Background
Lawn Mowing Simulator is developed by Skyhook Games, a UK-based developer with experience in developing simulation games. Simulation games differ from many other genres of video games in that they are designed to be as realistic as possible and to simulate certain activities such as playing a sport, running a farm, or creating a rail network. While other games can often be stylized, both in terms of gameplay and graphics, simulation games are usually very realistic (although there are some exceptions). Lawn Mowing Simulator aims to recreate the fun of mowing lawns through playing a videogame.
First Impressions
Lawn Mowing Simulator has nice bright menus that are at first sight appealing to look at. However, once you try to traverse the options you’ll see that the menus are clunky, hard to navigate and that there are too many options. The menus aren’t intuitive at all, and a simpler design may have been a better option for the developers. I also noticed ads for DLC in the menu which shouldn’t be the focus when you are deciding what mode to play on your new game. The overly complicated menus that try to sell you more content when you haven’t even got into a lawn mower for the first time result in a confusing experience where the player may feel overwhelmed with options and game modes.
To be fair to Lawn Mower Simulator, there are free play modes, a career mode, and more, so whereas the game could have just had a free play mode and let the player experience the gameplay primarily through that option, the addition of a career mode is an ambitious choice. There are also 20-30 minute long ‘contract’ modes, where the player is given a contract to cut grass in a certain area. The wealth of game options is a asset to Lawn Mowing simulator it’s just a shame that the menus are so clunky.
Gameplay
The experience of mowing lawns in Lawn Mowing Simulator is a realistic experience as simulator games often are. The player starts off in first-person mode before they get into the Lawn Mowing machine and the way the game feels at this stage, means you may have been expecting to pick up a rifle and start a first-person shooter campaign, but this is lawn mowing, and the games primarily about cutting grass. Once you sit in the machine, the player can switch to third-person mode. Then you get the engine running and can start to drive the Lawn Mower over to a grassy area. The Lawn Mower doesn’t cut grass automatically, you have to press the X button to begin cutting grass. It’s not as satisfying an experience as core gameplay mechanics in other games.
In Resident Evil 4 it is the satisfying shooting and hitting targets that makes the game satisfying, in Zelda:Ocarina of Time, it is Z-targeting, and the resulting combat that makes the game so good. Unfortunately, cutting grass in Lawn Mowing simulator isn’t the amazing gameplay element that it could have been. Cutting grass in Lawn Mowing simulator is serviceable, and I’m sure the game has its fans, but it doesn’t make for a really fun experience, probably similarly to what cutting grass is like in the real world.
Sounds and Visuals
As a simulation game, Lawn Mowing Simulator recreates gardens, parks, and outdoor areas quite realistically. That’s the game’s aim and the graphics look ok. Each blade of grass is depicted. However, the graphics look really dated. They would look bad for an Xbox 360 game, let alone in 2024. Textures are muddy, graphical elements ‘pop in’ regularly, and it doesn’t look good. However, it’s a colorful game, and there are many shades of green. In terms of sound design, there are nature noises that play while you are mowing lawns, and the sound is well done for what is needed. However, there is no soundtrack while playing (at least that I came across). Again the sound and visual design is servicable, but not great.
Conclusion
Overall, I’d say Lawn Mowing Simulator is a serviceable simulation of what it is like to mow lawns. While this is not my kind of game, I can see why others would value it and become addicted to it with its wealth of game modes. However, the menus are clunky, DLC is offered as soon as you start the game, and the graphics are poor, despite doing their job. Any game’s value comes down to its gameplay elements and unlike the great titles out there, the core gameplay elements of Lawn Mowing Simulator are not satisfying, or addictive enough to make this game worth my time. As far as simulation games go, Lawn Mowing Simulator is an average title and should be avoided unless you are passionate about mowing lawns.
