Info about Strange Horticulture:

Official game description:
Find and identify new plants, pet your cat, speak to a coven, or join a cult. Use your growing collection to influence the story and unravel Undermere’s dark mysteries.
Welcome to Undermere, a quaint town surrounded by hag-infested forests and rugged mountains. You are the Horticulturist, owner of local plant store Strange Horticulture. As a cast of colorful customers come by your shop, you are quickly thrust into an occult mystery stretching back hundreds of years.
Explore the lands beyond your store to find new plants, but be careful! The dark woods and lakes are not always friendly to a simple herbalist. You might discover powers beyond your wildest dreams - or lose your mind completely. Use context clues to determine which places to visit, and which to avoid!
Using your trusty encyclopedia and clues found on your explorations, you learn more about the strange plants you come across. By identifying each plant, you will be able to use their effects to influence the story -- from hypnotic hallucinogens to powerful poisons.

Release date: 21 Jan, 2022

Categories: Puzzle Solving, Deductive Reasoning Puzzle, Single-player Story, Multiple Endings, Exploration, Management Simulation, Inventory Management, Investigative Gameplay


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging Puzzles & Mystery (weight 0.99): The core gameplay loop, particularly the puzzle-solving and mystery elements, is consistently highlighted as highly enjoyable and engaging. Players appreciate the balanced difficulty, which provides a satisfying challenge without causing frustration, and the variety of puzzles keeps the experience fresh.
- Cozy & Eerie Atmosphere (weight 0.87): The game's atmosphere is frequently praised for its unique blend of cozy, relaxing, and subtly eerie or mysterious vibes. This distinctive ambiance, often described as 'dark academia' or 'witchy,' contributes significantly to player immersion and enjoyment.
- Satisfying Plant Identification (weight 0.49): The plant identification and cataloging mechanics are a central and highly satisfying aspect of the gameplay. Players enjoy the process of researching, labeling, and organizing the diverse and often unique plants, which ties into the game's overall theme.
- Compelling Story & Lore (weight 0.38): The game's narrative is consistently described as compelling, intriguing, and well-paced. Players appreciate the gradual unfolding of the mystery, the well-developed characters, and the rich lore that adds depth to the world.
- High Replayability (Multiple Endings) (weight 0.17): The inclusion of multiple endings significantly enhances the game's replayability. Players are motivated to explore different choices and outcomes, finding the varied conclusions rewarding and adding to the game's overall value.
- Unique & Pleasing Art Style (weight 0.15): The game's art style and visual design are widely appreciated for being unique, charming, and aesthetically pleasing. The hand-drawn look and attention to detail contribute to the immersive atmosphere and overall appeal.
- Adorable Pet Cat (weight 0.13): The ability to pet the in-game cat, Hellebore, is a small but frequently mentioned detail that adds to the game's charm and coziness. Players enjoy the cat's presence and its purring reactions.
- Desire for More Content (weight 0.13): Many reviewers express a strong desire for more content, such as a sequel or DLC, indicating a high level of satisfaction and engagement with the game. They often wish the experience could be longer or that they could forget it to replay it fresh.
- Helpful Hint System (weight 0.07): The game's hint system is praised for being helpful without being overly intrusive. It provides just enough guidance to prevent frustration, allowing players to solve puzzles independently while still offering assistance when needed.

Common complaints:
- Low Replayability & Repetitive Gameplay (weight 0.58): The game suffers from low replayability due to repetitive gameplay mechanics and a largely linear story. Players found replaying for different endings tedious, as it often required repeating the same tasks and puzzles without significant variation or a New Game+ feature.
- Short Game Length & Shallow Content (weight 0.51): Many players felt the game was too short, often completing it in 4-8 hours, which they considered insufficient for the price. The story and overall content were perceived as lacking depth and feeling rushed, leading to an unfulfilling experience.
- Small & Hard-to-Read Font (weight 0.38): A common complaint was the small and sometimes hard-to-read font, especially on smaller screens like the Steam Deck. This led to eye strain and headaches for many players, impacting overall readability and enjoyment.
- Tedious Plant Identification (weight 0.33): The plant identification system was a major point of frustration. Players found it tedious, repetitive, and often reliant on guesswork due to vague descriptions, similar-looking plants, and a lack of in-game tools like search functions or automatic labeling. Many identified plants were also underutilized.
- Frustrating Map Navigation & Puzzles (weight 0.18): Map navigation and related puzzles were frequently criticized for being frustrating and causing eye strain. Vague clues, small text, and a slow 'will to explore' mechanic that forced waiting periods made finding locations and progressing feel like a chore.
- Inconsistent Puzzle Difficulty (weight 0.13): Puzzles were inconsistently designed; some were too easy and monotonous, while others were overly vague, obscure, or poorly translated, often forcing players to resort to external guides. This inconsistency detracted from the puzzle-solving experience.
- Unhelpful Encyclopedia & UI (weight 0.08): The in-game encyclopedia, meant to aid plant identification, was often unhelpful. Players found its descriptions vague, illustrations inaccurate or incomplete, and its navigation cumbersome due to a lack of search functions or proper organization.

Gameplay feedback:
- Plant Identification & Use (weight 0.55): The core gameplay loop revolves around identifying various plants based on cryptic descriptions, visual cues, and customer requests. Players use an in-game encyclopedia and deductive reasoning to match plants to their properties and purposes, often for customer needs or to advance the story.
- Multiple Endings & Replayability (weight 0.37): The game features multiple endings, typically ranging from 6 to 8, which are influenced by player choices made throughout the narrative. This encourages replayability, as players can load earlier saves or start new playthroughs to experience different outcomes and unlock all achievements.
- Engaging Puzzles & Clues (weight 0.35): The game is primarily a puzzle-solving experience, often involving deciphering clues to locate new plants on a map or to progress the story. Puzzles vary in difficulty, from straightforward deductions to more complex riddles, and are generally well-received for being engaging without being overly frustrating.
- Relaxed Pace & Simple Mechanics (weight 0.15): The game is generally described as slow-paced and relaxing, with no time limits or combat, making it suitable for casual play. While the core mechanics are simple to learn, some players found the overall experience to be relatively short or occasionally repetitive.
- Shop Management & Customer Interaction (weight 0.12): Players manage a plant shop and interact with a diverse cast of quirky customers, each with their own requests and secrets. These interactions are central to the narrative, as customers often provide clues that help unravel the game's overarching mystery.
- Accessible Hint System (weight 0.11): The game includes a helpful hint system that players can use if they get stuck on puzzles, often providing direct answers without significant penalties. This system ensures accessibility and prevents frustration, though an achievement exists for completing the game without using hints.
- Papers, Please-like Gameplay (weight 0.06): The gameplay loop is frequently compared to 'Papers, Please' due to its desk-based, deduction-focused mechanics, but without the associated stress or time pressure. This comparison highlights the game's calm and engaging puzzle-solving experience.
- Petting the Cat (weight 0.04): A minor but beloved feature of the game is the ability to pet a black cat named Hellebore, who resides in the shop. This interaction provides a moment of charm and relaxation, and there's even an achievement for petting the cat multiple times.
- Potion Brewing Mechanic (weight 0.03): In addition to plant identification, players can brew various elixirs and potions for customers. While some reviewers felt this mechanic was a minor or secondary aspect, it adds another layer to the plant usage and customer service elements.

Performance notes:
- Minimal technical issues (weight 0.02): Players reported a largely bug-free experience, with many stating they encountered no technical issues or glitches during gameplay. This suggests a polished and stable release.
- Excellent Steam Deck performance (weight 0.02): The game is well-optimized for the Steam Deck, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience without significant issues. This indicates good portability and accessibility for players using handheld devices.
- Mixed PC performance (weight 0.01): While some users noted the game runs well on older hardware, there's a conflicting report about a laptop overheating, suggesting potential optimization issues for certain setups despite generally low requirements.
- Decent visuals and audio (weight 0.01): The game's graphics and soundtrack are considered decent and serviceable, contributing positively to the overall aesthetic experience without being a standout feature.
- Mouse controls mostly good (weight 0): Most in-game interactions are easily managed with a mouse, though one specific action, writing labels, was noted as less intuitive. This highlights a minor usability concern.
- Good Linux compatibility (weight 0): The game runs very well on Linux using Proton, indicating good compatibility and performance for users on that operating system.
- Small game size (weight 0): The game has a very small file size, making it easy to download and store, which is a positive for players with limited disk space.

Recommendations:
- High Replayability for Endings (weight 0.24): Many players express a strong desire to replay the game to discover all possible endings and story details. This indicates high replayability and engagement with the narrative choices.
- Niche Appeal: Puzzles, Plants, Mystery (weight 0.19): The game is highly recommended for fans of specific genres and themes, including puzzle games, mysteries, botany, occult themes, and cozy or relaxing gameplay. This highlights its niche appeal and strong fit for certain player preferences.
- Recommended on Sale (weight 0.17): A significant number of reviews suggest purchasing the game during a sale, indicating that while enjoyable, its full price might be a point of contention for some players. However, some reviewers also state it's worth full price.
- Overall Highly Recommended (weight 0.14): A large portion of reviews express overall strong positive sentiment, recommending the game and giving high ratings. This indicates a generally well-received and enjoyable experience for many players.
- Excitement for Sequel (weight 0.07): Many players are eagerly anticipating and have wishlisted the upcoming sequel, 'Strange Antiquities'. This shows strong developer loyalty and excitement for future content.
- Try the Demo (weight 0.02): Reviewers frequently suggest trying the game's demo first, as it provides an accurate representation of the gameplay and can help players determine if the full game aligns with their expectations.
- Relaxing Cozy Experience (weight 0.02): The game is frequently recommended as a relaxing experience, ideal for unwinding during evenings or quiet afternoons. This highlights its cozy and low-stress atmosphere.

Other player notes:
- Short Game Length (weight 0.13): The game is generally considered short, with most players completing it within 5-10 hours, including achieving all endings and achievements. This makes it suitable for a few evenings or a weekend of casual play.
- Anticipation for Sequel (weight 0.1): Many players are highly anticipating the developers' next game, 'Strange Antiquities,' often expressing excitement for its release and hoping for similar gameplay or deeper mechanics.
- Cozy Gothic Atmosphere (weight 0.04): The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its unique blend of cozy, gloomy, and gothic elements, often set in a rainy, Victorian-inspired world with occult undertones.
- Petting the Cat (weight 0.03): A recurring positive point is the ability to pet the in-game cat, Hellebore. This feature is frequently mentioned as a charming and enjoyable detail.
- Engaging Plant Mechanics (weight 0.03): The plant identification mechanic, though fictional, is seen as an interesting and enjoyable core gameplay loop, inspiring some players to engage with real-world botany or desire more plant-related content.
- Engaging Story & Art (weight 0.03): Reviewers frequently highlight the game's amazing story, engaging narrative, and beautiful art style, noting how the visuals and audio enhance the overall experience.
- Similar to Rusty Lake (weight 0.02): The game's style and puzzle-solving elements often draw comparisons to the 'Rusty Lake' series and escape room games, indicating a similar niche appeal.
- Enable Auto-Labeling (weight 0.01): Players strongly recommend enabling the 'Automatic Labeling' option in settings early on, as it significantly improves the plant identification process and overall gameplay flow.
- Organize Plants Alphabetically (weight 0.01): A helpful tip for players is to organize identified plants alphabetically from the beginning, as this makes it much easier to locate them later during gameplay.
- Change Font for Readability (weight 0.01): Players suggest changing to a simpler or more legible font option in the settings, as the default fancy text can be tiring to read.
- High-Quality Translations (weight 0.01): The game's translations, particularly for Japanese and Traditional Chinese, are praised for their quality and natural feel, enhancing the experience for non-English speakers.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.27): Players found satisfaction in the game's overall quality, particularly its engaging and well-designed puzzles, captivating story, and immersive atmosphere. The game's balanced difficulty, clear hints, and multiple endings also contributed to a rewarding experience, often highlighted by the cozy and relaxing gameplay pace and appealing art style.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.16): Enjoyment stemmed from the core gameplay loop of identifying plants and solving mysteries, coupled with the game's cozy and atmospheric setting. Players appreciated the engaging narrative, the freedom to make choices, and the overall relaxing yet engrossing experience, often noting the appealing art style and music.
- Frustration (weight 0.07): Frustration primarily arose from UI and quality-of-life issues, such as tedious plant organization, repetitive tasks, and unclear clues or map navigation. Players also expressed annoyance with small, hard-to-read fonts, the lack of a New Game Plus, and occasional translation problems that hindered puzzle-solving.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Disappointment was frequently linked to the game's short length, limited replayability, and perceived lack of content or depth for its price. Players also felt let down by unsatisfying endings, repetitive gameplay loops, and underutilized mechanics or characters, suggesting the game didn't fully meet its potential.
- Joy (weight 0.06): Joy was often expressed through a strong affection for the game's overall quality, its charming atmosphere, and specific delightful features like petting the cat. Players found happiness in the engaging puzzles, the unique plant identification mechanics, and the satisfying feeling of organizing and progressing through the story.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): Excitement was driven by the game's engaging narrative, intriguing puzzles, and the anticipation of uncovering secrets and multiple endings. Many players also expressed excitement for future games from the developers, indicating a strong positive impression of the studio's work and the game's unique blend of genres.
- Relaxation (weight 0.04): Relaxation was a key emotional outcome, attributed to the game's cozy and calm atmosphere, soothing music, and low-pressure puzzle design. The absence of time limits or harsh penalties allowed players to unwind and enjoy the leisurely pace of plant identification and mystery-solving.
- Engagement (weight 0.03): Engagement was fostered by the game's compelling story, intriguing mysteries, and the satisfying deductive gameplay loop of identifying plants and solving puzzles. Players felt hooked by the unfolding plot, challenging yet solvable puzzles, and the immersive atmosphere that kept them invested.
- Love (weight 0.03): Love for the game stemmed from its overall quality, captivating atmosphere, and the unique blend of puzzle-solving and plant identification. Players particularly adored the engaging story, charming art style, and specific elements like the cat character and the satisfying organization mechanics.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Anticipation was primarily focused on future content, especially sequels or new games from the same developers. Players who enjoyed the game's unique style and mechanics expressed a strong desire for more, often looking forward to exploring additional endings or deeper gameplay in future installments.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom arose from the game's repetitive gameplay, particularly during mid-to-late game or when replaying for multiple endings. Players found the monotonous tasks, lack of variation in puzzles, and unengaging story progression contributed to a feeling of tedium.
- Desire (weight 0.01): Desire was expressed for more game content, including longer playtime, an endless mode, or more complex mechanics. Players wished for deeper interactions, more varied choices, and improved quality-of-life features like automatic labeling to enhance the overall experience.
- Calmness (weight 0.01): Calmness was a direct result of the game's serene atmosphere, tranquil music, and the lack of stressful elements like timers or harsh punishments. The meditative nature of plant labeling and the overall soothing environment contributed to a peaceful gaming experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration was directed at the game's overall quality, particularly its beautiful art style, rich world-building, and clever puzzle design. Players appreciated the unique blend of genres, the creativity in plant and fungi species, and the developers' dedication to detail.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation was shown for the game's thoughtful design, unique concept, and immersive atmosphere, often highlighted by its art, music, and engaging mysteries. Players valued the game's respect for player intelligence and the overall charming and well-crafted experience.
- Intrigue (weight 0.01): Intrigue was sparked by the game's mysterious plot, dark undertones, and the unique blend of horror and cozy elements. Players were drawn in by the cryptic notes, moral choices, and the evolving mystery, eager to uncover the secrets of the story and characters.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise often came from the unexpected enjoyment or depth of the game, exceeding initial expectations. Players were surprised by the captivating narrative, the quality of the puzzles, and how quickly time passed while playing, sometimes even discovering unexpected features like auto-labeling.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Interest was generated by the game's unique puzzle mechanics, intriguing story, and the process of plant identification and exploration. Players found the multi-ending nature and the compelling narrative elements particularly engaging, sparking a desire to delve deeper into the lore.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Immersion was achieved through the game's captivating atmosphere, detailed world-building, and the feeling of truly inhabiting the role of a horticultural expert. The sound design, music, and engaging puzzles further drew players into the game's mysterious and plant-filled world.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance stemmed from various minor design flaws and quality-of-life issues, such as repetitive music, inconvenient UI/controls, and tedious manual plant searching or labeling. Players also expressed frustration with slow pacing, unhelpful hints, and issues like accidental exits or small text.}