The fun-filled Playrix title Gardenscapes is an adventure game where you need to rebuild a torn garden. The developers have more than one title within this category, with almost all of them earning more than a hundred thousand downloads. The game, which is available on different app stores comes with exciting features and graphics to enhance player immersion. 

Many people have spoken highly of its colorful scenes and relaxing themes. The game is ad-free, but you can watch some videos as you progress to get more coins. It is the perfect adventure game to play without disturbing those beside you. The music resembles that of the 80s but the storyline is accommodating for all ages. Also, the best bit is the supportive AI embedded in the story. 

How to play

The game involves gathering stars and playing match-three objects like what you have in candy crush to rebuild a neglected garden. In the beginning, you will meet an old butler called Austin. You will inherit the butler and the park from your character’s grandfather. The butler will go round the garden, helping you rebuild and advise you on what to do with old items. Sometimes, he will recommend you to sell some things to the townspeople in return for materials you can use in your reconstruction. These item sales are the main attractions of the game. 

You must also help find some hidden objects in the territory and hand them over to customers demanding such things. You will earn more cash according to how fast you can turn in these objects. You will also meet new heroes in the game as you match three things and solve riddles. Initially, the garden will be rough and contain broken statues. Your main aim throughout the game is to reconstruct the whole place using Austin’s guidelines. 

The garden has different partitions that you must remodel. Austin will also help you decongest the tasks by dividing the place into segments. I had to fix many things in the early stages, like benches to level up. Austin will update the things you must do as soon as you complete any task. Don’t worry, you will see lots of surprises and challenges, but they’re easy to overcome. 

As you progress, you will reach a point where you must play match-three levels. This part is necessary to complete the garden remodelling. When you successfully play this part, you will earn stars that you can use to repair benches or do other remodelling works in the place. Collecting tiles and other challenging tasks are some of what you will find in the match three-level. The main features of the level are beautiful and well-coordinated games that match the garden. I was personally excited as I moved through the ranks here. At some point, you will have to collect fruits, break rocks, and look for gnomes as part of the challenges. 

The significant positives from the game

Indeed, the internet harbors numerous casual games. However, this title edges most of them in several ways. One of them is that you rest assured of ending up victorious if you remain persistent. Other games usually have some challenging levels that cause most players to give up on the game. This style is not the case with Gardenscapes, as you can retry multiple times to attain victory. Another major plus to the game is the enticing graphics and attention to detail. The developers outdid themselves in enduring that players have an immersive experience navigating through the garden. 

I couldn’t help but notice the clever way the developers hid the objects in the game. This game will be one of the most fun adventure titles you ever played, as every corner of the garden might be harbouring something you need. As such, you must suspect that every part of the garden contains something unique.

Overall, the game has an excellent outlook and can pose a bit of a challenge to those willing to find lost things. You will start feeling like you own the place as soon as you begin accumulating and gathering resources with Austin’s help.

The downsides I couldn’t overlook

The game although near perfect has its set of drawbacks. On top of the list is that the game has few power-ups. Hence, you have to work a lot or spend much to acquire many upgrades. Apart from the shovel that you can buy, all other stars in the game require matching or blasts. The feeling of despair starts when you notice that there are little boosts to help you move. The little reward is an especially noticeable downside when you intend to buy more shovels. As if the discouraging reward system is not enough, the developers made it in such a way that you can end up spending all your hard-earned coins on a level and still lose. 

You also have to go through a multi-step parade when you lose a level or quit unexpectedly. Sometimes, Austin also makes things worse by offering unhelpful advice. Overall, these downsides have made lots of enthusiasts rethink their position on this star title by Playrix. I would demand some changes in subsequent versions or upgrades. 

Verdict

Playrix did give adventure lovers something to get addicted to in Gardenscapes. The game’s advertisement, though controversial, also pushed its acceptance beyond expected limits. Undoubtedly, it can be fun and adventurous. However, the levels get harder predictively as you progress. In some stages, you might end up losing after spending so much to get a win. And as we noted above, the rewards are not that encouraging monetary wise. To this end, the developers have a mile to go, especially in creating a social media link up with the game. This move will enable players to connect with friends easily. They can also improve the reward system and embed more customization options for creative players. The makers should also review the music to accommodate all ages and styles and improve the recharge time for lives to enhance immersion.