Botany Manor is cute and chill, with a pretty aesthetic, but for a game that bills itself as a puzzle game, clearly taking some structural cues from things like Obra Dinn, it not only isn't very demanding, it also undercuts what little logic work it lays out for you by too clearly signposting which clues go with which flower, rather than making you think.

➕Super cozy atmosphere
➕Good visuals

🔹Puzzles can be good….but often require a lot of backtracking to read stuff that isn’t naturally stored in your log

➖Can’t view clues from the UI - have to backtrack to read them (BIG issue)
➖Occasionally buggy - can’t exit game, have to alt+F4
➖Backtracking + slow movement

The game world takes place entirely at an old manor set around the late 1800s. You explore and unlock various rooms as you progress. The manor itself is often confusingly built and not representative of an actual architectural project. There also seems to be no hidden areas or much exploration as it’s all fairly linear. Still, I found the world to be pleasantly inviting and cozy.

The narrative is subtle and told entirely through letters you find, in fact, there isn’t a big focus on the narrative at all. Basically, you play as a retired botanist looking to find some lost fauna. She has ambitions to start her own classes around botany.

The mechanics are puzzle-based with a hefty dose of walking. As you explore new areas you have clues that pertain to growing these odd plants under specific conditions. For example, the first plant you grow you collect clues about a plant that absorbs the fog in rainforests, so the puzzle revolves around you mimicking the conditions suitable for the plants' life. Often the conditions are fanciful - things like morse code or a specific wind speed, but they serve as an objective for the puzzle with a botany-based feel.
The big issue I have here is with the numerous amount of clues you collect, there is no way to add them to your journal[/b/. What this means is that you constantly have to traverse the huge area to re-read clues that may help you create an environment to solve the puzzle. Still, I found the puzzles to be interesting and creative, good overall.

The difficulty ramps up quickly. Of the 5 chapters, I started getting stuck around chapter 3. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t have a hint system, so I had to use a guide with the hopes of nothing being spoiled, because I just wanted some tips, not a full walkthrough.

Graphics (Quality/Technical) – [7/10]

The graphics are very good. They have this oddly simplistic “Pixar” vibe where nothing is complex and there’s not a lot of detail, but there were numerous times when I was taken aback by how great everything looked, especially with the lighting. I’d say this is around PS5-era quality.

On the technical side, the game only ran okay. I maxed it and was able to maintain around a ~90 FPS. This doesn’t appear to be well optimized. I would get frequent drops when looking at certain areas.
For bugs, I only encountered one - being unable to exit the game (lol). I had to alt+F4.

1440p @ 240hz | installed on SSD

Audio – [7/10]

The music is subtle and only plays during certain parts. It was good, but nothing great. The true winner here is the ambiance. The environment sounded so lively with birds chirping and the sound of the outdoors. Very nice.

There is no voice acting.

Replay Factor (Longevity) – [2/10]

Very low replay value. This is a linear game and the only reason to replay is for achievements. I almost 100%’d it in under 4 hours.

Final Verdict – [6/10]

Botany Manor (BM) is a short walking simulator and puzzle game where you use unconventional methods to grow lost species of different plants.

Right off, I’ll say that the biggest problem I had with the game is how it handles the clues. I found it so aggravating and annoying that it dampened my experience. As I got to the end, I kind of just wanted it to be over. When you grow a plant, there’s something like ~7 clues associated with the plant. Often these clues contain specific measurements that you need to do to solve the puzzle, like a temperature or something. Well, these clues do not stay in your journal after you collect them and/or assign them to a plant. What this means is the poor developer decided to make your little old lady character have to constantly sprint around the mansion back and forth over and over again to re-read the clues and to remember the pertinent information. This gets old, very quickly.

Other than that huge issue I had with the game, I think the puzzles are cleverly done, and the atmosphere is relaxing and cozy. If the clue and journal system was implemented in a more quality-of-life centered way, I would have easily given this game a 7 or 8. I do stile recommend it, but it gets so tiring having to hunt down notes you’ve already read just to see the temperature of the water to turn a valve to.

Recommend? (Price) [Y/N]

Yes

$25 is way too much for a ~4 hour game with no replay value. I would suggest waiting until its under $10.

You can find my curator page here: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Synik_GR

i bought this on sale and would recommend it on sale because its very short and quite easy and also You Cannot View Clues In Your Journal Once Youve Picked Them Up I Mean Gawd Damn BUT an enjoyable little puzzle game nonetheless just like not for $25 probably sorry devs