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Review

Strange Horticulture caught my attention predominantly because of its charming art style and inclusion of plants. So with that in mind I didn’t know much about the actual game, and was on a journey as I explored it.
The story takes place in a plant shop, whereby the Horticulturalist (i.e. the player) has to solve a mystery. There are about 8 different endings, how you achieve them depends on how you manage your interactions/choices with other characters. You require three of those endings if you’re interested in achievements. At the time of this review I’ve completed the story four times. My first playthrough was organic and the remaining times I used a guide.
My first playthrough was the longest, as I approached it quite casually and needed to learn what to do. I felt as though I quickly worked out how to manage most of the puzzles, but there definitely were some tricky ones too. The player is required to solve these using the items provided on the desk and throughout the story. Often prompts like letters will give you an idea regarding what’s expected.
I didn’t find the game too punishing if I got things wrong (e.g. selected the wrong plant for a customer). This is because the player has three chances to answer correctly before needing to repeat the day. This system is called “Rising Dread.” If you are achievement hunting you will need to allow yourself to fail this process once to complete a specific puzzle. But, the game also includes a hint button that I found to be super helpful as well. There is an achievement to not use the hint button for an entire playthrough.
My progression throughout the game’s story was interesting and full of intrigue; and I really enjoyed piecing together the clues and organising my plants. Although, to streamline my initial experience I would of preferred the automatic plant labelling option to be turned on at the beginning (not an option to discover later in the menu). Additionally, reading the small text was a bit frustrating at times but the typography choice does match the aesthetic of the game.
The design of the puzzles also felt well-balanced and paced, as the game introduced more complexity as the story advanced. Organisational systems were fun to use, and it was satisfying uncovering the various endings.
Completing the story didn’t take too long (a few hours at most), which felt right but could become slightly tedious due to the repetitive nature of fulfilling customer requests. The stakes didn’t feel too high if I made mistakes, which I liked, although it did cause me to question whether the “Rising Dread” meter was necessary. I personally would have also loved to see a few more key locations illustrated, as I’m a fan of the art style and think it would have benefited from having something different to look at on occasion.

Summary

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the design aesthetic of Strange Horticulture. I found the storytelling to be quite engaging as I grew more and more curious regarding the mystery and it’s relevant ending (particularly on my first playthrough as certain story beats overlap). The gameplay loop works well for a casual approach, and offers the right amount of challenge regarding its puzzles and difficulty. All in all, a relaxing experience that satisfies your organisational urges and detective desires.