Review: Garden Story

• Platforms: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), Steam
• Developer:  Picogram
• Publisher: Rose City Games
• Release Date: August 11th, 2021

In recent years, the “cozy indie game” genre has become a new titan in the games industry. These sweet, adorable RPG adventures thrive off their delightful storytelling, likable characters, and slow-natured pace. Compared to more popular games that feature high-energy battle royales and multiplayer shooter frenzies, games within this subgenre thrive on lowkey but immersive narration and appealing escapism. Garden Story, developed by Pictogram and published by Rose City Games, is another example of a game that checks off all the components of a “classic” cozy indie game. However, they still manage to include a few unique twists.

You play as Concord, the most precious little grape you could ever imagine. However, it turns out this little guy has a whole lot of responsibility hanging on his shoulders, as he’s been dubbed the new Guardian of his home, The Grove. The Guardian’s predecessor has decided to leave town to aid in the fight against the Rot, a dark and mysterious substance taking over the entire Grove. So now it’s up to you to fend off the monsters, repair broken items, help the townsfolk, and save your home!

After taking just one look at this game, you already can tell it’s adorable. The characters are all delightfully designed, each with their own distinct personality and story to tell. The charming Grove is nicely laid out and easy to get a feel for, even if it might be a bit tricky to navigate at first. The daily missions get you started on your Guardian quest, where you fix up parts of town, gather resources, run errands, fight monsters, and more. Though Concord starts with a simple pickaxe as the primary melee weapon, you’ll unlock new weapons along the way, each with their own perks and bonuses. There are even certain multipurpose items like the Dowsing rod, which can be used as a ranged weapon as well as a fishing rod.

Speaking of unlocking things, Concord levels up by unlocking specific memories through photographs accessible at the end of the day. Each photograph is reminiscent of a certain moment in Concord’s journey as the new Guardian and has relevant perks. You’ll discover all the memories as you explore the grove and discover the graves of Guardians past, as well as complete other achievement milestones. Additionally, these memories can be swapped out at the end of the day to test out and compare various bonuses. This unique leveling-up system provides the player with a lot of flexibility, as well as something fun to look forward to at the end of each day in The Grove.

While this game mirrors other classic cozy indies like Stardew Valley, something about Garden Story doesn’t feel as addicting in its gameplay. As you progress further throughout the entire world and fight new enemies, the novelty wears off and many plot points feel a bit repetitive. This isn’t a problem specifically unique to Garden Story – several RPGs face the problem of burning out a bit too quickly, in presenting players with a lot of options at the beginning of the game, but then failing to provide new alternatives later on to keep them engaged.

Additionally, there’s a ton of resource grinding. While that might be motivating for some players, I found myself disillusioned after collecting my hundredth piece of sea glass with no pocket space to hold it. The game mechanics begin to feel repetitive, and there wasn’t enough novelty introduced later in the story to keep me fully immersed.

That being said, this game is a delight to play. The charming characters and rich, colorful world culminate in another excellent option for fellow cozy gamers. Concord is an endearing and unique character with an interesting mission, as well as fun memories to discover along the way. While there are a few missed opportunities here and there, I found myself thoroughly enjoying my experience in The Grove and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable garden adventure.

A Nintendo Switch review code for Garden Story was provided by Rose City Games