GROW: Song of the Evertree Reviews
Once you get going, it’s hard to put Grow down. Animal Crossing tends to have a firm cut off point each day where you know you’re best leaving it until the island replenishes, but in Grow, you can sleep and keep going. It’s therapeutic in a way that even its inspirations aren’t. Often games like this can get overwhelming fast as new features pile on. Grow doesn’t - it’s simple and to the point, so that relaxing sensation never wanes.
Grow: Song of the Evertree is a game full of charm, and will be a relaxing world-builder for some, but a repetitive experience for others.
There are some rough edges to be found, and one person’s relaxation will be another’s repetition. However, Grow: Song of the Evertree succeeds in its attempts at presenting a wholesome, laid-back experience. Its successes are admirable, and its missteps are negligible. It lives up to its philosophy and presents something that has all the satisfying progression of a typical game experience, but without all the violence. There’s still room to grow, but the roots are firmly planted.
A very pleasant management sandbox with a very relaxed pace that in the long run suffers from some gameplay uncertainty and too much micro-management.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Grow: Song of the Evertree is like a storybook.
Game developer, Prideful Sloth, places a premium on marrying narrative storytelling with detailed world building. This is a great game for players who just want to unwind or for parents looking for a safe game for their children to play.
A bit slow at the beginning and a bit repetitive in the long run, overall Grow: Song of the Evertree still offers a pleasant and relaxing experience, with its simple but effective playful loop, its ability to motivate the player without pressure or forcing and that sense of freedom and progression that transmits in a concretely satisfying way.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Many melodies can present varied forms in terms of their harmony, while many other times they take advantage of other chord progressions present throughout it. With a somewhat more refined style that offers trickster melodies and emotional and moving lyrics, Grow: Song of the Evertree takes root in a human affective structure.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Grow: Song of The Evertree is reasonably compelling for the first few hours. But in juggling a lot, some of its more commonplace elements are uneven. While the story sings a familiar tune and long load times add up, this is still a worthwhile adventure with many surprises. Just be prepared for some feeling of recognizable repetition as you play at your own pace.
Gorgeous and relaxing, Grow: Song of the Evertree will strongly appeal to fans of games about gardening and enjoying the Zen qualities of nature.
Grow: Song of the Evertree is close to excellence with its gorgeous aesthetic and charming writing, but it struggles under the number of gameplay elements packed into it. There’s a lot here that might work together in theory, but the end result is less than the sum of its parts. When exploring Alaria and interacting with the characters, it’s easy to get swept up in this quirky and beautiful world. Unfortunately, the bits you enjoy will be intercut with stuff that might feel more like a chore. Grow is a game with too many irons in the fire, but its obvious heart and character still presents a lot to love.
Overall, a fantastic game that yields a relaxing experience and a gaming experience for all. The adventure is fun and awe-inducing. The graphics and music are coupled well together and marry each other to make for an amazing fantasy feel.
If you love Animal Crossing-like games, you will definitely enjoy Grow.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There’s an open ended element to Grow that makes it something special. Far beyond the inviting graphics and the urgent environmental tale it tells, this is a thoughtful and deliberate balance of cute and considered gameplay concepts that make it a serious time sink.
Grow: Song of the Evertree is three different games crammed into the same one. Its mechanics clash too frequently for Grow to stand out despite some bright spots.
Grow: Song of the Evertree is the epitome of cosy, wholesome gaming. With a healthy mix of town-building, farming and adventuring, there’s a huge amount of content here for the modest asking price. If you enjoy relaxing games that you can take at your own pace, you won’t be disappointed. It’s a shame that it’s still waiting for some bugs to be ironed out, but once they’re fixed, this will be a must-have.
Although lacking in some aspects, what Grow: Song of the Evertree gets right is the sense of whimsical fun and adventure. Definitely worth giving a try!
Without a doubt Grow: Song of the Evertree took on board what worked and what did not work so well in Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles and produced an engaging, time consuming game that is hard to put down with virtually no issues aside from occasional weird camera angles. It was not possible to finish the main story for this review because of how long it takes to complete each section, but there are dozens of hours to be spent creating new realms to explore and harvest from, creating settlements that are eye-catching and meet all residents' needs, with few issues that make it an epic title in its own right on Nintendo Switch.
Performance concerns are certainly worth being aware of on Switch, but they rarely hamper the actual gameplay. If you need a break from Animal Crossing or want something even calmer than Story of Seasons, Grow: Song of the Evertree isn't likely to steer you wrong. This is without a doubt one of the most pleasantly cozy experiences I've had playing a game.
If you can look past the issues with pacing and the odd graphical stutter, Grow: Song of The Evertree is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure with rewarding exploration as well as tons of fun things to create and collect within its large and colourful game world.