This game is easily 9/10. I keep coming back. At the current price, if you enjoy run and fetch, cute inhabitants, fun maps, grow things, collect things, base building and what not, you really should pick it up. Here are my thoughts.

First, if I can just throw a little salt out there... I wish folks that leave ginormous negative reviews would have the nerve to turn replies on. To be harsh and leave a red smear that no one can contextually refute for interested new gamers is just aggravating. You know, like "If you think the game is "meh..." why do you keep playing it?"

Anyway....

One thing I loved like mad about this game are the controls on your character. He/she is the most riotously colored dragon, or cat, or badger or bunny, and they run at about 45 mph. But the running isn't boring or grindy, it's a riot! You collect the things you'll need - like bottles off the beach, weeds and whatnot, while you're flying across the countryside, trying to get the fallen star before it disappears. And it's not hard but it's not so easy to grab a carrot on the fly that you get bored. And that's always going on.

Then you have to run home to open a shop and sell whatever you've collected because your quests require some cashflow. And it's whatever you've collected. And I love this part. You just ring the bell and all of the critters from your world run to your outdoor sales stand to buy your stuff and they are the most amazing metallic, sparkly, scaly, pink or black, or furry or shiny or checkered or totally normal animals ever! And you just stand there as they come and grab a thing and leave you coins! It's great. It really is.

So yes, there are quests, and sometimes you get them way before you can fill them. Just take it off your desktop and do it later.

The world has all kinds of biomes and hidey places to explore. There are lots of collections if maximizing is your thing. There are holiday events. A whole island for Halloween. One QOL thing for me is the complete positioning of items where you put them. Meaning, you can push a chest down by pixels to match the one next to it, or rotate the same. I don't remember things being reset upon my return, ever, but your mileage may vary.

And get this - there are AXOLOTLS! (I like axolotls and maybe two people - my favorite tshirt).

No game is perfect, but take into account what your expectations are. This is not a farming game - it's a "plant stuff so you can make food that sells so you can have enough money to buy the upgrade for the farm so that....." And some of what you plant are brilliant flowers to make gorgeous bouquets!

Maybe I'll skip Len's Island today. Garden Paws is a great game. Go play it. It's a lot of fun.