Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator is a relaxing endeavour that relies on a gentle pace. Additionally, it has no gore, violence, or curse words. Accordingly, it is perfect for a chilled time and it is ideal for any green-fingered youngsters. Yet, the lack of action and its laidback approach won’t be for everyone.
This gardening simulation title was developed by stillalive studios and published by Nacon. Moreover, it has a relaxed story mode or an open-ended sandbox experience. Either way, you’ll enjoy planting seeds, expanding your garden, and helping the local community. It is this sense of warmth and creativity that makes this title stand out from its peers.
Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator soothes your soul.
Though the plot of Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator was somewhat absurd, it made me smile nonetheless. You have taken over a rundown community garden. This once-loved area has been taken over by weeds and rubble. What’s more, the decorations have all been destroyed and the bridges and other paths are broken or blocked. Consequently, you must work hard to bring life to the heart of the community.
It is this idea that keeps you playing. The ability to bring life to a dead and ruined environment is moreish. Alongside this, I loved the simple mechanics and the unique ways to prune, snip, and harvest your crops. You must then consider the joyful decorations and the freedom to design every aspect of the space. Though this lacks any technical difficulty, I was blown away by the relaxing approach and the stunning visuals.
Keeping busy.
Much of the gameplay loop follows a familiar pattern. However, you’ll be kept busy with the long list of quests and the number of crops at your disposal. Furthermore, you’ll need to prevent bugs from ruining your garden by maintaining a healthy balance of plants. This wasn’t easy as my OCD tendencies took over. As such, I was constantly pulling weeds and harvesting crops.
Alongside this, you are expected to craft items and study each flower and plant you work with. You must also expand your garden and create a homely space that is perfect for the residents. After all, without their support, you wouldn’t have the tools or the seeds to keep your dream going.
It is these minor tasks that keep the action from becoming repetitive. By creating new furniture, decorations, paths, or bouquets, you have things to focus on. Though I adored the freedom to plant whatever I wanted, I enjoyed the small layer of structure.
Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator looks fantastic.
Artistically, Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator looks fantastic. There is a magical sense of fairytale surrounding every aspect. The larger-than-life characters are eye-catching, and the colour palette is alluring and intense. Alongside this, the use of a sparkling hue to highlight interactive moments was a great choice. The immersive nature of the gameplay was complemented by a high level of detail and a small but fun world. If I were to complain, I’d say that there isn’t enough to see or do. Yet, I’m hoping that the developers add more content and additional places to visit.
The cosy nature of the gameplay is captured in the warm audio. The relaxing soundtrack is pleasant, interesting, and varied. Additionally, the sound effects are realistic. As such, this ticks every box you’d expect from the simulation genre.
Excellent controls.
I played Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator on Xbox and PC. Therefore, I can confidently state that its controls are excellent. Thanks to the well-considered UI, you can tackle this with either a mouse and keyboard or a gamepad. Either way, the experience is straightforward to understand.
The sandbox mode enhances both replay value and longevity. However, if you do not like a slow-paced, relaxing experience, then this will not be for you. Yet, if you want a break away from your triple-A sports or FPS titles, then you’ll cherish every moment.
Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator will make you smile.
Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator is an endearing title. Its laid-back approach and loveable characters will make you smile. Furthermore, the simple story and easy-to-understand mechanics create a straightforward experience. Accordingly, this is a pleasant game and one that I recommend buying here! Can you rebuild the community garden? Remove the weeds, plant some seeds, and rebuild the heart of the village.
