Times and Galaxy
Times and Galaxy
Game
Game2021
Garden Story
Developer Picogram
Garden Story is an action role-playing game developed by Picogram and published by Rose City Games. The game was released for macOS, Windows, and Nintendo Switch on August 11, 2021, and for Xbox One on July 12, 2022. Limited Run Games announced that physical copies would be distributed in Q3 2022. The game follows Concord, a grape who takes care of the kindergarten, which is tended by the youngest Greenling. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
263 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 26, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
85
LovedLoved
152 positive · 26 negative
95% range 79–90%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 152 | 26 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 38 | 1 | 41 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 4 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
1,059 of 1,189 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
85% recommend · 154 yes, 27 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 181 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (1,551 of 1,737 positive).
Players find Garden Story charming and relaxing, with a cute art style and great music. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note the game is short and lacks endgame content, recommending buying on sale. [1][4][5] A few players criticize the combat and controls, finding them sluggish or frustrating. [6][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
i don't understand how games like this happen. over the course of the playthrough i went from charmed and delighted by the writing and presentation (hour one) to bored out of my mind with the sluggish combat and barely-there puzzles (maybe by autumn town?). i have a lot of questions. why is there a stamina meter? the game's pace is extremely slow as it is, and it further limits the player's ability to get around. it …
- [1]
I recommend this game with one caveat- buy it on sale. It is genuinely such a cute, enjoyable game with one of the most charming pixel styles I've seen; an amazing soundtrack that I couldn't turn off (which is saying something because I usually play games with the sound off after a while); and a simple, yet meaningful story that makes for a great play while winding down. That is, while you still have content the …
- [2]
super cute game, really really relaxing and great for all players, if you want a challenge there's bosses to fight and quests to complete, and if you aren't too good at fighting or just want a more relaxing experience you can modify the game fully, you can turn off deaths, make time go slower so you have more time in the day to complete things etc, I don't see games that do this often but I really appreciate seeing …
- [6]
First, please play this with a controller! Using the keyboard makes the game's combat mechanics a living hell. I thought Garden Story would be a cute, relaxing game, but the focus is actually the combat. If this is what you're looking for, then you'll enjoy it. + Pros: cute style, nice music and I enjoyed exploring. - Cons: combat takes patience to get used to it, because you have to change weapons in the middle of …
- [3]
the music, art style, story, literally everything is just *chefs kiss* ive played thru it twice now and know ill keep replaying it cuz it just scratches that itch in my brain perfectly <3
Summarised from 34 of the 261 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Garden Story sits at 85% positive across 178 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Garden Story received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. TouchArcade's Shaun Musgrave called the world "positively adorable", and described the game as a "Zelda style" action-adventure. Musgrave wrote that the presentation and characters helped "pull it along". He criticized the technical issues of the Switch version, including the length of the load times. Musgrave believed that Garden Story would appeal to fans of Blossom Tales or Ittle Dew. Kate Gray from Nintendo Life praised the game's music and the variety of systems, but felt that the game quickly lost momentum. Izzy Parsons from RPGFan lauded the game's graphics and enjoyed the soundtrack.…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 263 · most liked firstAnd old drawing of Concord from Garden story. This was one of my first attempts at using a water brush with tombow markers that I was actually satisfied with. Garden Story is a great game btw. Incredibly adorable and cozy for a story driven adventure game. #art #gardenstory #indiegame #fanart
positive · AI labelView post →i replay it once every 6-10 months and hope for more from the devs! it captured something in me and doesent let go also music is peak
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lets get back to work and then I'll tell you a little Garden Story. Doing some chill co-working and then playing Garden story with game giveaway! Twitch.tv/FaunAndGames Thanks @rosecitygames.bsky.social for the keys!
neutral · AI labelView post →Games for the week including special content and game giveaways! ✨Monday - Palia ✨Wednesday - Tavern Talk ✨Friday - Garden Story Twitch.tv/FaunAndGames Thanks @taverntalkgame.bsky.social & @rosecitygames.bsky.social for the keys!
neutral · AI labelView post →I recommend this game with one caveat- buy it on sale. It is genuinely such a cute, enjoyable game with one of the most charming pixel styles I've seen; an amazing soundtrack that I couldn't turn off (which is saying something because I usually play games with the sound off after a while); and a simple, yet meaningful story that makes for a great play while winding down. That is, while you still have content the play. The game is far too short to justify getting it at full price, and there is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Free game on Epic tomorrow is Garden Story and I highly suggest trying it out. I bought it when it first came out and it's super cute and fun. Wish there were more of it to play!
positive · AI labelView post →Today? Stayed in bed. Watched some board game playthroughs. Played Garden Story. Made dinner. Read some of The Midwich Cuckoos. Dinner was veg, steak, rice. It was perfect.
neutral · AI labelView post →When I first booted Garden Story, I got the impression it would be a pretty average, generic little game. And while I'm not completely wrong, it turned out to have a lot more charm than I anticipated. The basic gameplay loop of Garden Story is a mix of exploration, combat and resource-gathering. You use these resources to improve your village, which in turn unlocks better tools that make combat and resource-gathering more efficient. And it's in this interplay that you'll get hooked. At first…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My 5 and 8 year old kids loved this game and were able to play it despite not really being able to handle other games. I did most of the boss fighting and it was quite easy for me. Some tips from a min-maxer who got 100% achievements: Start your controller before you start the game. Alt+Enter to fix full screen mode. There is never a need to actively stock up on wood, Stone, or coin (leaflets). Wait until you have finished Summer Bar for the remaining tips: Some orbs require a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I almost want to give this a thumbs up... • if you could backtrack to prior towns before finishing the current town quest... • if you could do the missions for multiple towns on the same day... • if the dialogue was less wordy, showed up faster, & was able to be flipped thru faster... ...that would cut about half the play time out of the game for most people, but make it more enjoyable.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It gives Undertale quite a bit in my opinion! I love the music and cuteness of the game. Night time is especially peaceful. Story is good, combat is just enough. I've recommended it to quite a few people already actually!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →super cute game, really really relaxing and great for all players, if you want a challenge there's bosses to fight and quests to complete, and if you aren't too good at fighting or just want a more relaxing experience you can modify the game fully, you can turn off deaths, make time go slower so you have more time in the day to complete things etc, I don't see games that do this often but I really appreciate seeing that it's a feature in this game, I personally play with death turned off…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i don't understand how games like this happen. over the course of the playthrough i went from charmed and delighted by the writing and presentation (hour one) to bored out of my mind with the sluggish combat and barely-there puzzles (maybe by autumn town?). i have a lot of questions. why is there a stamina meter? the game's pace is extremely slow as it is, and it further limits the player's ability to get around. it feels like it was included to have one more Thing To Upgrade, whether it…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Steam really need to add in a "neutral option", I would have gone for it, so I had to think long and hard for few days after 100% this game whether to give it a thumb up or a thumb down, and I thought, would I recommend this game to my friends, the answer would be no, unless they are looking for a very specific game that this game have then I would tell them about this game, but I wouldn't say "it's a MUST play", I would say, this is a decent game with not-so-great combat movement on our…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty cute and basic top down action adventure game. The art style is cute and the action is simple. Link's Awakening meets Stardew Valley.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This could've been an okay game. It really could. I don’t think it ever tried to be great, and honestly, that’s fine. Not every game needs to be some grand, genre-defining masterpiece. But the thing is, there are just so many little annoyances piled up here that the whole thing ends up falling apart. By the time I reached the end, I just... I don’t think I can recommend it to anyone. The story? Eh, it’s alright. Doesn’t blow your mind, doesn’t do anything particularly clever, but it’s…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First, please play this with a controller! Using the keyboard makes the game's combat mechanics a living hell. I thought Garden Story would be a cute, relaxing game, but the focus is actually the combat. If this is what you're looking for, then you'll enjoy it. + Pros: cute style, nice music and I enjoyed exploring. - Cons: combat takes patience to get used to it, because you have to change weapons in the middle of the fight and the animations make the process slow, so you could get killed.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't think it's worth its default price. The vast majority of the game is made up of grinding the same repetitive tasks, and with this grinding subtracted, the game is actually very short and shallow. And you are offered so many possible weapon and jar upgrades, but they take so long to unlock, that by the time you've unlocked them, you've already defeated everything. Making the upgrades mostly pointless. I just wish the devs put more content in, in order to make the sheer amount of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Middling story and characters, along with barebones world building. Both CAN be serviceable in a game, though only if the core gameplay is engaging. Unfortunately, Garden Story takes a whole chapter from the book of early MMORPGs. 80% of the time you are running around performing fetch quests, just to watch a number go up and unlock a new tier of gear.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Random Game Saturday: Week 2 Garden Story, a game where you play as a grape and is adorable. Going to keep this tradition’
positive · AI labelView post →It's fine. Pretty cute but kinda boring and grindy for some reason. Story and characters are also good, just that the english translation gives it a weird vibe sometimes. Controls are a bit jank on a keyboard but you get used to it. Would honestly recommend it on sale if not for the incomprehensible 30fps lock. These days it's rare to see a non console game made with locked framerate, but doing it at 30 and not 60 is just baffling to me. Sure, the artstyle and animations don't make it seem…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cute game! The music is nice and there's ambiance that doesn't get annoying. The gameplay loop is relatively simple, and you have essentially infinite time each day cycle as far as I've been able to tell, so it may feel a little grindy but there are a handful of things to do that keep it from being too bad. The characters are one note, but the note is generally strong. If you liked Littlewood, you will probably like this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mod @gbmento.bsky.social has a new edition of their "Indie Game of the Week" and this one looks at Garden Story by Picogram! Read why they enjoyed its mix of social sim and management gameplay! User Blog: www.giantbomb.com/garden-story... #games #gaming #indiegame #indiegaming #gardenstory
neutral · AI labelView post →Garden Story is a cute little adventure. Nothing demanding, just simple collecting and hitting a bit of stuff. The artstyle is also cute. You complete a few requests, which also aren't that deep and go on your days. You can take as much time as you want, slowly getting all the outfits and leveling all the different towns, but it is not necessary to complete the story, it just helps you by getting stronger, as you are able to buy better upgrades for your items. The story isn't that deep…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of those games where I stop playing, say that I'll pick it up again sometime, then never do. It's a cute game, the pixel aesthetics are nicely done and the designs are charming. I liked finding how to unlock new upgrades via the memory system and I like the variety. But that's about it. The story starts off generic saviour of a sleepy small town and 6 hours in I haven't found any point where it gets more interesting. The combat and controls are not fluid and keybindings are…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I finished this ame about 2 years ago, when I developed my own game for college project. to sum it up, it's really beautiful, wholesome and enjoyable game. some game mechanics like planting, decorating town isn't engaging enough for me. but I really r e a l l y love this game, because I can enjoy it when I'm in stress. Simple tasks and goals everyday makes you felt you achieved something good in every game day. to be honest, I began to make my daily schedule following this game style of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very cute, cozy sim. Starts slower as you learn the world but then ramps up as you're juggling multiple hubs and item storage. Combat is simple but keeps you on your feet. Once main story is over, not a lot to go back to. However, still a light hearted, cute game. Go concord, go!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →boring indie slop
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the music, art style, story, literally everything is just *chefs kiss* ive played thru it twice now and know ill keep replaying it cuz it just scratches that itch in my brain perfectly <3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played for 6 hours enjoying the game but wondered why I wasn't earning any achievements... turns out you can technically play the game on Mac but you CAN'T earn the Steam achievements for it... Don't say the game is supported on macOS if it isn't!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love it but can't recommend it 70% Farming and Grinding 30% Actual Gameplay and Story
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yes, although it overstayed its welcome A LOT. The game has quite a few flaws, but it's still a good game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TLDR This game is below average by being annoying It's almost painfully average but worse because its plagued by a multitude of the most annoying mechanics ever combined Controls are clunky, once you start hitting you're just locked in and cant change direction The god forsaken stamina system i swear is purely designed to slow you down and drag the game out The game makes you change the weapons your using all the time, and that honestly could be an ok mechanic but you can only…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pleasant is the best way to describe this game; the music, the setting, the characters, everything about this was so relaxing and nice--except for when night falls or you're in the dungeon sections, the eerie music (or lack thereof) conveys the danger of being around the rot really well. The game does such a great job of growing Concord's strength; I felt so small and weak at first, but felt so strong and capable by the time I made it to the final boss. Saving the villages and helping my…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Okay question! What sort of games would you guys like to see for my debut? There's a few I've got in mind that could be fun: - Garden Story - Lil Gator Game - Mudborne - Merchant 64 - Stardew Valley - Stardust Skate - Sticky Business - Tavern Talk 🐸 #vtuber #vtuberdebut 🐸
neutral · AI labelView post →Absolutely cute and perfect for chilling cant describe my love for this game sob
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Garden Story Initially the artstyle attracted my attention, and I thought that I would get a short, but memorable 3-5 hours of simple but fun gameplay and some absurd/cute dialogues. Alas. The gameplay is way too simplistic and boring -- the mechanics and overall design aren't suited for ARPG-lite combat, and yet it is there. The designer should have either remade all the combat-related mechanics, or didn't even add the combat in the first place. Fighting is reduced down to pressing…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hi! I'm Kelly McNeil, Sr Learning Experience Designer at Digital Promise, building playful professional learning communities for educators in K12. I played some Balatro today and also recently tried out a cute little cozy game called Garden Story. #LevelUpEDU
neutral · AI labelView post →*whips out list* 📝 A Short Hike Ooblets Sun Haven Forager Stardew Valley Chicory GRIS Coffee Talk The Last Campfire Assemble With Care HUE Garden Story Minami Lane Smushi Come Home Ori & The Blind Forest Lil Gator Game TOEM and so much more! 🤭 Your welcome :)
neutral · AI labelView post →So ive played this game for approximately 47 hours. I was going to rate it a 9/10 but now id say 6/10. Ive enjoyed it until this point. The end boss is horrible and has made me downgrade my liking of it. You cant avoid mechanics enough to stay alive. I am tired of dying so i will simply not finish the game. If you dont plan on finishing this game its great.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Garden Story is a charming little pixel adventure where you help save the grove by completing tasks across various maps. The gameplay is relaxing, with a simple progression system, though some achievements can feel a bit grindy. If you're into self-guided exploration with a cozy aesthetic, this game is definitely worth checking out
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a great combination of relaxing, challenging, and heart-warming. I really enjoyed it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tiny grape stands tall Kindness mends a broken grove Hope blossoms anew
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've replayed this game maybe 3 different times and about to start a fourth playthrough. every time it is enjoyable and every time i cry at the end. one of my all time favs. cute design, battles are not too challenging, the story is sweet, and i love that youre able to play more after the story ends. highly recommend. ive played on switch and pc
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Appleseed's Indie Game Of The Day! Day 239) Garden Story by Picogram A pixel style action-rpg where you play a grape going to save their Grove from "The Rot." It's very chill and charming, with a beautiful world to explore and resources/cosmetics to gather!
positive · AI labelView post →Be a Ribena berry, play hero and save the whole town. So cute.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved playing this game so much! It's so cozy, and I love the sense of progression it has!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was pleasantly surprised playing this game and seeing what it is all about. I would describe it to Stardew Valley with less emphasis on farming but instead about a hero who is tasked with saving the world. Like Stardew Valley each town you visit has a Community Centre where you submit item which are only found in that area. You have different tools which help you collect items which help you progress the game. The story is great. Lots of vibrant characters with their own personalities.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Adorable art style and terrible gameplay. I've tried to go back to this game 4 times now, finally being able to finish it after discovering 'Lossless Scaling' that increases the locked 30 FPS of this game to something a little more tolerable (seriously? 30?). The art style is adorable and right up my alley (I love the frogs) but that's really the only nice thing to say about this. The combat is frustraiting, particularly at the begining when you have no stamna. You spend most of combat…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly this game is truly something, what a fantastic experience. I originally got this game through the EGS giveaway but I decided to buy it again on Steam since the devs really deserve it (+ an excuse to replay it again). A rather simple premise at the start but the game has a very engaging story and great characters, all accompanied by a satisfying gameplay loop and an OUTSTANDING soundtrack (no joke, this might be one of the very best I've ever heard). Like genuinely, every single…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →why in the world are there negative reviews recently?? this is such a gem :(
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have really enjoyed Garden Story. It's not very high stakes and the gameplay isn't very complicated. The music really enhances the game as well. Overall, I definitely recommend if you're looking for something cute, fun and low stakes but still rewarding.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very fun little RPG in line with old gameboy Zelda titles. Actual story is probably closer to 10-12 hours; I did a completionist run and 100%'d because I was having fun with it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Garden Story is a cosy little game about saving your small hemisphere of the world from the "Rot". The game is a perfect blend of simplicity, difficulty, exploration, storey, puzzles, collecting items and charm. Though some caveats of this game is that the controls can take some getting used to, as it is a keyboard only game, and it can get a bit samey if your going for 100%. Overall, its a good, relatively short game that you can easily relax and enjoy playing over a few sessions.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think that so many people, including myself, just expected a totally different type of game than this. According to the trophies, only 40% stayed through the tutorial. I can't really speak for if this is a good game or not, but I do know that my expectations were not met. Maybe watch some more gameplay before deciding to purchase because playing doesn't feel as "cute" as it looks.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A nice casual game about a garden. Also the music slaps.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wrote a long, loving, detailed review for this game just for Steam to tell me I'd have to delete most of it. Thanks, Steam. I'm never writing a detailed review ever again. Just buy the game, it's good. Needs a sequel though, maybe a town management style thing, wraps up too fast.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Idk maybe I'm too anhedonic to enjoy anything. I think it's the combat though, idk. I don't like anything I buy anymore
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the only downside to this game is that it is SO EASY to lose track of time while playing. it is very similar to Stardew Valley, but it has a story, characters are fruits, frogs, seapeople... instead of humans and it's 10 times cuter
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cozy gamers!! Garden Story is free on Epic this week, all you need to do is have an account & claim it. I’ve been wanting to try this game for awhile 🎉
neutral · AI labelView post →
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