It’s because Garden Story is...well...it’s sort of... profound? It would have been so, so easy for the game to just dump a bunch of silly talking produce in colourful pixel cozy land #584 with some crafting and farming mechanics and call it a day, without needing to explain itself. But there’s worldbuilding here. History. Characters with genuine concern for the fate of the land. There are hints of understated, archetypal, fairytale poetry to the writing that show an understanding of how a Zelda game makes players feel, rather than just how one functions. I mentioned a twist earlier, and here it is: Garden Story gives the player the opportunity to live in - not just pass through - the four main villages. Temporary homes await Concord in each. You can rush through the story, but you can also get comfy. Lay your grape hat in your grape home, and start pitching in. Protecting, restoring, and helping the residents flourish.

Accessibility OptionsFor those who prefer to progress the story without the stresses of combat, you can always turn on “perish prevention” mode in the gameplay options. This setting is also helpful for getting past difficult enemies or boss fights. By Mary Ann Lieser, published originally in 2019, in GreenPrints Issue #117. Illustrated by Christina Hess Experiment with equipment: Utilize a variety of items to help gather resources, grow gardens, stave off Rot, solve puzzles, and indulge in the occasional musical interlude! Foster community: Take on requests, complete favors, and work as a role model to provide inhabitants with the confidence to support one another. Don’t be afraid to ask for help: we’re rebuilding together!

I need to talk about combat now, because despite all the cosy creativity and charming characters, hitting things is still at least half the game. I like the ‘RPG’ part of Garden Story fine - collecting and upgrading weapons, slotting in ‘memories’ to boost stats - I’m just not as sure about the ‘A’. The action is a bit fiddly, dictated by an initially stingy stamina bar that feels more like a hindrance than a challenging limitation, stifling flow rather than dictating rhythm. Foes feel like obstacles to be manipulated and cleaned up, rather than sparring partners. All game combat is pattern exploitation in one form or another, I know, but it rarely feels natural here. Gardens of the imagination round out the anthology: the beautiful but fatal garden of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” the crystal buds of J. G. Ballard’s “The Garden of Time,” ravenous orchids in John Collier’s “Green Thoughts,” and Matsudo Aoko’s “Planting,” in which a young woman plants each day whatever she has been given—roses and violets, buttons and broken cups, love and fear and sorrow. Garden Stories is an abundant crop of entrancing stories and the perfect gift for gardeners of all kinds. You play Concord who, as mentioned, is the custodian of a tiny garden. But they are soon seconded by a giant plum called, um, Plum, to become a ‘Guardian of the Grove’. This is a rather important title in the Grove, as it effectively positions you as one of the four towns’ champions. Being a Guardian means that you will be fixing bridges, clearing out water supplies and boshing the odd slime on the head with a hammer. The four towns have seen better days. They’re in various states of ruin, and often share animosity with each other. There’s a civic feel to Garden Story, as you learn the benefits of helping each other and working together to a common goal. It’s a warm, cuddly message that does work, but it replaces any high-concept stories, plots or even particularly interesting characters (only a frog, Rana, really registered with us). While there is an easy-going comfort to interactions in Garden Story, they don’t really capture the heart or mind. It’s for Budgie,” she told me. She led me inside to collect the tiny, still body of the bird that had lived for several years in the cage in her front room. Grandma unwrapped the cloth that held Budgie and stroked the blue feathers with a finger. Budgie lay on her side, her dark eye wide open but unmoving. It was the first time I’d been brought face to face with the reality of death. I couldn’t make sense of it. Just the day before, I’d watched Budgie tilt her head to the side, then plunge her beak into her dish and spray water in a little halo around her head. It was clear she’d never do that again.

Even static screenshots of Garden Story practically bloom out of the screen, so it’s no surprise that the presentation is a treat throughout. Unique animations nestle hidden in surprising places. My favourite was the deadly serious face Concord makes while impaling rot slimes with a parasol, as if performing some terrible ritual execution. Concord’s stair-walking animation is life affirming. When I first saw it, I squeed loudly, nodded in stoic appreciation, then repeated it for six actual minutes. Take it slow, says Garden Story. Yes, peril approaches, but fences need fixing just as monsters need slaying. Grandma rewrapped Budgie in the handkerchief and placed her body in the hole. We began sifting dirt through our fingertips. The brown soil soon covered the clean white cotton that had Budgie’s small body inside. Yesterday I was driving through an unfamiliar neighborhood, searching for a garage sale I’d read about, and my eyes spotted a small wooden cross, painted white, beneath a tree. I realized that someone’s beloved pet must be buried at that spot—and almost immediately remembered the day my grandmother buried her dead budgerigar, rolled up in a handkerchief, beneath the pussy willow in her garden. Explore a lush, living world: Immerse yourself in The Grove’s vibrant, organic ecosystem with four distinct (and adorable!) regions to enjoy.I love gardening stories. They may be humorous, scientific, whimsical, or even tales of frustration and wonder. Why, after all, can everyone around me grow beautiful lavender plants, but mine seems like I just dug them out of the basement? I’m sure there’s a story there! Plus, there’s no shortage of material. Had a run in with Japanese Beetles? Did your little pet turtle turn into a giant that rearranges lawn furniture? Or perhaps you discovered something special and magical in your garden. Or you learned a lesson about how quiet time in the garden can heal a troubled soul. You, my friend, have gardening stories.

One day the next Spring, I arrived at Grandma’s and found her pacing off the rows for her new year’s vegetable garden. I settled down on the grass to watch—and saw a small patch of violets blooming right in front of Budgie’s pile of stones.We’re delighted to see how well-received this piece was — we’ve a true soft-spot for these most delicately pretty of trees.