Garden Story
A grape guardian fights the Rot in a charming Grove.
Garden Story is an action role-playing game created by Picogram and released by Rose City Games. It launched on macOS, Windows, and Nintendo Switch on August 11, 2021, with an Xbox One version following on July 12, 2022. Limited Run Games planned to release physical copies in the third quarter of 2022.
The story centers on Concord, a grape who looks after a kindergarten tended by the youngest Greenling. When Plum, the Guardian of Spring Hamlet, explains that the Rot is preventing new Greenlings from appearing, Plum appoints Concord as the new Guardian. Concord then sets out across the Grove to defeat the Rot. Critics gave the game mixed reviews, commending its visuals and music but finding the gameplay lacking.
In the game, players control Concord as they travel through the Grove to eliminate the Rot. Concord wields a sword, hammer, and dowsing rod, each upgradeable with materials. Certain enemies require specific weapons, which are also used to solve puzzles and gather resources. The dowsing rod lets Concord grab items or activate switches. Actions like attacking, rolling, and sprinting drain a stamina gauge.
Each town gives Concord a house for changing clothes, storing materials, and refilling bottles. A day-night cycle governs play; a day ends if Concord dies or goes to sleep. Upon waking, Concord receives daily tasks, and the bulletin board’s requests change each day. Resting grants the town experience points based on completed requests, which are allocated to one of three categories. Leveling up each category improves the town’s shop inventory. Some towns must reach a certain level to advance the story, and leveling occurs when Concord finishes their requests. Planting seeds yields new resources, and certain seeds are required for story progression. Concord can build structures and buy cosmetic items. To enter a dungeon, Concord must complete requests and gather resources; defeating the dungeon’s boss allows progress to the next area.
Orbs scattered across the island can be broken to consume gems inside, granting permanent upgrades to stamina, health, resistance, and mind. Perks, obtained by completing tasks, alter stats and abilities and represent memories. Concord restores health using bottles filled with dew.
Development began in March 2018 by Filipino-American creator Picogram.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Garden Story
- Developer
- Picogram
- Publisher
- Rose City Games
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows · macOS · Nintendo Switch · Xbox One
- Released
- macOS, Windows, Switch / August 11, 2021 / Xbox One / July 12, 2022
- Genre
- Action role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
- Composer
- Grahm Nesbitt
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In Garden Story, players control Concord, a grape who takes care of the kindergarten tended by the youngest Greenling. Plum, the Guardian of Spring Hamlet, tells Concord that the Rot is causing the lack of new Greenlings. Plum appoints Concord as the new Guardian of Spring Hamlet, and Concord goes on a journey across the Grove to defeat the Rot. Concord can wield a sword, a hammer, and a dowsing rod, each upgradeable with materials. Enemies may require a specific weapon to defeat, and weapons are also used to solve puzzles and gather resources. Attacking, rolling, and sprinting deplete a stamina gauge.
In each town, Concord receives a house for changing clothes, storing materials, and refilling bottles. The game features a day-night cycle; the day ends if Concord dies or goes to sleep. Each day, bulletin board requests change, and completing them earns the town experience points that upgrade shop inventories. Some towns must reach a certain level to progress the story. Concord can plant seeds to collect resources, build structures, and purchase cosmetic items. To access a dungeon, Concord must complete requests and gather resources; defeating the dungeon's boss allows progress to the next area. Orbs containing gems provide permanent stat upgrades to stamina, health, resistance, and mind. Perks obtained from tasks alter stats and grant abilities. Health is restored with bottles filled with dew.
Reader's Guide
Garden Story was developed by Filipino-American creator Picogram, with development starting in March 2018. After seeing the game at Portland-based events, Rose City Games partnered with Picogram. The soundtrack was composed by Grahm Nesbitt, who also composed the soundtracks of Goodbye Doggy and Floppy Knights. The game was announced in August 2019 for PC with a spring 2020 release window, but was delayed to 2021. It was featured at PAX West 2019, PAX South 2020, and the Indie Megabooth at PAX East 2020. A demo showing Autumn Town was released on Steam in November and was available until December 21. The developers showcased the game at the Fellow Traveller event LudoNarracon. Funding was received from Kowloon Nights. A free expansion adding shops to Perennial Plaza and cosmetic items was released on Steam on October 28. Physical copies were announced at Limited Run Games' LRG3 presentation, slated for pre-order in Summer 2022.
Reception was mixed or average according to Metacritic. TouchArcade called the world 'positively adorable' and described it as a 'Zelda style' action-adventure, praising the presentation and characters but criticizing Switch load times. Nintendo Life praised the music and variety of systems but felt the game lost momentum. RPGFan lauded the graphics and soundtrack but found the game design repetitive and dungeons lacking cohesion. Nintendo World Report praised the art style and music, comparing visuals to Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, but deemed the story and combat insufficiently compelling and the gameplay loop uninspired.
Did You Know?
- The game's soundtrack was composed by Grahm Nesbitt, who also composed for Goodbye Doggy and Floppy Knights.
- A free expansion added shops to the Perennial Plaza and cosmetic items for Concord.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Garden Story?
Garden Story is an action role-playing game developed by Picogram and published by Rose City Games. It follows Concord, a grape who takes on the role of Guardian for Spring Hamlet to combat a creeping threat called the Rot.
What is Concord's role and what can the player do?
As the newly appointed Guardian of Spring Hamlet, Concord is tasked with stopping the Rot from blocking the birth of new Greenlings. Gameplay blends tending a kindergarten of the youngest Greenlings with action combat as Concord travels across the Grove.
Why is Garden Story notable among 2020s RPGs?
It carves out a cozy, colorful niche by pairing lighthearted gardening and caretaking mechanics with satisfying action combat. Its grape-guardian premise and charming Grove setting set it apart from the darker fantasy RPGs that dominated the decade.
What platforms and release dates does Garden Story cover?
The title debuted on macOS, Windows, and Nintendo Switch on August 11, 2021, and arrived on Xbox One on July 12, 2022. Limited Run Games also announced physical editions for the third quarter of 2022.
More in Role-Playing Games of the 2020s, Part 2 1-24
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