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Strange Horticulture

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch • 2022

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Quick resume

Strange Horticulture is an occult puzzle game in which you play as the proprietor of a local plant store. Find and identify new plants, pet your cat, speak to a coven, or join a cult. Use your collection of powerful plants to influence the story and unravel Undermere’s dark mysteries.

Global score

95/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie, Simulator, Role-playing (RPG), Puzzle

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique and immersive atmosphere
    • Engaging and satisfying puzzles
    • Relaxing, no time pressure gameplay
    • Multiple endings and replay value
    • Customizable plant organization

    Cons

    • Some players find inventory management tedious
    • Story and characters could be deeper
    • Limited variety in music
    • Lack of in-game note-taking tools
    • Short overall playtime

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Fellowship, Expression. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Expression, Continuation. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Thrill.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have freedom to organize plants, choose which customers to help or harm, and decide story outcomes with multiple endings."

    • Competence
      3

      "Engages players in plant identification puzzles and logic challenges that require observation and deduction."

    • Competition
      -4

      "Focuses on personal pace and self-directed puzzle solving without competitive elements or leaderboards."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players often engage in long sessions and replay the game to explore alternate endings and complete collections."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Single-player experience focused on individual tasks with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players create their own organizational systems for plants and label them freely, expressing personal management style."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No social dominance or power over others; interactions are narrative and choice-based without authority imposition."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Provides a relaxing, immersive escape into a mysterious, atmospheric world with occult and botanical themes."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest in puzzles, plants, and story; no pressure or obligation."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Encourages exploration of clues, testing plant identifications, and trying different story choices across playthroughs."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Players discover new plants and locations on the map guided by clues, fostering curiosity-driven exploration."

    • Expression
      3

      "Allows customization of plant labels and personal organization, supporting self-expression within gameplay."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Set in a dark, occult-inspired fictional world with mystical plants and supernatural story elements."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "Primarily a solo experience with minimal social connection or community involvement."

    • Growth
      3

      "Players develop skills in puzzle solving, plant identification, and story comprehension through gameplay."

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related mechanics."

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires focused attention on puzzles and plant management; not designed for background or idle play."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "Interactions are narrative and surface-level; no deep social or emotional relationship building."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or management of others; player acts independently without guiding groups."

    • Progression
      4

      "Players accumulate plants, unlock encyclopedia entries, and progress through story branches and endings."

    • Relaxation
      4

      "Calm, slow-paced gameplay with soothing music and atmospheric design promotes relaxation and flow."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Enjoyable visual art style, sound design, and atmospheric effects provide sensory pleasure."

    • Status
      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems; achievements are personal and not publicly ranked."

    • Story
      4

      "Strong narrative immersion with unfolding mystery, character interactions, and multiple endings."

    • Strategy
      3

      "Requires logical reasoning, puzzle solving, and planning to identify plants and solve map riddles."

    • Thrill
      -3

      "Low suspense and risk; gameplay is controlled and calm rather than tense or thrilling."

    • Value
      4

      "Players perceive good value for time spent due to engaging puzzles, story, and replayability."

    • Violence
      -5

      "No combat or destructive gameplay; focus is on constructive plant identification and puzzle solving."

    • Survival
      -4

      "Stable, low-risk environment without threats or resource scarcity; no survival mechanics."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026