Voodoo Garden
- August 3, 2016
- M. Hanka
- 15h median play time
"Voodoo Garden" is a relaxing simulation game where players build and manage their own magical garden filled with creatures and plants used in voodoo practice. Plant seeds, gather resources, and protect your garden from pests to create powerful potions and grow your mystical surroundings. Complete various tasks and rituals to delve deeper into the world of voodoo and strengthen your connection with the supernatural.
Reviews
- The art style is cute and visually appealing, creating an enjoyable atmosphere.
- The game is addictive and provides a relaxing experience, making it a good time-waster.
- There is a variety of plants and animals to interact with, adding depth to the gameplay.
- The game requires excessive clicking, which can lead to hand fatigue and discomfort.
- There is a lack of instructions or tutorials, making it difficult for new players to understand mechanics.
- Progression can feel slow and grindy, especially when trying to achieve all achievements.
- graphics101 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are consistently described as cute, charming, and aesthetically pleasing, with a vibrant art style that enhances the overall experience. Many reviewers appreciate the colorful and whimsical visuals, which align well with the game's theme, although some note that the gameplay does not fully capitalize on the potential of the graphics. Overall, the art style is a highlight, contributing to the game's appeal despite criticisms of its gameplay depth.
“The graphics are a cute cartoon style that I really liked, and that I think fits well with the voodoo aesthetic.”
“The art style is simple and on point as the color palette feels oddly satisfying enough, and the mechanics are really easy to learn.”
“This game has really cute graphics and a relaxing soundtrack.”
“While the aesthetic and concept of this game are both fantastic, the gameplay leaves something to be desired.”
“Overall, Voodoo Garden is still a really cute title, it seems the creator spent a lot of time crafting a novel ambiance with a cohesive art style, but ultimately the game is let down by a large number of silly mistakes and poor design choices.”
“So, to sum it up: Voodoo Garden has a charming art style, a gameplay that will make you stare at that beautiful art style for hours while barely doing anything, rewarded with slow, meaningless progress.”
- music84 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as calming, soothing, and fitting well with the cute graphics, creating a relaxing atmosphere for players. However, some users noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, which may detract from the experience for those playing for extended periods. Overall, while the music enhances the game's charm, its limited variety may not appeal to everyone.
“The music is super chill and vibey.”
“Very relaxing game, great music that puts you in a trance.”
“The music is charming, the art is charming.”
“Halloween is my favorite holiday so you would think I'd love it, but I actually quickly found myself getting tired of the music and it slowly got on my nerves more than I enjoyed it.”
“With something like this, a game you keep open for long periods of time... you gotta really like the music and I don't.”
“The music is annoying after some time and there's not really anything happening.”
- gameplay52 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Voodoo Garden is characterized by its simplicity and casual nature, making it suitable for players looking for a relaxing, idle experience. While the charming art style and soothing music enhance the overall atmosphere, many reviewers noted that the gameplay lacks depth and can become repetitive, particularly due to mechanics like the rain that disrupts resource collection. Overall, it serves well as a background game for multitasking, but may frustrate those seeking more engaging or complex interactions.
“Even then, it's still a pleasant, calming game to relax to, especially with serene music and peaceful gameplay.”
“The art style is simple and on point as the color palette feels oddly satisfying enough, and the mechanics are really easy to learn.”
“A very casual game you can idly play and keep up in the background when flipping back and forth between it and other stuff-- it's a lot of fun, the background music is cute, I love the little cat on top of the witch's hut that'll react if you put your mouse over it, and the gameplay is super rewarding.”
“The rain mechanic is pointless as it completely stops animals from spawning, which halts production for resources that require those.”
“The gameplay is very shallow.”
“There is really no gameplay to it but waiting for stuff to grow, collect it, and repeat.”
- grinding51 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- -4 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a mixed reception regarding the grinding aspect of the game, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in the later stages. While some appreciate the casual farming mechanics and cute aesthetics, others criticize the lack of strategic depth and the excessive clicking required for achievements, leading to a sense of boredom over time. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable for those who like idle clickers, but it suffers from significant grindiness that can detract from the experience.
“It's definitely not farming, but it has similar mechanics to those games.”
“The grinding in this game feels rewarding and keeps me engaged.”
“I love how the grind leads to meaningful progression and character development.”
“I found it more tedious than fun, to be honest.”
“The problem is, this game just becomes a tedious grind if you want to continue playing, as all it is (like with a lot of clickers) is clicking the same things over and over and over.”
“But it gets old quickly - and the amount of grinding is absurd.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with many users noting that it lacks a coherent narrative and is primarily focused on grinding mechanics. While some appreciate its simplicity as a point-and-click idle game, others express a desire for a more engaging storyline to enhance the experience. Overall, it is not recommended for players seeking a meaningful or exciting story.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“If this game had a storyline, or something to give it a bit more depth, this would be an enjoyable time-waster.”
“Some story would be a great addition.”
“There's no real story, it's just point and click.”
“If you are looking for something with a story, this ain't it.”
“There is no tutorial so you don't really know what you're doing, and there is no story to justify why you are clicking random objects.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with users reporting performance issues such as crashes and stuttering, particularly after extended play sessions. While it runs smoothly at times, the overall balancing and resource usage appear inefficient, leading to concerns about its ability to handle even simple tasks without significant strain on hardware. Many players feel that improved optimization is necessary for a more enjoyable experience.
“However, it does run smoothly, has trading cards and achievements.”
“I think the overall balancing has to be optimized; also, for the late game, there is not so much to do apart from achievements. You can restart, though, but without bonuses - like a hard reset.”
“If the game was better optimized, I would recommend it only if you are addicted to playing any idle-clicker game you can get your hands on.”
“I did notice a performance issue with this game, which is ultimately why I chose a thumbs down for this review.”
“There are some performance problems; I had crashes from time to time and after a while the game starts stuttering; you need to start it again in order to refresh.”
“The game also feels poorly optimized; my GeForce GTX 970 was constantly at 50-70% usage, which seems high for a game this simple that needs to be left open constantly to progress.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique bayou setting infused with a voodoo twist, creating a dark yet charming ambiance. Players appreciate the combination of cute devilish art and eerie jungle sounds, which enhance the overall immersive experience.
“I love the bayou atmosphere!”
“What makes it unique is the bayou atmosphere with a voodoo twist.”
“Great dark atmosphere, with a cute devilish art style and dark jungle sounds.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its lighthearted and whimsical elements, featuring amusing sound effects and quirky characters like bats and skulls, which contribute to a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to provide a fun distraction while engaging in casual gameplay.
“In conclusion: if you don't care about achievements and just want to have a cute, casual garden making all kinds of funny popping sounds on your desktop, then absolutely go for it!”
“A funny game to help you relax when you need to clear your mind.”
“A nice time killer with gorgeous art and relaxing music, funny little bats, curious skulls, and a friendly neighborhood croc included.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits mixed feelings, as players experience a blend of relaxation and discomfort; while it presents a wholesome, family-friendly facade, it also involves unsettling themes such as animal sacrifice, which can leave players feeling conflicted and grossed out.
“Also, I ain't PETA or anything, but having the screen turn red and everything stop for animal sacrifices made me feel a little gross, not gonna lie.”
“A good, wholesome, relaxing family-friendly game in which you overfeed your pets, then mercilessly murder them so their spirits can help you with harvesting your garden, and you won't have to do as much work.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users feel that the game lacks significant replayability, as once all achievements are completed, there is little incentive to revisit the experience. While the art and concept are appreciated, they do not enhance the game's longevity.
“The art and concept are very cute, but I wouldn't say there is much replay value after you finish getting all the achievements.”
“Lastly, the biggest downside to this game is that I feel like it doesn't have that much replay value.”
- stability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users find the game's stability to be commendable, noting it is relatively bug-free and performs well compared to other titles on Steam.
“This is not really my type of game, but compared to some other Steam games, it is pretty stable and bug-free as I can see.”