfelt, and it's also pretty good!”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The graphics are widely praised for their charming and cute aesthetic, drawing comparisons to classic titles like Paper Mario and mid-to-late 90s PS1 and N64 games. The inventive blend of 2D sprites with 3D elements, along with a vibrant color palette, enhances the overall experience, complemented by a lighthearted story and engaging dialogue. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a delightful experience for players.
- “The game has a wonderful art style, a sort of 2.5D perspective shifting chunky pixel aesthetic reminiscent of mid-to-late 90s PS1 and N64 games.”
- “Good pixel art and an inventive graphics style with the 3D towers and 2D sprites.”
- “The visuals are charming as hell, the dialogue is extremely funny and heartwarming.”
- “The art style reminded me of Paper Mario, which is one of my all-time favorites.”
- “Popping graphics, chill tunes, and a cute story.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by charming visuals and extremely funny, heartwarming dialogue that keeps players laughing throughout the well-paced narrative. While the plot is simple, it effectively delivers comedic moments, enhancing the overall gameplay experience despite some technical issues.
- “The visuals are charming as hell, the dialogue is extremely funny and heartwarming.”
- “The story has so much charm and has me laughing the whole time.”
- “The narrative is funny and very well paced.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music and sound design in the game are widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting the phenomenal soundtrack and immersive sound effects that enhance the overall experience. The combination of great music, engaging story, and charming art style contributes to a captivating atmosphere that players find enjoyable.
- “The soundtrack and sound design are phenomenal, and the characters are so good.”
- “The music, story, and art are also great.”
- “The sound effects and music are amazing; the gameplay is smooth, and I'm getting so much better at combos without even thinking about it.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
"The Gardener and the Wild Vines" offers a short playtime of 3-4 hours, but its replayability is enhanced by extra challenges, collectibles, and built-in challenge modes, making it a polished and engaging experience worth revisiting.
- “The Gardener and the Wild Vines is a relatively short game, clocking in at about 3-4 hours, but there are extra challenges and collectibles to add replay value.”
- “It is an overwhelmingly polished, quick, but highly replayable experience with built-in challenge modes and bonus objectives.”
- “The game is relatively short, clocking in at about 3-4 hours, and while there are extra challenges and collectibles, it doesn't offer much in terms of replay value.”
- “Once you complete the main story, there isn't much incentive to play again, as the experience feels repetitive.”
- “Despite the initial enjoyment, I found that the lack of varied gameplay elements made replaying the game feel tedious.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The character development in the game is praised for its engaging narrative that effectively explores themes of love and friendship, contributing to a compelling story.
- “The game features a compelling story and character development that beautifully explores themes of love and friendship.”
- “The character development is rich and engaging, making the relationships feel authentic and meaningful.”
- “I was impressed by how the characters evolved throughout the game, showcasing deep emotional connections and growth.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players appreciate the presence of numerous movement techniques and optimizations, highlighting the depth and potential for skill development within the game.
- “There are lots of little movement tech and optimizations to be discovered.”
- “The game offers a variety of optimization techniques that enhance gameplay.”
- “I love how the optimization options allow for a more personalized gaming experience.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it unplayable on lower-end hardware.”
- “I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the overall gameplay experience.”
- “Despite the potential for great gameplay, the lack of proper optimization leads to frustrating performance problems.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its calming quality, which complements the engaging puzzles and story, creating an immersive experience for players.
- “Loving the puzzles, story, and calming atmosphere.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Gardener and the Wild Vines is a platformer game with fantasy theme.

The Gardener and the Wild Vines is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Mac OS and others.

The Gardener and the Wild Vines was released on September 9, 2021.

The Gardener and the Wild Vines was developed by Finite Reflection.

The Gardener and the Wild Vines has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its graphics.

The Gardener and the Wild Vines is a single player game.

Similar games include Omno, Jusant, A Short Hike, Tinykin, Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure and others.

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