Okay, so this is a game that I got on sale, so I want to say that for the $6-ish dollars I spent, it's not something I regret buying, regardless of my not recommending the game. And I would say too that you might find this game to exceed your expectations, and that's great, but please, for goodness sake, do not pay more than $5-$6 for this game, other reviews have stated it, but it's not worth full price.

Now, the reason I do not recommend it is because of a couple things, but combined made me and my wife put the game down about 3 hours in:

1. The game is extremely repetitive. I appreciate the different ways of solving puzzles, but you are essentially solving the same puzzles repeatedly, be it cross-referencing plants with your journal, or finding stuff on your map. Consequences for failure are also a complete slog; I don't want to water plants or put together a broken medallion just so I can make another guess, as that is clearly artificial difficulty and a waste of time.

2. The story is kind of boring and unoriginal, and honestly, that could have been helped in a lot of different ways; through the game mechanics, the writing, the delivery of the narrative (It's an absolute CRIME for the game to not have voice acting), and the art style (Which is pretty stiff and lifeless.). The game is just so slow and that's coming from a married couple that played and loved Pentiment. We ultimately felt like we were making little to no meaningful progression as we solved puzzles and that should have been carried by a good presentation, which it was not unfortunately.

I want to say too, maybe the game get's better and we just quit before getting to that immersive "Aha!" moment, but we didn't really vibe well with the game while we played, so we're not recommending it.

(Side Note, and not really a criticism: But my wife is a huge plant geek, so she was very disappointed when she learned that there were few real-world plants in the game, it took her out of the immersion.)

(Second Side Note: We loved the cat).

I thought I was just running a quaint plant shop, but it quickly turned into a moody, atmospheric puzzle game full of dark secrets and quiet dread. Identifying mysterious plants based on vague descriptions and strange clues was a cool experience for me. The game will stick with me because I personally like plants, but I don’t have the desire to bother with unlocking the multiple endings (for now). 8/10

Strange Horticulture is a captivating indie puzzle game where you run a plant shop in eerie Undermere, identifying mystical plants and unraveling an occult mystery.

Likes: Immersive art, haunting soundtrack, and satisfying plant-identification puzzles. The branching story with eight endings encourages replayability, and petting your cat, Hellebore, is a delight. Supports Steam Trading Cards (5-card set, affordable for badge crafting) and 18 achievements.

Dislikes: Gameplay can feel repetitive, and early puzzles are too easy, lacking challenge for some.

Recommendation: Highly recommended for fans of cozy, narrative-driven puzzle games who enjoy a creepy atmosphere. Perfect for a 5–6 hour playthrough.