Strange Horticulture

by Bad Viking, Iceberg Interactive

The Developer Says...

Strange Horticulture is an occult puzzle game in which you play as the proprietor of a local plant store. Find and identify new plants, pet your cat, speak to a coven, or join a cult. Use your collection of powerful plants to influence the story and unravel Undermere’s dark mysteries.

Players Like...

❤ Relaxing and Immersive Plant Identification

The core gameplay loop revolves around identifying a diverse array of fantastical plants. When customers visit the shop with requests, you must consult a detailed plant encyclopedia, which provides descriptions of each plant's appearance and properties. By carefully examining the visual and textual clues, you must match the customer's hints to the correct plant in your collection. This plant identification process is both relaxing and engaging. The tranquil atmosphere, with its soothing ambiance and rustic visuals, creates a cozy, immersive setting for you to delve into the botanical lore. Systematically comparing the customer's hints to the encyclopedia entries feels satisfying as you become adept at recognizing the distinct traits of each plant. You can also manually label and organize your plant collection, adding an extra layer of engagement and satisfaction. Carefully arranging and categorizing your plants makes it easier to quickly retrieve the correct specimen when needed.

❤ Engaging Exploration and Puzzle-Solving

Alongside the plant identification tasks, the game introduces exploration and puzzle-solving elements that further enrich the gameplay. You must visit various locations on an interactive map to uncover new plants, clues, and story developments. These exploratory segments require you to apply deductive reasoning to interpret cryptic information and determine the appropriate destination. The game strikes a careful balance, providing just enough guidance to keep you engaged, without overly simplifying the puzzles. Occasionally, you will also encounter more complex challenges, such as arranging symbols or patterns to progress. These puzzles seamlessly integrate with the game's occult themes, further enhancing the sense of mystery and discovery.

❤ Meaningful Choices and Consequences

As you navigate the narrative, you are presented with various decision points that can have significant consequences on the story's outcome. The choices you make when interacting with the game's colorful cast of characters can lead to drastically different endings, encouraging multiple playthroughs. These choices feel impactful and meaningful, as you must carefully weigh the potential consequences of your actions. Whether deciding to help or hinder a customer, or choosing which path to pursue in the overarching mystery, the game empowers you to shape the story according to your own moral compass. The game's multiple endings, each with their own unique implications, further incentivize you to explore the various narrative branches and see how your decisions play out.

❤ Seamless Integration of Gameplay and Story

One of the standout aspects of the design is the seamless integration of the gameplay mechanics with the unfolding narrative. The act of identifying plants and completing customer requests is not merely a disconnected task, but an integral part of the overall mystery and storytelling. As you delve deeper into the game's occult-tinged plot, the significance of your plant-related actions becomes increasingly clear. The choices you make, the plants you choose to provide to customers, and the clues you uncover all contribute to the progression and resolution of the story. This tight integration between gameplay and narrative creates a cohesive and immersive experience, where you feel that your actions and decisions have a tangible impact on the unfolding events. The atmospheric presentation and compelling writing further enhance this sense of immersion, drawing you deeper into the world.

❤ Accessible and Forgiving Puzzle Design

While the game presents you with a variety of engaging puzzles and challenges, the design ensures that the experience remains accessible and enjoyable, even for those who may not consider themselves skilled puzzle-solvers. The 'Rising Dread' system, which allows a limited number of attempts before triggering a secondary puzzle, ensures that you are not unduly punished for making mistakes. This creates a forgiving environment where you can experiment, learn, and ultimately feel a sense of accomplishment when you succeed. Additionally, the inclusion of a helpful hint system enables you to nudge yourself in the right direction without completely spoiling the solution. This strikes a balance between providing guidance and allowing you to engage in the satisfaction of deductive reasoning. Overall, the gameplay strikes an excellent balance between challenge and accessibility, ensuring that players of all skill levels can immerse themselves in the enchanting world and unravel its darkly intriguing mysteries.

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