GardenBuddies

💜 Tom Recommends — At A Discounted Price

Before buying Garden Buddies, I already had a pretty good idea of what to expect. I'd watched the trailer, looked through the screenshots and read the Steam store page. I knew this wasn't going to be some enormous gardening simulator with dozens of hours of gameplay, and I certainly wasn't expecting a particularly challenging adventure.

What I was expecting was a gentle, wholesome little game aimed primarily at younger children and their parents. And that's precisely what I got!

The first thing that really stood out to me was the cast of characters. They're absolutely adorable, each with their own little personality, and I found myself smiling quite regularly at some of the conversations. From Mutsy the young apple and Betty the bat to the rather unusual married rock and ladybird, there's plenty of charm to be found here. And then there's the wonderfully righteous acorn, who certainly has his own ideas about things!

🌼 A Lovely Message Behind The Fun

One of the things I particularly appreciated was how much emphasis Garden Buddies places on positive messages. It encourages kindness, helping others, staying calm when things don't quite go to plan, looking after yourself, drinking enough water and generally appreciating some of life's smaller pleasures.

They're simple messages, yes, but they're also rather important ones. And frankly, there are plenty of adults who could benefit from being reminded of a few of them as well!

I really do like seeing games that introduce younger audiences to these sorts of ideas in a gentle and enjoyable way, rather than making everything about winning, competing or overcoming increasingly difficult challenges.

🍎 Short, Sweet And Rather Lovely

The main adventure takes place over five days, with a variety of simple puzzles, little activities and opportunities to decorate your garden along the way.

I completed the story in under an hour, so it's certainly not a lengthy experience. There's also a sandbox mode for those who want to spend more time decorating, although the selection of items and the amount of variety on offer are fairly limited.

But I don't really consider that a major criticism of the game itself. Garden Buddies knows who its intended audience is, and I think it would be rather unfair to judge it against the expectations I'd have for a much larger gardening or building game.

What matters is whether it succeeds at providing a lovely, approachable experience for younger children, and I genuinely think it does.

💷 My One Little Grumble

I do have one little grumble, though, and that's the price.

At its regular asking price of £12.79, I feel Garden Buddies is a little expensive for the amount of content on offer. The story took me less than an hour to complete, and while the additional modes provide some replay value, there isn't an enormous amount to keep an experienced player occupied.

I purchased the game during a sale, and at that discounted price I was perfectly happy with what I received. Personally, I'd suggest waiting for a similar offer before picking it up.

💜 A Wonderful Introduction To Gaming

Garden Buddies isn't a game I'd recommend to somebody looking for a deep gardening simulator, challenging puzzles or a lengthy adventure. But then, it was never trying to be any of those things.

For parents looking for something cheerful, gentle and wholesome to enjoy alongside their younger children, I think it's a lovely choice. It introduces some wonderful little life lessons, has an adorable cast of characters and provides a friendly environment for children to explore without the pressure that so many other games can introduce.

And I'd much rather see younger children enjoying games that encourage kindness, friendship and looking after themselves than immediately diving into some of the more violent experiences available nowadays.

I thoroughly enjoyed my short time with Garden Buddies. It left me smiling, and sometimes that's quite enough for a game to achieve.

For me, Garden Buddies earns a 💜 Tom Recommends when purchased during a sale. At its full asking price, I'd be more inclined to give it a 👍 Worth A Look, simply because of the limited amount of content.

A lovely little game, particularly for families with young children, and one that delivers its positive message with plenty of warmth and charm.