Garden Story Reviews

Garden Story is ranked in the 56th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Liked-a-lot
Aug 20, 2021

Garden Story is a charming game. While it doesn’t do any one thing perfectly, it does all of it well enough to allow you to enjoy the chilled setting and charming character interactions. It is a delightful RPG, simulation full of fruity goodness, and a very sweet grape named Concord to spend a few cosy hours with!

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Noisy Pixel
Henry Yu
6 / 10.0
Aug 19, 2021

Garden Story isn’t necessarily about what you do, since you mostly take on simple and tedious tasks. Instead, the game is about the people you meet along the way, the lives you touch, the connections you make, and ultimately not forgetting about your roots, no plum intended. It has honestly been a while since I’ve been emotionally moved by a game this sweet, especially one paired with a beautiful soundtrack. If you are looking for a cozy world-building game with some combat and a whole lot of charm and whimsy, then The Grove welcomes you like a home away from home. Concord, you’re truly one-in-a-melon, and you did a grape job raisin me!

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8 / 10.0
Aug 22, 2021

There are so many chosen ones in the world. People, animals, and now in Garden Story there’s even a grape. Each one involves doing your best to make your world a better place. And here, things feel a little more local and humble. You’re doing what you can for a community, even if that means running the same sorts of errands repeatedly.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2021

If you are looking for a stopgap substitute for a 2D Zelda game, but with a bit more to offer in terms of depth and playability, Garden Story is the way to go.

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4 / 5.0
Sep 17, 2021

Overall, Garden Story is a lovely and easygoing game that appeals to a broad audience. Despite some easier-than-expected dungeons and some elements being introduced much later than they should be, the game more than makes up for any shortcomings with its charming design, music, and gameplay. It’s enjoyable to play, no matter how you approach it. So jump off the vine and soak up this charming and wholesome experience under the sun!

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Sep 17, 2021

I have enjoyed my 25+ hours with Garden Story for Switch so far. While I have cleared the story, there are still a few upgrades I don’t have, and more cosmetic unlockables to get for Concord to wear. The game is a very chill, relaxing adventure, aside from the bosses which are more hardcore for some reason. However, casual players can still enjoy it using the option to disable death if they so choose. I prefer not to use such an option unless necessary, but it’s a nice inclusion if you want it. The game is marred by a few relatively minor flaws, like the previously mentioned inventory issues. However, it’s a rather unique and enjoyable little journey overall. You can nab Garden Story on the Nintendo Switch eShop for $19.99, and it is also on Steam. Can you help Concord, the unlikely grape hero, restore peace to an ailing grove?

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Sep 24, 2021

When I imagine my ideal cosy scenario, I picture being under fluffy blankets and playing the latest indie game with a nice cup of tea. The game of choice always has to match the environment. I can hardly be cosy if I’m hunting down the latest cults in Far Cry. One rainy day and a blanket fort like no other, I decided to give Garden Story a go. Instantly drawn in by the adorable graphics and soft-hued colour palette, I knew this light-hearted game would fulfil my recreational needs.

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4.5 / 5.0
Sep 4, 2021

Some games show that you don’t have to be flashy and dramatic to be epic, and I think Garden Story is a shining example of that. At its core, Garden Story is a game about community and the bonds we forge within our communities. It’s about not underestimating the value of a friendly gesture to someone in need, or just how much we all rely on one another. With a moving, heartfelt story, beautiful pixel art and music, and addictive gameplay, Garden Story is a must-have for your Switch collection.

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NookGaming
KuroKairin
7 / 10.0
Oct 19, 2021

With elements and features that allow players to truly take their time playing, Garden Story is an excellent choice for those looking for an easygoing game. Although some core activities can get tedious due to the system design, and gardening and building could have been more fun or at least more purposeful, it has been a wonderfully pleasant journey on the whole. From the melodious music to the pleasing pixel art and cute characters, there is plenty to savor in this game.

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8 / 10.0
Aug 11, 2021

When it comes to relatively chill adventures in more of a classic style the Switch has pretty great representation already and can now add Garden Story to the list...

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6 / 10.0
Aug 19, 2021

It's a title that would have been better had its length been pruned back to 8-10 hours. Anyone looking for a particularly chill experience that isn't very demanding may derive more pleasure out of Concord's adventure than I did, but it's hard to overlook how so much of your in-game work just doesn't really matter. The downward sloping difficulty curve, boring daily tasks, and lackluster enemies make Garden Story a crop that's not worth rushing to harvest.

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7 / 10 stars
Aug 23, 2021

Garden Story reaches for the sun with its bold stalks, but a shallow root system robs it of the stamina needed to fulfill its lofty dreams.

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8.5 / 10.0
Aug 24, 2021

Garden Story is not actually about gardening, in the Stardew Valley sense, and that’s great. The story is about growing friendships and the organic development of communities. The mechanics are good enough to keep players engaged with the world. The stakes are never high. Concord doesn’t shine as a protagonist but the world around him is colorful and fun, a good reason to spend 15 minutes at the end of the day doing a little work to make it even better for everybody else.

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GameGrin
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Sep 11, 2021

At times frustrating, Garden Story is a fantastic example of how charm can help push a game to the next level, despite some frustrating design choices.

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6 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2021

The Grove is slowly getting much weaker, and only one tiny grape is capable of saving it. In Garden Story, you play as Concord and must defend your community against Rot while also uniting the villages that have been torn apart by it.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 28, 2021

Garden Story is a wonderful and unique take on the sim-adventure genre, and it’s definitely worth a look.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 13, 2021

Garden Story is a ripe take on Zelda-like ARPGs, but falls short in a couple of aspects.

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80%
Sep 2, 2021

As an inexpensive and relatively short title by a one-person team, it is hard for me to lend much weight to the game’s misses. Garden Story’s characters and world have a magnetism; it’s hard to stop spending time with them once you’ve begun, and once you’ve finished the game, it’s effortless to stop back in. If you are happy to delve into an experience where everything but the gameplay shines, then Garden Story is definitely worth checking out.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 4, 2021

Taking cues from Zelda and Stardew Valley, Garden Story is a charming adventure packed with action and crafting that can often be oddly paced, dampening the fun of an otherwise delightful time.

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7 / 10
Aug 22, 2021

As one of the surprise drops of the Nintendo Indie World showcase, we couldn't wait to get our hands on Garden Story, one of the most hyped "wholesome" games of the past few months. What we were expecting was perhaps not what we received - and it certainly has its flaws - but nevertheless, we couldn't help being won over by Garden Story's charm as well as its systems.

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