Strange Antiquities
Strange Antiquities
Game
Game2022
Strange Horticulture
Developer Bad Viking
Strange Horticulture is a 2022 video game by British independent developer Bad Viking, published by Iceberg Interactive for Windows, Nintendo Switch, macOS and Xbox One. Described as an "occult puzzle game", Strange Horticulture involves the discovery and identification of a fictitious herbarium of plants for sale to a range of mysterious and unscrupulous customers. Gameplay involves the completion of puzzles by… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
554 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
88
LovedLoved
320 positive · 43 negative
95% range 84–91%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 320 | 43 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 75 | 0 | 71 |
| Mastodon * | 11 | 0 | 17 |
| Lemmy * | 2 | 0 | 15 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Overwhelmingly Positive
10,366 of 10,900 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
87% recommend · 250 yes, 37 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 287 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (15,330 of 16,233 positive).
Players praise the game's relaxing, addictive puzzle gameplay and occult mystery atmosphere. [1][2][3] Many note the short length and limited replay value as drawbacks. [4][5][6] Some reviewers find the gameplay repetitive and the story unengaging. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
It seemed alright at first but then it's just the exact same thing over and over and over again. I understand that some of the plants don't look like the image in the book because they're not in bloom, but a lot of them say specific things like "hard and waxy" and the one you're supposed to pick says "soft, waxy leaves", or it will show a specific type of flower/leaf and the actual one looks minimally similar …
- [1]
Very chill, and strangely addictive little game. Love the artwork and the whole premise of using clues to discovering plants and their uses. I originally got this free on Epic, but after what Tim Sweeney did to Artstation, epic will never get one red cent from me, so i only use it as a demo site. I loved this game after trying it there, so I've bought it here to support the devs.
- [2]
Strange Horticulture was my GOTY 2022. I don't know what happened to my original review, or if I even wrote one in the first place, but here we are. Strange Horticulture is a lovecraftian (or chambersian) deduction game that puts you in the shoes of the titular horticulture, and to tend to your clients' needs, you'll have to identify plants using context clues, textbooks and esoteric tools. The same goes for finding …
- [3]
Went into this not expecting much, got addicted almost immediately, Finding the correct plant for each customer is strangely relaxing and getting it right feels very rewarding. At the same time, the writing keeps you interested indicating that disturbing events are happening nearby. Finding new plants, new hints about the unfolding mistery keep the whole experience fresh until the end. It's a short game but worth …
- [4]
Short game (which I kind of ended up loving) but you can tell the devs really put their hearts into this piece. The art is gorgeous, the story is unsuspectingly creepy but full of life to the point you don't want it to end, and the little puzzles and brain teasers along the way have me wanting so many more levels! I played through once and then thrice for my achievement completion. my tiny list of [very nitpicky] …
Summarised from 34 of the 435 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 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Strange Horticulture talk about relaxing and addictive puzzle gameplay; those who didn't talk about short game with limited replay value. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Critical reception of Strange Horticulture was positive, with review aggregator Metacritic indicating the game received "generally favorable" reviews, with an average score of 83 out of 100 based on 11 reviews. Many critics praised the gameplay of Strange Horticulture, in particular its encouragement of immersive and tactile interaction with the game world. Writing for Polygon, Nicole Carpenter praised the "active sense of organization and the tactile feel of research and plant care", stating, "it's so easy to become engrossed in this world." Alice Bell of Rock Paper Shotgun noted the game is "so immersive" and "fun to try and fully inhabit being that weird plant enthusiast in the grotty…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 554 · most liked firstJust finished Strange Antiquities. Fantastic game, just what I wanted after Strange Horticulture. Fricken TOUGH puzzles though!
positive · AI labelView post →I damn near exploded. I loved Strange Horticulture. (Review here: youtu.be/HVmi6nH3XIY?...) I don’t often try to get codes but for Strange Antiquities I would offer my right arm.
positive · AI labelView post →I need some cozy, fun, easy game recommendations to play on my Switch 1 while I recover and have the mental faculties of a turnip! My favorites in this genre are Strange Horticulture/Strange Antiquities, Cult of the Lamb, Cozy Grove, Stardew Valley, Spiritfarer, and Rune Factory 4.
neutral · AI labelView post →Can anyone suggest a light game for mac? I recently enjoyed Strange Horticulture and Rise of the Golden Idol, but I found Baba Is You was a touch too thinky after a long day of work
neutral · AI labelView post →Strange Horticulture is free on EpicGameStore [overwhelming positive on Steam] [SteamDeck verified].
neutral · AI labelView post →Getting a free key for a game I've been very much looking forward to and then receiving a kind email from the publisher to say they enjoyed the stream and check in to see if I needed anything else is just really lovely. 🥹 (PS the game was Strange Antiquities, play Strange Horticulture too it's FAB)
positive · AI labelView post →Strange Antiquities, from developer @badvikinggames.bsky.social, is an excellent follow-up to Strange Horticulture and a quietly charming puzzle game in its own right. Check out @prettygrimgames.bsky.social's latest Bytesized here -- www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRfB...
neutral · AI labelView post →Very chill, and strangely addictive little game. Love the artwork and the whole premise of using clues to discovering plants and their uses. I originally got this free on Epic, but after what Tim Sweeney did to Artstation, epic will never get one red cent from me, so i only use it as a demo site. I loved this game after trying it there, so I've bought it here to support the devs.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Strange Horticulture was my GOTY 2022. I don't know what happened to my original review, or if I even wrote one in the first place, but here we are. Strange Horticulture is a lovecraftian (or chambersian) deduction game that puts you in the shoes of the titular horticulture, and to tend to your clients' needs, you'll have to identify plants using context clues, textbooks and esoteric tools. The same goes for finding the plants in the first place. Some of the plants have effects that, when…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I started on Strange Horticulture before Christmas, and played it through the holidays. I'd been looking forward to it after reading good reviews, but was a little unsure how good a game based around running a plant shop could be. Well, the answer turned out to be very, very good indeed. I was totally hooked, played it three-quarters of the way through, then restarted it because I'd made a little mistake. I'd got overconfident as, coming from the North-west, I knew about Long Meg and her…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm playing Strange Antiquities and have to ask: how do only 42% of players have the achievement for petting the cat 30 times? HOW? This happened in Strange Horticulture too! More people saw the ending than pet the cat repeatedly, and there you only had to do it 13 times! You people are monsters!
neutral · AI labelView post →I've written a little review of Strange Antiquities, a sequel to Strange Horticulture that improves on the already amazing original in every way. kotaku.com/strange-anti...
neutral · AI labelView post →Wait... what?! I don't generally play games but... "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." 👀
neutral · AI labelView post →What does 'cosy' mean to you in a game? With Strange Horticulture one of our core ideas was to never have any time-sensitive elements. You can take as long as you want over anything. That's not the only thing that makes the game feel cosy, but I think that low stress approach is an important aspect
neutral · AI labelView post →Strange Horticulture is delighted to be a part of Earth Appreciation Fest - now 60% off on Steam. The game was heavily inspired by trips to the Lake District, UK, and its setting is our own twist on the area, drawing on local lore and adding our own. store.steampowered.com/app/1574580/...
neutral · AI labelView post →I guess this is my new home now since Twitter deleted my account 😔 I'm a game developer, working on a game called Strange Antiquities about running a shop that specialises in arcane artefacts. It's the follow-up to a game called Strange Horticulture. #gamedev #indiedev
neutral · AI labelView post →"The follow-up to Strange Horticulture is an even better puzzle game than its predecessor, and that was a high bar." 😍
neutral · AI labelView post →Strange Antiquities is out! It's the sequel to Strange Horticulture, which is a fantastically atmospheric puzzle / mystery / plant game. Big recommend from me:
positive · AI labelView post →The demo for Strange Antiquities by @badvikinggames.bsky.social is out today! Manage a store filled with occult antiquities in the same gloomy town that Strange Horticulture takes place in. thinkygames.com/game...
neutral · AI labelView post →Spent some time on Twitch playing a cozy game with a melancholic tone, and rather enjoying it. Strange Horticulture - youtu.be/L5e6hTXgd04
positive · AI labelView post →Weekend PC Game Deals: Unending coupons, returning bundles, and more - Neowin. Hogwarts Legacy – $35.99 on Epic Store PAYDAY 3 – $29.99 on Epic Store Forza Horizon 5 – $29.99 on Steam Remnant 2 – $29.99 on Epic Store God of War – $24.99 on Epic Store Immortals of Aveum – $23.99 on Epic Store NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... – $23.99 on Steam Dead Space – $23.99 on Epic Store A Plague Tale: Requiem – $22.49 on Epic Store Rust – $19.99 on Steam Marvel's Midnight Suns –…
neutral · AI labelView post →It seemed alright at first but then it's just the exact same thing over and over and over again. I understand that some of the plants don't look like the image in the book because they're not in bloom, but a lot of them say specific things like "hard and waxy" and the one you're supposed to pick says "soft, waxy leaves", or it will show a specific type of flower/leaf and the actual one looks minimally similar whereas the incorrect ones look a lot more like the example. The most frustrating…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →you have to be a very specific type of gamer to enjoy this. for me, it wasn’t it. the same thing keeps happening over and over, and that becomes clear pretty quickly: you sit at your desk, customers come in, ask for a specific plant, you figure out which one it is and hand it over. end of story. you can also “explore” locations on a map on the side, but everything there happens in text form as well, which didn’t feel very immersive to me. i can imagine other types of gamers being…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My First Impressions of Strange Antiquities Demo! If you enjoyed Strange Horticulture by Bad Viking then check out their next game below. 🎮✨ youtu.be/bJTwPy8uCmo?... #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →I love plants, I love puzzles, this game should be the best thing ever. Alas, it was very boring. Art style is uninspiring, story is long, mysterious and uninteresting, the game play is repetitive and simply does not feel good. I found myself multiple times annoyed how puzzles lack crispiness to them, there is no light bulb moment ever and finding the right flower on your shelf when you discovered dozens already is just not a good time.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short game (which I kind of ended up loving) but you can tell the devs really put their hearts into this piece. The art is gorgeous, the story is unsuspectingly creepy but full of life to the point you don't want it to end, and the little puzzles and brain teasers along the way have me wanting so many more levels! I played through once and then thrice for my achievement completion. my tiny list of [very nitpicky] cons: - repetitive "discovery congrats" screens on plants that I've already…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall a fun little puzzle game with some room for QoL improvements. The core gameplay loop is engaging and not having any overarching time limit gives it a semi-cozy vibe despite the story/setting. None of the puzzles felt punishing and the pace was nice, with most solutions being pretty intuitive. My only real gripe is that the only way to achieve the multiple endings is to reload from the end-branching day and play the whole game over from that point, which is an absolute slog for a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i had never played Strange Horticulture but i picked Strange Antiquities up and it SLAPS. it fully consumed my brain until i finished it, at which point i immediately went and got Strange Horticulture and blew through that too. ty @marioprime.bsky.social for this! www.polygon.com/strange-anti...
positive · AI labelView post →Wax Heads is a great Strange Horticulture-style deduction game, but what really charmed me was its exploration of the many roles music plays in our lives: To develop an identity, to connect with others, to remember a loved one, to rebel, to escape. store.steampowered.com/app/2769240/...
neutral · AI labelView post →It's good. The puzzles are fun, some are easy some are harder. However the characters are pretty boring and flat. There isn't much replay value either. So get it while it's on sale, like I did.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I showed someone Strange Horticulture / Antiquities and they said "huh, a Murder She Wrote game. Cool." I would have never considered describing them that way, but that's a stunningly brilliant descriptor.
neutral · AI labelView post →downloaded a game called Strange Horticulture and i'll see you guys in a few weeks
positive · AI labelView post →Plants, puzzles, petting a cat. What more could you want? Note: play this game with a large screen/monitor to save your eyes.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Genuinely one way I deal with the too-hot of it all is by spending evenings in the dark playing the sort of indie game where it's always dark & raining & yep, currently double-fisting Unavowed & Strange Horticulture & just downloaded the new Coffee Talk
neutral · AI labelView post →A gaming post for #WyrdWednesday, as I played through Strange Horticulture last week. A slow paced eerie game, with mysteries to be solved by identifying plants. www.strangehorticulture.com
positive · AI labelView post →Game of the day! 🌷Strange Horticulture 🌷has such a unique loop: identify plants through puzzle mechanics, gradually unveiling this strange land's enigmatic story. My favorite part? The drawer full of documents and tools! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1574580/Strange_Horticulture/
positive · AI labelView post →I'm torn between wanting to recommend this game and not recommend this game. I ultimately do recommend it if you're looking for an atmospheric cozy game but definitely catch it on sale due to how short it is. For the reviewer who said there's no easy way to go back and get the other endings... That's not strictly true. 3 of the endings can be achieved on day 16 and only require going to a different location. All you have to do is go to "load" your game from the main menu screen and the game has…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Strange Horticulture: This is on the long-ish side, but I still finished it in one day. Really immersive puzzle game providing remedies to a village undergoing a mystery. If you like plants, cats, and witchy vibes, this is fantastic. store.steampowered.com/app/1574580/...
positive · AI labelView post →[Steam] Strange Horticulture ($6.39 / 60% off).
neutral · AI labelView post →By no one's request, here's my Top 5 video games of 2025 (not necessarily released in 2025) 5. Yes, Your Grace 4. Mouthwashing 3. Strange Horticulture 2. Resident Evil Village ...and, the completely undisputed #1, Bestest Absolute Masterpiece Trophy, goes to: 1. 1000xResist (what a game)
positive · AI labelView post →Strange Horticulture is a delightfully meditative experience. The game is soaked in occult mystery, and the game respects your intelligence (though the hint system is also helpful!). I loved labeling the plants with my hunches and then being able to confirm them through the game loop. If combing through a book about plants looking for hints on what they are sounds fun, you will love this game. One caveat: if you are a heavy completionist in terms of achievements, you may be frustrated with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Demo finished; huge thanks to @badvikinggames.bsky.social for the brief and exciting look at the second game!!! We're swapping over to their first game, Strange Horticulture, now!
neutral · AI labelView post →Thanks for all the follows, everyone! I'd love to get to know you all. If you see this, can you tell me your favorite indie game you've played recently? Mine is Strange Horticulture. Love a game with a neat map!
positive · AI labelView post →Strange Horticulture is a fine puzzle game, but I can only recommend it for those who are ready to read a lot of text and be ready to stop and think. I stumbled upon a Strange Horticulture at random: the description didn't really captivate me at first, but I liked the art style and reviews (very positive) gave a good impressions, so I got it. I was pleasantly surprised from the start and before I knew it, I was at the end. While the gameplay gets repetitive fast, I think that there's plenty…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →::: spoiler long list **Hyper Light Drifter** **9 Years Of Shadows** **Voidigo** **vvvvvv** **Star Of Providence** **Wadjet Eye Point & Clicks** **Rain World** **Colt Canyon** **Gross** **Omega Strikers** **Jazzpunk** **Lyne** **Mixolumia** **Shovel Knight** **Alwa's Legacy** **Souldiers** **Volley Blast** **Strange Horticulture** **Katana Zero** **Rivals Of Aether** **RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike** **Fez** **Petal Crash** **Apico** **Atomicrops** **Blazing Beaks**…
neutral · AI labelView post →New month, new #promosky of things that brought me happiness in July! 🎆 🌹 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 🐺 Princess Mononoke 🗓️ Getting organized True crime documentaries 🪴 Strange Horticulture 💔 Obsession 🖥️ Swoop 🔎 Mystery games 🎬 The Apartment 🧚♀️ Spirit City: Lofi Sessions
neutral · AI labelView post →Strange Horticulture is my favourite game to play when the weather is hot, and I’m really hoping to pick up Strange Antiquities in the sale this week! Rainy rainy rain 🌧️
positive · AI labelView post →I rarely play games, because I do not have the patience when I could be doing something else. But Spiritfarer, a gentle cozy dark game about shepherding the dead to peace, is exactly my kind of game. That & Strange Horticulture/Strange Antiquities. I love them.
positive · AI labelView post →I’ve posted about this somewhere else too, maybe a different account idk. But for games to play with people that aren’t really “gamers” I actually prefer single player games with light amounts of fast paced action or none at all. The “coop” comes from taking turns with the controller. This works well with puzzle or logic games with generous reaction time requirements (again, or none at all), as well as story based games with light action. A lot of these games also come with natural pauses in…
neutral · AI labelView post →Strange Horticulture is an interesting game. I played it in English, which is not my native language, so sometimes I had to translate letters and notes on my phone. It was a nice way to practice my language skills. After finishing the game once, I saw that Steam didn't show 100% completion, so I played it again to see why. In total, I played twice, but it still didn't reach 100%. Later, I found out that the game has different endings based on a few key choices, but the main story and puzzles…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Strange Horticulture is a very intriguing mystery game that revolves around using plants to help townspeople while something looms in the background, waiting to strike. If you're curious, check out @mangaminx.bsky.social's playthrough! youtu.be/Tk-tytm8xuE
neutral · AI labelView post →If you missed my most recent playthrough of Strange Horticulture, fyi the devs are making a 2nd game! Strange Horticulture will forever be in my top 10, it's SUCH a great game! You guys should go play it & then wishlist Strange Antiquities, it'll be a day 1 buy & play for me! 🖤 Support indie devs!
positive · AI labelView post →Spent most of my time looking for names of places on the map + guessing what plant the customer is looking for with vague clues.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Went into this not expecting much, got addicted almost immediately, Finding the correct plant for each customer is strangely relaxing and getting it right feels very rewarding. At the same time, the writing keeps you interested indicating that disturbing events are happening nearby. Finding new plants, new hints about the unfolding mistery keep the whole experience fresh until the end. It's a short game but worth every cent. Recommended for any fans of the genre.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short game, but really great vibe and I got sucked into it like crazy. There's a lot of endings, so you can really play it quite a few times and get some fun outcomes-- my first playthrough took about 4 hours, and I'm definitely planning to do a few more. The puzzles were challenging enough without being completely infuriating, and all of the identifying of plants and solving puzzles felt intuitive and kept the gameplay loop fresh. Having no time limits was also a huge plus, and made the game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An old man came in, his wife was dying, and he asked me for a potion that will turn her into a zombie. I know nothing about the validity of his claims, nothing about her condition, nor what this old man would do with this dangerous potion. Yet I have no choice but to hand the zombie potion to him, because every other choice fills me with dread, both in game and IRL. Really disappointed by the lack of depth and poor UI design. Want to take notes? Too bad, UI doesn't support it. Want to make…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Last night, I started playing Strange Horticulture, a cute and fun puzzle game! ❤️ I needed a break from smashing things in Oblivion 🤣
positive · AI labelView post →It's also just one of the very best "deduction games" I've played in a good long while. Between this, The Roottrees Are Dead (this studio's other game), the Golden Idol games, and Strange Horticulture/Antiquities, we truly are living in a golden age of Return of the Obra Dinn-likes.
neutral · AI labelView post →It scratched that itch of wanting to play something cozy, slow and not demanding, while solving some puzzles and being a little bit nosy. I just wish someone told me to order the plants alphabethically from the beginning of the game, because it was pain to find anything when having full shelf of them.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It feels more like work than a game, and not a cool job where you do interesting things, but a tedious repetitive one, that'll turn you into an old man, squinting and hunched over your screen trying to read the minuscule text. The main gameplay is just about flipping through a book and identifying plants from their book description, then writing little tags on those you have identified and eventually re-order them alphabetically because it will be soon getting unmanageable as the interface is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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