Strange Horticulture
Genres: Puzzle, Horror, Mystery, Story Rich, Atmospheric, Adventure
Release Date: 21-1-2022
Developer: Bad Viking
Our verdict
9/10
- Difficulty: Medium
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 7–10 h
Strange Horticulture from Bad Viking is an occult puzzle game in which you run a plant shop in the town of Undermere. Customers ask for specific plants, and you identify them by comparing leaves, smells and notes against your encyclopedia, while a map lets you search the surrounding woods for new specimens. Your choices feed into a folk-horror story with multiple endings. It suits solo players who enjoy reading, deduction and a cozy but dark atmosphere, and it is less of an escape room than a desk-bound mystery.
Players love it: about 95 percent of over 10,000 Steam reviews are positive. Reviewers describe a relaxing loop of labelling plants with your cat nearby, rain on the windows, and puzzles that are mildly challenging. There is an unlimited hint button, though using it costs an achievement.
Criticism is mild. A few map puzzles and clues are vague enough to send players online, some found the story predictable, and the music loops a single track. Most finish in seven to ten hours, with some replay for other endings. It is a strong buy, especially on sale; skip it if you dislike reading lots of text.
Pros
- Plant identification puzzles using an in-game encyclopedia
- Choices shape a folk-horror story with multiple endings
- Relaxing shop atmosphere with rain, music and a cat
Cons
- A few map puzzles are vague enough to need a guide
- Story felt predictable to some players
- Heavy on reading, with little replay after the endings
About
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.
