The aesthetic of this game is so beautiful and SO cozy — it gives me such strong “Over the Garden Wall” vibes and I adore the art style of the world, particularly that of the characters. My favorite bit is definitely the fragmented story you’re putting together by collecting all the journal pages. There’s this… cryptic sense to your (and everyone else’s) presence in the Garden which is rather enticing. Overall, the atmosphere of the game makes me want to curl up on my couch, following and unraveling threads.

That being said, as much as I adore the visuals and the foundation of the game, the core mechanics are so frustrating and off putting that turning it on to play has begun to feel more like a chore than a treat, and more days are starting to pass in between my play sessions. I never thought I would complain about a game not having enough of a tutorial but it took me DAYS to figure out some base aspects of gameplay because it either wasn’t clearly enough explained or just wasn’t even mentioned at all. There are some things that I still don’t know what to do or how to use.

• Supposedly I can ‘combine most things I’ve harvested in my bag to make fertilizer’? No combination of anything I have seems to work, so I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong there.
• I own a couple star maps that I don’t know how to use as ‘using’ doesn’t seem to work.
• I could have sworn I had a quest about an Encyclopedia that either a) disappeared or b) didn’t actually exist and I’m crazy. But either way, I possess so many journal pages and wish tags that I don’t know what to do with, so they’re just filling up my Stash spots/my trunks.
• It took me DAYS to realize there were diggable spots and even longer to realize that there were knockable trees — the dig spots are indicated by a faint golden sparkly circle on the ground and the trees have a single sparkle that slowly pulsates midway up the trunk. Both of these things blend into the scenery so well that you need to actively SCOUR the landscape as you’re walking lest you will miss them. So, you’re not exactly walking around the garden enjoying the scenery if you’re in hunting mode.
• I don’t know what it is, whether it’s just perpetual bad luck on my part, but the critter drop rates are laughably low to the point where I’ve written off trying to buy most things that ask for a critter as part of payment. Dust flies net me nothing now.
• I’m also not sure if I’m going to find quest items the same way I find journal pages — that’s how I’m assuming I’m supposed to find Page 123 and, now, rocks. There’s been no indication otherwise (but I did get the Page 123 quest Day One and have had no luck since).
• I don’t know what exactly the purpose is of filling up the ‘record’ bar of the flora of the garden — there are little arrow checkpoints but I’m not sure what the checkpoints represent.
• Sometimes I can’t record specific plants anymore but I can record others of the same kind. Not exactly sure why (I assumed I recorded that one particular plant too much?).
• There’s also no plant log/journal for the plants I’ve seen/recorded — at least I don’t think there is.
• There is a journal tab in the menu but 14 hours in that tab is still empty for me and I haven’t gotten any quests/indications on what it’s for (if it’s for plants or found journal pages).
• The fishes have ‘songs’ to them, some of which include healing the surrounding flora — I don’t know what the purpose of healing is or how I’m supposed to know something needs to be healed. So far every time I’ve recorded a plant, it’s healthy.
• I don’t know how to use planters/pots, if they’re for planting or just for cutting storage. The description says they’re for cuttings and I can put cuttings in them… but nothing grows. Which is strange if it’s not for growing… why would I put just cuttings in a pot? Especially since it’s like, one slot?
• A few days ago I realized that items have ‘grades’ to them — I don’t know how to see these grades or how to raise grades, whether it’s attached to quality or to the item itself (e.g. bluebells are B grade, cinnamon is C grade, etc).
• I wish ‘holidays’ were mentioned on the community board — if I hadn’t logged on for a bit, I would have missed the wish event because I had no idea it was coming.

The other thing to mention, because there’s zero handholding in this game, I’m often left asking the ‘is this a feature or a bug’ question to myself a lot. Like, the things I mentioned above, are these intended behaviors or am I running into issues? I’m not sure, I have absolutely no indication game-wise of what I should be expecting, so I’m left to assume everything is working as it’s supposed to.

It’s clear a lot of love went into this game. I picked it up on launch day, and I’ve seen a steady release of patches since, so the devs are clearly working on it. I hope they take player feedback into account as the lack of guidance seems to be a theme. My concern is that plenty of new players would need a wiki to fully understand how to play the game which is a little ridiculous when you think about it — this isn’t some hardcore strategy game, it’s a game about relaxing and garden-building. The basics should be pretty self-contained. Not only that, where it stands now, as a relatively new game, the wiki doesn’t have a lot of information on it to legitimately help you. So if you’re lost you’re just kind of… stuck. Scratching your head. Knocking on trees.

I've genuinely been looking forward towards a game like this ever since I played out the cosy grove, and now it's here!
This is a beautiful, slow-paced, slice-of-life gardening sim designed for short sessions, and it's just perfect. It's cosy, mysterious and relaxing. It's ideal for 30-60 minutes of laid-back gaming/day, and so far, I've been enjoying my time there, discovering and exploring.
I'm a massive fan of the art style, too!
I'll be back this evening for my second day in there, wondering who I'll meet and talk to. Exciting!

A first look:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRkGNMlmMiE

It pains me to give a not recommend because I can tell a lot of love went into this game and the art, vibes, dialogue, characters etc are so charming, and the fishing minigame is great. But as it stands, unless there is an update with MAJOR changes to how the game is explained and navigated it feels more frustrating than cozy. It is so hard to figure out how to do basically anything in this game and the UI is very unfriendly and nonintuitive (it may be better on PC compared to steam deck but there are just so many menus!! Even some of the most basic actions require navigating some kind of menu). There are tons of harvestables and collectible resources but it’s not very clear what anything is for so you end up with a backpack full of random stuff you don’t want to discard in case you figure out you want to do something with it, and the storage mechanics are PUNISHING (walk slower with a full backpack??? is this a survival game???). Anyways, holding out hope for a major quality of life update but I just don’t have enough time and energy in my life to play games that don’t feel intuitive and rewarding

I love the game; it's very relaxing. I enjoy all aspects of it, but unfortunately, I would not recommend it in its current state. There are so many bugs appearing, and items are disappearing. Additionally, there is a lack of information on some parts. This game has high potential. If you have the money, you can support the developer, as I understand it's only one person who made this game.

The game is very nice visually. However, it could benefit from sharpening the edges, as everything looks too smooth. This would help players fully understand what is happening in the environment.

Effects on the character, such as the "bleeding" effect, could use an explanation of what they do. This game needs more polishing, to be honest. One thing that keeps me hopeful is that the developer is very active in fixing all the bugs.

I will definitely play this game again. I initially bought a Switch copy, but performance-wise, it wasn't doing too well and looked blurry. However, I wanted to support the developer. I will update this review the next time I revisit the game.

I absolutely love the art style, the aesthetic, and the whole vibe of the game. That is what originally got me hooked. However, I just wish there was more guidance towards the purpose of the game. There is too much ambiguity in the game. Other than the tutorial, everything else I learned was practically from luck and pressing a random button. I honestly don't see the purpose of the game itself other than just, wandering around? Trust me, I love games with hidden secrets and puzzles. I am no stranger to this lack-of-info approach to games. However, I don't think it really fit the The Garden Path, and I so hope that there is a future update that provides more info to enjoy the game

i REALLY like augustus bear. i REALLY like bears. i REALLY like him. i like him VERY much.

I'm disabled and very prone to stress and have missed not being able to get out into nature as much as I used to, and so far this game has felt so much like being able to go for a walk in the woods and relax and explore without my body getting the last word. It's been like a warm hug and a cup of tea and just generally a lovely time and I'm very grateful it exists.

Though as it stands I think people are going to have to look up online how to manage certain things, such as connecting the constellations or so on. The directions aren't the clearest on some things. Though absolutely worth sticking with through that in my opinion.

I love cozy games like: Animal Crossing,Cozy Grove,Chill Corner,Minami Lane, and Spirit City. A lot of these relaxing games have specific things in common, but some do things a little different to make their game stand out on their own.

I see where this game wants to go and I really hope it gets there. Bugs aside, and there are a lot, I feel this game has a ways to go to be worth the $20 price tag. There isn't really a lot to do and there isn't a good amount of direction to help you along the way. Sometimes I'm left wondering if I am dealing with a bug, or if this is just how the game is played?
If you have money to blow and you want to support a developer then go for it. I plan on revisiting this game when it has had more time to cook.

I will end this with saying I believe this game has great potential. The art and music is wonderful. If the game play gets on par then this will be an awesome little gem.

I'm in love! this is my favorite game!

the art style is wonderful, the soundtrack is awesome, and the gameplay is very simple in the best way. gardening, fishing, decorating, exploring — all these activities feel like meditation. I absolutely love the concept of everyday little sessions for about 30 minutes

it's really sad that it has so many negative reviews :( but I can understand why. most games nowadays are designed with a clear goal in mind and a chain of quests like 'do this, do that' — and people are so used to it that when a game doesn't have that, it's seen as 'boring'


but personally, that's exactly why I love The Garden Path: it doesn't force me to do anything, it gently shows me its possibilities and seems to say 'you can choose what to do now'. and I don't mean that it's completely empty with no goals — that's not the case! but the goals in this game are more like subtle guidelines


there's also a big focus on exploring the world on your own, with many elements left unexplained, so you have to figure things out yourself. again, this can be either a pro or a con

I would recommend it if you're looking for a cozy place to retreat to and are ready to explore the world on your own!

the garden path is a beautiful game. it truly has my heart.

the art is perfect; the music and ambient sounds are so calming. the game does not hold your hand - you are meant to figure things out on your own, step by step. at first, this overwhelmed me but i just had to change my mindset!

the characters have so much charm. i want to get to know them all! the fishing is unique and one of my favorite parts.

before i became wheelchair-bound, i used to walk for miles each day. it was kind of like my therapy. i can't do that anymore in real life, but in the garden path i am free to roam and explore, to just exist in a newfound wonderful place.

it's hard to express just how incredible this game is. thank you carrotcake for giving us a lovely, calm, magical place to exist.

i love the garden path,