![]() Using your trusty encyclopedia and clues found on your explorations, you learn more about the strange plants you come across. Use context clues to determine which places to visit, and which to avoid! You might discover powers beyond your wildest dreams - or lose your mind completely. As a cast of colorful customers come by your shop, you are quickly thrust into an occult mystery stretching back hundreds of years.Įxplore 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 are the Horticulturist, owner of local plant store Strange Horticulture. Welcome to Undermere, a quaint town surrounded by hag-infested forests and rugged mountains. Strange Horticulture blooms onto Nintendo's handheld console, allowing even more players to experience what Nicole Carpenter from Polygon called ".one of the more impactful games I played this year". Now Nintendo Switch players can also discover what awaits in Undermere. And if you play your cards right, you may just crack an occult mystery and save a life or two. Behind rain-spattered windows you’ll identify specimens, decipher cryptic letters, and attend to customers seeking herbal remedies or dangerous potions. Last week NPR listed Strange Horticulture among their best games of 2022 so far:Ĭozy and inviting, Strange Horticulture unfolds like a delicate flower. The game originally launched on PC platforms in January 2022, to wide critical acclaim. Publisher Iceberg Interactive and developer Bad Viking are releasing their IGF nominated plant shop mystery game Strange Horticulture on the Nintendo Switch TODAY with an SRP of $14.99, offering a time-limited discount of 25%. Thankfully this is where it shines, considering the importance of the greenery.Strange Horticulture is OUT on Nintendo Switch TODAY! Be Ready for Plants, Cats & Murder Mysteries Wherever You Go. There’s a great amount of visual variety and an apparent distinctness between them all. ![]() On the other hand, However, a good amount of effort and care has gone into the design of all 77 plants. People, illustrations and items are forgettable in that regard. One one hand, Strange Horticulture is nothing special, visually speaking. It’s also a friendly reminder of who’s who as the story develops and more people come for your help. Important customers also have bios for some extra lore and background of both themselves and the town. It’s easily digestible and adds some variety and intrigue to the formula of: receive a customer, help a customer. The fact that it all comes in bits and pieces with each interaction, dream, or delivery from David makes it so that lore is never overwhelming, or a slog to get through. It helps you uncover the mysteries of Undermere and the evil that threatens it, and there’s a great amount to discover. You could really imagine yourself hunched over a desk uncovering mysteries by candlelight, while occasionally petting your cat.Įvery letter, tool, and customer adds to the lore of the world. You consult notes, your book of plants, and the map, sometimes using a magnifying glass. Some may take a little longer than others, but figuring out the clues was a great time. The puzzles struck the perfect balance of being vague enough for you to give it some thought, while being easy enough you wouldn’t need to spend hours meditating on the answer. You often need to work it out through clues, following directions using the map, or make use of a decoder to help you uncover rare and unique flora. Neither Card, nor letter makes it overtly clear where the plants are. Similarly, every night’s dreams (presumably) presents a slice of an allegory relating to the main plot, as well as a card that gives you a clue to find another plant. However, by the end of your tenure as horticulturist, mundane is the last thing you’d describe the job as.Įach day David, the best mailman in town, comes around to deliver letters that serve the plot and lead you to the location of plants and other points of interest. I’ve personally never been so pleasantly surprised at enjoying something so seemingly mundane. Honestly, until you’ve identified and cataloged your final plant it remains a satisfying and engaging experience. It’s a simple formula that’s done exceptionally well. It’s a great way to set the tone of the game and give you your first taste of the gameplay loop. Match its description/illustration to the actual plant, and send your customer on their merry way.Īlready the darker nature of Undermere, the presence of the occult, and plants that grant some outlandish abilities become apparent. Consult your strange book of plants and find the one that will improve hearing (St. ![]() ![]() ![]() Your first customer tells you that she hears faint whispers at night, and needs to make out what she’s hearing. A customer window nearby houses a cat named Hellebore (who you can pet as much as you like) and a bell. ![]()
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